"Luxury Living" & "Christians" - A Word of Caution by Eduardo Ramos

This brother whom I know from Facebook shared this word and I thought I'd share it here:

~ LUXURY LIVING abounds on every hand while souls are dying for want of the GOSPEL. TODAY professed "Christians" are wearing "crowns" instead of BEARING A CROSS. Many spend their leisure time PLAYING rather than PRAYING. Many are FEASTING rather than FASTING. Many are LAUGHING rather than MOURNING. The modern "Christian" becomes more emotionally stirred OVER SPORTS --who's PLAYING? who WON? Or over politics, TV, music, or "THE NEW MOVIE THAT JUST CAME OUT!" than they do OVER JESUS CHRIST and HIS HOLY WORD! There is little sense of SPIRITUAL NEED, little longing for BROKENNESS of heart and TRUE REVIVAL. Many are giving the BEST of their lives to the "BUSINESS WORLD" or to their "JOBS", then turn over the CRUMBS of a wasted career to the SAVIOR & HIS GOSPEL. They call Jesus by the title of submission, "LORD, LORD", BUT actually put their (((OWN DESIRES))) and interests 1st --e.g.: "LORD... me FIRST" (Luke 9:57-62), RATHER THAN THE WILL OF GOD. Like the Rich Man who feasted sumptuously EVERY DAY, they cater to their bodies which in a few moments (as the mist that soon vanishes) will RETURN TO THE DUST. Like the FOOL whose ground brought forth plentifully, they ACCUMULATE INSTEAD OF FORSAKE, SEEKING TO INCREASE RATHER THAN DECREASE, THEY SPEND ON SELF INSTEAD OF GIVING FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR, & BY THEIR DEEDS THEY (((LAY UP TREASURES FOR THEMSELVES ON EARTH INSTEAD OF IN HEAVEN))). The general attitude is, "Nothing too good for the people of God. If I don't pamper myself, who will? Let's get ahead in the world and give our SPARE EVENINGS TO GOD!" 🔶This is the condition of "MANY" on the EVE OF CHRIST'S RETURN🔶 --many, who fall under the category of "THORNY GROUND HEARERS", WHO HEAR THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD, but are choked, or PLAGUED BY THE CARES OF THIS LIFE, and THE DECEITFULNESS OF WEALTH, and THE DESIRE FOR *OTHER THINGS, and bring forth NO FRUIT MEET FOR REPENTANCE (Mk 4:18-19).
The ceaseless struggle to "BE RICH" --that is, those who are NOT CONTENT with the basic essentials of food, clothes, and lodging, but are DETERMINED TO HAVE MORE, is a FORM of "WISDOM" to be AVOIDED. Why? Because it means you are SPENDING YOUR LIFE PURSUING VALUES AND PUTTING TRUST IN (((WHAT DOESN'T LAST)))! Riches have a way of sprouting wings and flying away like an eagle (Prov. 23:4-5). And your NEXT BREATH IS NEVER PROMISED. In your ceaseless quest "FOR MORE", DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR NEVER-DYING SOUL.
JESUS CHRIST said, "BLESSED are they which DO hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be FILLED" (Matt. 5:6). In other words, TRUE BORN AGAIN BELIEVERS have an APPETITE FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Ask any professed "Christian" what he DESIRES MOST and you will KNOW what he IS LIKE.
58...59...00... Therefore, BE DILIGENT. Be sure you are SAVED! (2 Pet 1:10). NO. You canNOT save yourself or keep yourself saved; but it's your responsibility to be sure you have the 🍇MARKS🍒 OF A TRUE CHRISTIAN. Cry after GOD through JESUS CHRIST to work HIS LOVE AND HOLINESS in you which constitutes true, Biblical REPENTANCE. >

Greetings, Oracio, hope all is well.

I have never met bro. Ramos but am familiar with him through Facebook as well. He preaches the truth in love and I always read his posts as they are convicting, and truthful.

Powerful word.

