Maybe you've heard the slogan, "He who has the most toys when he dies, wins"! That seems to sum up the general attitude of society here in the western world. The problem we have is that this same attitude is very prevalent in the Church.

There is so much wonderful truth in the "Word Faith Movement" that has impacted  western Christianity! The down side is the extreme promotion of materialism to the point where we gage our spiritual success by our financial and material prosperity! Let's not forget that the Bible has clear examples of godly people who have had great material wealth. The problem is not really the wealth but the human heart. Where is the heart? That's the real issue! Jesus said it this way, "Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be." (Mt 6:2) If our treasures are here on earth then that is where our heart will be also.

Like us, Moses was a man with a divine destiny yet he still was required to make quality decisions along the way. He could have been a major player in the political arena of Egypt, however, he chose God instead! In the short term this decision cost him a lot but in the long run he gained relationship with God and secured his eternal life! Heb.11:24-27 - It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 25 He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him. 27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt. He was not afraid of the king. Moses kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. Moses spent his life living in this world while his heart was fully fixed on the Kingdom of God. It would appear he refused to be distracted by materialism!

Jesus taught us about the dangers of being distracted by things of this world in the parable of "Sowing the Seed". Mk.4:1,19 - The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for nice things, so no crop is produced. The major point is, "no crop was produced". These people clearly have come into the knowledge of the truth but the lure for the things of this world distract them from their relationship with Christ and their real spiritual purposes. The tragedy is, "They lose"! It doesn't have to be!

Worldliness among God's people is not a new phenomena. This has always been a problem to Christians and more so when times of prosperity are abounding as they have been in our western society. The Apostle John addresses this issue with great clarity in his first epistle. 1Jn.2:15-17 - Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever. Do we really understand God's perspective of the world? To Him it's evil! That can seem a bit harsh and extreme to us but that is how He views it. For us to see it any other way simply means we are not living in full agreement with the Savior.

James steps into this issue with guns blazing! We should remember that what he says isn't just a personal opinion or the result of some hobby horse he's riding. What he has to say comes right from the heart of God by means of the Holy Spirit. What James has to say is inspired by God! Jms. 4:4 - You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with this world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again, that if your aim is to enjoy this world, you can't be a friend of God. It doesn't come much clearer than this! Are we in a position to hear what the Spirit is saying? Do we really want what God wants! Are we willing to make the same quality decision Moses made so many years ago? The Mt. of  Transfiguration proves to us that the decision he made was the right one. He was there with Jesus and Elijah! Clearly he is considered to be a friend of God! At the heart of worldliness is the love for things more than a love for God! This shared love is intolerable to the One who give His only Son to be the ransom paid for the sin of the world.