Page 51 - The Mark of the Beast

of the things their soul desires and place them on their refrigerators, or in other places they
frequently look, so that they might keep a vision of these things in their minds and be
diligent to give themselves to the pursuit of that which they crave. This is a diabolical evil,
and many are being turned away from the kingdom of God by preachers who are
proclaiming the things that men’s ears want to hear.
How does a believer in Christ know whether he is acting covetously, and whether he
is content with God’s will and provision for him? It is very easy to deceive oneself in this
matter. We may claim that all we have came as a gift from God, and that He desires us to
have an abundance of material things and to be satisfied with many earthly possessions. But
how did we come to acquire the things we have? Did we submit every purchase to God in
prayer? Have we surrendered to Him our spending habits?
I have found that financial debt is one indicator of a covetous heart. The apostle Paul
admonished the saints with the following words:

Romans 13:8
Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another...
(Amplified Bible)

Those who have heard my own testimony know that I once struggled greatly with
covetousness and I had much debt. The person who desires many things will manifest a
willingness to place himself in bondage to acquire the things today that his soul longs for.
It was only through much pain that I was delivered from the covetousness that I was
formerly given over to. I do not have nearly as many possessions today as I once had, but
I am free of all debt.
Many people in the church today view their Christian faith as a means to acquire
worldly goods. Paul warned Timothy of such men, and described them with the words that
they “suppose godliness is a means to gain.” To answer the question of whether we are free
from covetousness, or not, we should carefully consider the words of Paul to his son in the
faith.

I Timothy 6:6-11
Godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For
we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.
If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to
get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which
plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of
evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced
themselves with many griefs. But flee from these things...

Do we have the mindset of seeking the things above, rather than things on this earth?
Do we live as if we understand that none of the possessions of this world will follow us when
we depart this life? Are we content with food and covering, or have we pursued and
accumulated much of the world’s goods? It might be illuminating to walk around your
home some time and make a note of everything you possess that is not related to food and
covering. Note all things that are related to entertainment, to creature comforts, to fulfilling
some desire of your soul. What things fill the rooms of your home, your closets, your garage,
your attic? Have you had to purchase a larger home just to contain all the “stuff” you have