Seeds of Greed

Dead flies putrefy the perfumer's ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor; so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor. ~Ecclesiastes 10:1~

Flies were just a way of life in ancient Israel.  No refrigeration, few preservatives--you had to expect something like this to happen.  Stinky things were a nasty part of life.  Sometimes even in modern life we have to put up with powerful, nasty smells.

But do our lives stink?  Whether or not they do depends on how we act.  It doesn't take much to have a foul smell emanate from our lives.  A little dishonesty or selfishness, and actions that once smelled like perfume instead smell like dead flies.

Some of today's corporate leaders have begun to smell like defunct flies.  Their greed has impacted the lives of hundreds--even thousands --of employees and investors.  While they've lied about their companies' bottom line, they've impacted the lives of thousands who have lost their jobs and money.

Not only do actions like that stink to us, they stink to God.  Those who are found out lose the respect of others and pay a price, It may not consist of jail or unemployment, but it will certainly contain God's disapproval and punishment, Imaging smelling like putrefying flies to God's nose!  What could be worse?

Let's Look At  Greed  In The Bible:

The Israelites With Greed

Numbers 11:4-6

4 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”

Numbers 11:31-34

31 Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubits[b] deep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. 32 All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers.[c] Then they spread them out all around the camp. 33 But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. 34 Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah,[d] because there they buried the people who had craved other food.

Judas With Greed

Matthew 26: 14-15

14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

Matthew 27: 3-8

3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

6 The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. 8 That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 

False Prophets With Greed

2 Peter 2-4

2 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,[a] putting them in chains of darkness[b] to be held for judgment;

resources: Life Application Bible (NIV) and Everyday Guide To Success

What Happens When You Are Under Oppression

and this is why we say "BLACK LIVES MATTER!"

 Today we as black people hear our cry of BLACK LIVES MATTER, yet other blacks are also saying "BLACK ON BLACK CRIMES MUST STOP." Then we are paid less and are given more work than whites. We are the less than 11.6% of the work force and our unemployment rate is 9.5 to whites 4.5. We are often the victim of police brutality. We are consider lazy and are on welfare more than any other group of people. On top of all this, we have blacks who sell us out for their own profit and gain. To add to that, black's with a slave mentality who only want to serve their white master. These things happen when you are under OPPRESSION. Let me show you...

 1). This is why BLACK LIVES MATTER read... EXODUS 1:6-10,1:15-17

 6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7 but the Hebrews were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them. 8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Hebrews have become far too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” 

1a. Because of fear and intimidation of them being over ruled, or left to work for themselves, the Eygptians  try to stop the population of the of the Hebrews and kill the boys to keep the population down. EXODUS 1:15-17

 15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. 

2). When we cry out "Black on Black Crimes Must Stop" we must first look at the reason why we are having "Black on Black Crimes" to begin with. Read... EXODUS 1:13-14

13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?” 14 The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.” 

2a). When under oppression we will turn on ourselves because we are the easiest target to attack. We have been condition under Stockholm Syndrome to have feelings of trust or affection felt in certain cases of kidnapping or hostage-taking by a victim toward a captor.

3).Why we are paid less and have more work than our white co-workers, for prosperity of whites. Read... EXODUS 1: 7,11-14

7 “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota.
11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly. 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.

4). We are often times the victim of police brutality...Read EXODUS 1:11-12

11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

4a). Because we are under oppression when are the likely target of police brutality and unsolved murders. When people say "All Lives Matter" after we and I say after we say Black Lives Matter they are trying to play down what is happening to our black people. Especially coming from a history of being consider 3/4 of a person.

5). We are consider lazy and on welfare...Read EXODUS 1:6-8

6 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: 7 “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, 

5a). So when you see reports about black being lazy and on welfare don't believe this America was built on the backs of slaves and is continually strives on black people. We even won't talk about Melania Trump's speech for just an example.

6). Black's selling out black people...Read EXODUS 1:14

14 And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”

6a). Some blacks are helping keep black people oppress just to have life better for themself, as you can see the Israelite/Hebrew people had their own overseer, so that meant they actually were not doing the work but made sure their people continued to do the work.

7). In spite off everything that happen to the Israelites/Hebrews some of them still wanted to go back to their oppressor... Read NUMBERS 14:1-4

14 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

7a). Stockholm Syndrome along with the rest, is what we face as people of OPPRESSION...

This is only for the definition of Stockholm Syndrome all of his views I don't necessarily agree with.

Jesus' Righteous Judgement

when people say "don't judge me" you say I'm speaking what Jesus' says...
 