Where's the like button,,,,,Iv been saying this to my wife for a wile now,,,,even churches that don't nesasarly preach the properatiy message ,still have many members and leaders who have given them selves over to comfort and luxury and self seeking ,,,,,when you compar the fruit,, it is no different to the fruit of the self righteous people of the world ....

Here's a genuine question - the opposite of luxury living is ascetic living, so are Christians called to asceticism?

I appreciate your response, Julius.

I came across an online post recently, written by a Christian about the guilt he felt about spending money on himself.

The fact is that many of our material goods and activities can be argued to be non-essentials - e.g. tickets to a basketball game, that bar of chocolate in the fridge, holiday trip to Switzerland... and also the time spent on SermonIndex! There is always a need out there to which our resources can be diverted.

Is it ever OK to spend time and money on ourselves?

Am I asking the right question?

Hi yuehan- on another forum quite some time ago a smarmy atheist was arguing that Christians should live in shacks and live on bread on water and divert the rest of their resources to evangelize the lost. That is, if they really believe what the bible says and that hell is real. His point was that since no Christians (at least in the US) do this, then their faith is not real- which was no big deal since God isn't real, either.

Of course that's a straw man argument but it's a decent straw man I must admit.

We respond by saying things like "Jesus relied on rich women and was friends with rich people and Peter owned a house," etc.

The NT teaches that we are stewards; i.e. we are commissioned to spend our resources exactly as Jesus would. Discerning this is the tricky part. One day it may be ok to buy and eat a Hershey bar; the next day we may have to give it to that homeless guy. We have to obey the HS; but if truth be told we are very adept at not doing what the HS says to do. Or tuning Him out completely.

Brother Todd wrote;
"The NT teaches that we are stewards; i.e. we are commissioned to spend our resources exactly as Jesus would. Discerning this is the tricky part. One day it may be ok to buy and eat a Hershey bar; the next day we may have to give it to that homeless guy. We have to obey the HS; but if truth be told we are very adept at not doing what the HS says to do. Or tuning Him out completely."

Yes dear brother,
This is very much in line with my understanding and unfortunately I must concur with your findings of our misgivings and amazing ability to rationalize what we choose to do-
If we are to walk in the light as He is in the light then (for me) that must mean the light of His word to us personally and our faith in it... but all too often our powers of rationale become our light - then our darkness becomes our light and we walk in lawlessness and are for the most part oblivious to it as we have rationalized our choice to do so.
To not fall into this pit, requires a constant monitoring of our thought life and an ever increasing reliance upon the Lord. Tho even here I find at times my silly heart chasing after something that caught my eye or an experience that I imagine to be desirable. What's interesting (like TMK) stated is one may be in fact from the Lord while the other may be a distraction luring me away from the Lord.
The question I usually ask is "can I have/do this without Jesus?"....
If I can do it without Him, prolly isn't from Him;)

Man0fG0d writes:

Greetings, Oracio, hope all is well.

I have never met bro. Ramos but am familiar with him through Facebook as well. He preaches the truth in love and I always read his posts as they are convicting, and truthful.

Powerful word.

brothagary writes:

Where's the like button,,,,,Iv been saying this to my wife for a wile now,,,,even churches that don't nesasarly preach the properatiy message ,still have many members and leaders who have given them selves over to comfort and luxury and self seeking ,,,,,when you compar the fruit,, it is no different to the fruit of the self righteous people of the world ....

Amen brother. This thing of catering primarily to one’s ease and comfort is so prevalent these days within so many churches. To my shame I have allowed that type of mindset to influence me much over the years as a Christian and I’m still battling to get rid of the effects of that type of prevalent sentiment. It seems that to really be sold out for Christ 100% one really has to go against the flow of so much of what characterizes Christendom by and large. One has to be willing to accept that many Christians will think you're legalistic or weird because you don't do as they do.

yuehan, Julius21, TMK and JFW, good posts.
I think brother Eduardo’s post is one of those "if the shoe fits wear it” types.

