Luke 12:13-21 - Don't Forget Who Really Owns It All

Before we get into our study in Luke 12 today, I would liketo ask you for special prayer, and your patience for these next couple ofweeks. For the next couple of days, I will be extremely busy taking care ofsome family matters that involve my older sister, Lynda Smith, who was put intopalliative care this past week. Then on Tuesday, the 18th, my sonJonathan and I will be flying to India to take care of special situation thereinvolving both of our ministries. We need especially for you to ask the Lordfor wisdom for us, and for safety as we travel.  On Saturday, the 22nd, we will fly from India toCairo Egypt, to meet some ministry partners there and prepare for our scheduledtour to Jordan and Egypt that will take place this fall from October 14thto the 25th. We are hoping many of you will join us on thisunforgettable journey to places where some of the most powerful revelations andmiracles of God in the Bible took place. For more information on this tour,click on this link: https://www.gpartners.org/tour I hope to be back home in Sneads Ferry NC by Friday, March28th. It will be extremely difficult to post daily chats during thistime while I’m away, but I will post updates on our travels when I can. Your prayers and support for all the above are always veryimportant and appreciated!  Luke 12 begins with Jesus giving us two “beware” statements.In verses 1-12, He tells us to “beware of hypocrisy”. In verses 13-21, Hewarns us to “beware of covetousness”. Both of these two sins can destroyour Christian witness and our lives. Yesterday we learned from Colossians 3:1-7,that “covetousness is idolatry”. Covetousness is the sin of puttingother gods before and between you and the LORD God! This is the very first ofthe Ten Commandment in Exodus 20:2-5; "I am the LORD your God, whobrought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shallhave no other gods before Me. "You shall not make for yourself a carvedimage, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in theearth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow downto them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visitingthe iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generationsof those who hate Me” The sin of idolatry was the number one sin that brought God’sjudgment and harshest punishment upon the nation of Israel and sent them intocaptivity. Jesus told the story of the rich farmer who forgot that it was Godthat gave him his wealth and that when he died, he would leave it all behind.When we are committing the sin of covetousness, we are forgetting that God isthe owner of everything and we are only His stewards over it. “The earth isthe LORD'S, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm24:1).  We are also forgetting it is God who gives us breath, time,and skills to get wealth. God warned Israel in Deuteronomy 8:17-20, that afterHe had blessed them for their obedience, they would be in danger of forgettingHim and they would: “Say in their heart, 'My power and the might of my handhave gained me this wealth.' And you shall remember the LORD your God, for itis He who gives you power to get wealth”.  We should take the command that Paul gave to Timothyseriously: “Command those who are rich in this present age not to behaughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives usrichly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works,ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundationfor the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy6:17-19). Please Lord, don’t let us ever forget that You own it all,and anything we have is a gift and blessing from You, and You gave it to us togive to others and bless them. Amen! God bless!