Do you as a Christian get tired of hearing celebrities, worldly people and so called "Christians" with unrighteous living say "don't judge me" because they don't want to hear what the Lord has to say about righteous living and being a child of God (Jesus).  They say part of this scripture Judge Not, well they are only quoting half of the scripture. If you read other scriptures that backs up this scripture you will see that you can tell them what God (Jesus) condemns as unrighteous. That's not you judging but God's (Jesus') judgement; you are only a messenger. Here's the scriptures I'm talking about: 

 Matthew 7:1-3 King James Version (KJV) 

 7 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (This is the scripture most celebrities and unrighteous people are talking about but, here's another scripture that adds more detail to this scripture)

Romans 2:1-15 New International Version (NIV)

God’s Righteous Judgment
2 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? (As long as you are living righteous you can say that they are living unrighteous. You are really not making the judgement but are repeating what God (Jesus) has already proclaimed.  The ones who are living ungodly can't judge.)

5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”[a] 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.


12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.

The Lord Will Destroy Evil Rulers! Christians Stay Devoted to The Lord!

Just like Elijah did...

2 Kings 1:1-18

The Lord’s Judgment on Ahaziah

1 After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”

3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ 4 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’” So Elijah went.

5 When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you come back?”

6 “A man came to meet us,” they replied. “And he said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”’”

7 The king asked them, “What kind of man was it who came to meet you and told you this?”

8 They replied, “He had a garment of hair[a] and had a leather belt around his waist.”

The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”

9 Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’”

10 Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.

11 At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, “Man of God, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’”

12 “If I am a man of God,” Elijah replied, “may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

13 So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. “Man of God,” he begged, “please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! 14 See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!”

15 The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.

16 He told the king, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” 17 So he died, according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken.

Because Ahaziah had no son, Joram[b] succeeded him as king in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. 18 As for all the other events of Ahaziah’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

Commentary: 2 Kings 1: 1-18 Life Application Study Bible

1:1 Because 1 and 2 Kings were originally one book, 2 Kings continues where 1 Kings ends.  the once great nation of Israel was split in two because the people forgot God.  The book begins with Elijah a prophet of God, being carried away to heaven.  It ends with the people of Israel and Judah being taken into captivity.  In 1 Kings, the beautiful temple of God was built.  In 2 Kings, it is desecrated and destroyed.  Our world is strikingly similar to the world described in 2 Kings. National and local governments do not seek God, and countries are tormented by war.  Many people follow the false gods of technology, materialism, and war.  True worship of God is rare on the earth.  In our chaotic and corrupt world, we can turn to examples such as David, Elijah, and Elisha, who were devoted to God's high honor and moral law and who brought about renewal and change in their society.  More important, we can look to Jesus Christ, the perfect example.  For nations to do God's will, they need individuals who will do God's work.  If you heart is committed to God, he can work through to accomplish the work he has called you to do.

1;2 Baal-Zebub was not the same god as Baal, the Canaanite god worshiped by Ahab and Jezebel (1Kings 16:31-33) Baal-Zebub was another popular god whose temple was located in the city of Ekron.  Because this god was thought to have the power of prophecy, King Ahaziah sent messengers to Ekron to learn of his fate.  Supernatural power and mystery were associated with Baal-Zebub.  Ahaziah's action showed the kings's disrespect for God.

1:8 For more information on Elijah, see his Profile in 1 Kings 17 p. 525 Life Application Study Bible.

1:13-15 Notice how the third captain went to Elijah, Although the first two captains called Elijah "man of God," they were not being genuine--God was not in their hearts. The third captain also called him "man of God," but he humbly begged for mercy.  His attitude showed respect for God and his power and saved the lives of his men.  Effective living begins with a right attitude toward God.  Before religious words come to your mouth, make sure they are from your heart.  Let respect, humility and servanthood characterize your attitude toward God and others.

1:18 The book of the annals of the kings of Israel and the book of the annals of the kings of Judah (8:23) were history books.  The inspired writer of 2 Kings selected facts from these books to retell the story thoughts and selection process to make sure that the truth, God's Word, would be written.

ELIJAH THE PROPHET (FULL MOVIE)

IN ALL THINGS, GIVE THANKS!

Dear God:
I want to thank You for what You have already done.  I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards, I am thanking You right now.  I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better, I am thanking You right now.

I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me, I am thanking You right now.  I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears, I am thanking You right now.  I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves, I am going to thank You right now.  

I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet, I am going to thank You right now.  I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job, I am going to thank You right now.

I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief, I am going to thank You right now.  I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed.  I am thanking You right now.

I am thanking You because I am alive.  I am thanking You because I made it through the day’s difficulties.  I am thanking You because I have walked around the obstacles.  I am thanking You because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better.  I am thanking You because You have not given up on me.