These are a few other quotes that come to mind here:

Horatius Bonar wrote:

"Is the Christianity of our day of the lofty kind of which apostolic men have left us so bright an example? Is it not feeble, indolent, self-indulgent, second-rate? Is there in it anything of the presentation of ‘living sacrifices’ to God, which is our acceptable and reasonable service? Are we not seeking our own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s? Are we not feasting when the world is starving? Are we not at ease in Zion? Are we not sitting still and in luxurious comfort, when many noble and self-sacrificing ones amongst us are rushing into the toil or the war, and, for want of being supported by their fellow Christians, are sinking under the burden and heat of the day?

O easy, luxurious, comfortable Christian! While you are lolling on your couch the sinner is going down to woe! While you are soothing your conscience with the opiates of religious routine; or pampering the flesh; or killing time in mirth and music, at the concert, or oratorio, or social party; or idling days in sport; or talking politics; or drinking in the applause of public opinion; or sunning yourself in the blaze of the ballroom; or absorbed in the latest novel; or engrossed with the unmeaningness of the card table;””men are dying, the present scene is passing, the eternal world is hastening on, and the Judge is at the door!

Rouse thyself from thy indulgence, and work! Do it with thy might. Spend and be spent. Give thy money to the Master; give thy strength and thy life to Him. For He is at hand. He may be nearer than thou thinkest. And how shouldst thou like to be caught by Him lounging on thy soft couch, or feasting at thy well-spread table, when thou shouldst have been working for Him, or fighting His battles,””visiting His brethren, soothing His sorrowing children, ministering to His poor disciples, grudging no weariness or hardship for a Master like Him?”

J.C. Ryle wrote:
"There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have enough-a cheap Christianity which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice-which costs nothing, and is worth nothing.”

Matthew Henry, commenting on the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10 wrote:

"Worldly business is a snare to us when it hinders us from serving God and getting good to our souls…Those that are eager upon the world themselves are apt to blame and censure those that are not. While they justify their worldliness, they are ready to condemn those who addict themselves to the exercises of religion (i.e. true Biblical Christianity)…Inordinate care or trouble about many things in this world is a common fault among Christ’s disciples. It is very displeasing to Christ, and that for which they often come under rebuke…Martha's care and work were good in their proper season and place; but now she had something else to do, which was unspeakably more needful, and therefore should be done first, and most minded. She expected Christ to have blamed Mary for not doing as she did, but He blamed her for not doing as Mary did…Serious godliness is the one thing needful; for nothing without this will do us any real good in this world, and nothing but this will go with us into another world. Let us not condemn the pious zeal of any, lest we set Christ against us, and let us never be discouraged if we are censured for our pious zeal, for we have Christ for us.”

I was reading somewhere that one Sunday Joel Osteen's offering was stolen, around $600,000. But what really struck me was how little a difference it made- no one collapsed, everything moved on like it was nothing. Good grief, that has to be some really thin air up there!

The lament over the wealth or poverty of Christians is a long story, a major distraction for many who are willing to expend the energy to keep score on their fellow believers.

Paul said this:
Philippians 4:11-12 NKJV
[11] Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: [12] I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. …

There was a time to enjoy the good things of life, a willingness to let them go completely away, an ability to enjoy them again if they come back. But the heart of his affection was the Jesus he knew so personally. Jesus Himself enjoyed a good feast, a high class wedding- even though He needed to resuppy the wine- and He allowed wealthy women who traveled with Him to pay for stuff.

Ultimately wealth and poverty were surprisingly inconsequential to Jesus and Paul, while both warned of the trap that riches set for people. James, as earlier quotes illustrate, was more brutal.

I have found that both both arrogant wealthy people and self-righteous ascetics are equally unpleasant. I believe that the Holy Spirit of God is scanning the hearts of all, looking for His Son- with the external trappings mostly just a distraction. He is looking for those who delight to do His will, people whose hearts are bursting with the same things that are in His own heart, doing things that please Him, blessing His people, building His kingdom.

Compared to the rest of the world I live in regal splendor- though by an American comparison I am lower middle class. It is meaningless really, my heart needs to go each day before the Father's throne- "What are You doing, Father, how can I participate?"

Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not yet here, today is the day!