Needs and Greeds

Shut up and take my Money!

By Rev. Adam Fox

Greetings and  a warm salutations to my readers. TGIF for me here. But as I sit at my desk, looking around my spacious office the thought hits me. I have a lot of cool stuff. 

I am so blessed. I have too many electronic devices, I have cups and mugs galore, pops, books upon books... 

But sometimes its hard to see that. Instead we focus on the new news of The Samsung Note 7 - fire extinguisher not included, or the new Iphone 7 or new Apple Watch 2, or the new Apple Glass - iPatch. Okay that last one was my own idea, but it would be amazing!

As Americans we have always loved our things. We seem to be going cycles of using things and saving things. And we are stuck in the need, buy, break, throw it away cycle. 

I am no different. I ave a wonderful iPhone. It is not the latest model, but it is crack free, and works like a champ. But when Apple tells you about the new phone and how fast and bright and fantastic it is, it makes me hate Charlie the iPhone a little. 

I have as an adult have always leaned towards the want of money and want of possessions. Things and money help in many areas, and are a sure sign of status. 

When I was away at Olivet for college, I had the stuff bug and sadly, I was poorer than ever. So I would go to Target or Walmart in town and grab a cart and fill it up with things that I would want to buy. So DVD, clothes, foods, toys...

But because I was broke I would take each Item and reason with myself if I NEEDED it. I nearly always did not. Item by Item. Until I had nothing left. I would then ditch the cart and go home. 

Was this the smartest thing, no. But for me, it helped with my shopping problem.

Do I or us have a WANT problem?

Is that wrong? 

What does the Bible say?

The Bible is clear about the love of Money. It is a dangerous love.

6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6

The love of money, or possessions is dangerous. It puts money or things in place of God. The most important thing in our lives should be God. Above Nation, above family, above the Bears, above even our significant others. 

Am I saying that we should live the life of Saint Francis? No. What I am saying is that we should be careful with our love of things. It is an addiction just as drinking or smoking or porn can be. 

We should realize that having the latest Nike or best cell phone does not truly earn us status or security. That can only come from God. And having a storehouse full of back-up Beanie Babies does not give us that. 

Jesus told a story that outlined this principle. 

13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness,for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12

Be careful friends. I know I will be. I have been watching my spending habits and using my money for better and smarter things. 

As for Charlie the iPhone, he will be around for a while longer. And it looks Like Tom Haverford is wrong on this one.

Until next time dear friends. Hope you enjoyed the bonus post.

Excelsior and Cheers!

Pastor Adam

Viva La Raza

Viva La Raza

Life Lessons from the WWE?

When I was younger, my parents hosted a Bible study on Friday Nights in our house. And since I was to young to work, I would watch TV with headphones in. Now Friday Night television is rarely good. But it had one show that I watched, and fell in love with WWE: Smackdown.

I know, I know. It is not real, it is scripted action. To me it is like a male soap opera. It had action in the ring, it had drama, it had comedy, it had heroes and villains. It had everything I wanted.

On that show was one wrestler I truly fell in love with, his name was Eddie Guerrero. Eddie was a Latino Wrestler, and had this swagger about him. They used him as a tag-team wrestler, as a singles, in championship mode, and as comedy relief.

Two of the best moments from his career was being in a tag-team with his cousin, Chavo, called Los Guerreros. It was comedy gold and action pack moments. It was something I would never miss.

Then there was when this little fella, won the world title on Pay-per-view, and then celebrated the next episode. I was at home doing the same thing.

Eddie was my favorite wrestler, but as I got older I got busy and stopped watching wrestling. Stopped having Friday nights free. In 2005 while I was at Technical College, I got messaged that it was being reported that Eddie had suffered a heart attack and died.

I was heart broken.

Over time, I bought the DVD of his career, and still to this day enjoy seeing him fit the Frog Splash from the Top Rope or Hit the Three Amigos Suplex. Last week I even bought an autobiography of his life called “Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerroro Story”

Like any autobiography, it goes through his family and life growing up, and his drive to get into wrestling. But there was one section that surpised me. Eddie, the writer, tells of his Faith in God. Where throughout the book he tells of having a relationship with God.

While it is hard to wrap my mind around that with the life that he led, I want to take it at its word. I guess once I get to Heaven I will know for certain.

In his book, he tells of when he met his future wife, Vicky. And while they were dating they begat, or fornicated, or had coitus, and Vicky became pregnant.

Eddie talks of wanting to do the right thing, and marry her. But his Baptist church in Mexico refused him and Vicky because she was pregnant and this set him off. And in the book, you can see how he is writing frustration after frustration of the church.

This made me think. Did He have a point?

Maybe. Having premarital sex with his girlfriend before marriage is wrong, the Bible is clear about it. The union of a man and woman is sacred and should be for marriage only. Is there always a temptation to have sex. YES!

Look at our society. Look at our “leaders” and our films and shows. Sex is common. It is just an act. We are told that we need to be sexy to have sex. Have you seen the fashions lately – shorter and sheer are in – sadly.

We as a Church, we as THE Church cannot compromise on this or anything that society tells us. Bold this, underline this, read it again. We will not, and should never change or compromise what scripture says so we can stay up to date, or get more people. Never.

But sometimes what gets lost in this stance is humanity.

We are to abhore sin. The Bible is clear on sin and evil and how God detests it. But what about the person who commits these sins?

Like Eddie Guerrero thought, As Christians, believers in God, who have been forgiven by God. We need to remember that God loves us. All of us. All of humanity. And sent His son to die for all of us, to take away all of our sins.

Did we sin? Yep.

Do we sin still? I know personally speaking yes, but every day I try to be more like God.

God loved us while we were still sinners. Shouldn’t we do the same?

Hate sin. Not compromise on right or wrong. But love the person unconditionally.

Until next time heroes!

Excelsior and Cheers!

Pastor Adam