Covetousness: The Soul—An Immortal Guest

“Two things a master commits to his servant’s care,” said one, “the child and the child’s clothes.” It will be a poor excuse for the servant to say at His master’s return:
“Sir, here are all the child’s clothes, neat and clean, but the child is lost!”
Much so with the account that many will give to God of their souls and bodies at the great day: “Lord, here is my body; I was very grateful for it. I neglected nothing that belonged to its content and welfare; but for my soul, that is lost, and cast away forever. I took little care and thought about it.—Flavel.

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Covetousness: A Ministerial Sin

In the book, Covetousness, written and compiled by Lillian Harvey, many aspects of the sin, Covetousness, are covered. In the following quotation, a former editor of the magazine, The Wesleyan Methodist, courageously states that this is a sin which is not uncommon among professed servants of God:

“It influences church legislation. It speaks out when the minister is considering a call to a new field. It gives direction as to the choice of sermon themes and throws a blanket of distrust over all benevolent deeds.

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Are Your Assets Frozen?

We are not store-rooms, but channels,
We are not cisterns, but springs,
Passing our benefits onward,
Fitting our blessings with wings;
Letting the water flow outward
To spread o’er the desert forlorn;
Sharing our bread with our brothers,
Our comfort with those who mourn.
—Wesleyan Methodist

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Covetousness: The Scandal of Christianity

Exod. 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.

Most Christians can quote this scripture off by heart, well aware that it is one of the Ten Commandments. Yet it is, perhaps, one of the commandments most frequently broken.

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Covetousness: The sin very few ever confess

“In reading the Gospels recently, we were staggered by the words of Jesus regarding finance and faith, which took on new meaning in the light of the devastating effects of materialism on Christendom. We read and reread certain portions and as we did so, we were convinced that we should publish some- thing on this subject.”
This is the opening paragraph to the foreword of the book Covetousness, written and compiled by Lillian Harvey. The subject of the book is, of course, exactly what the title implies—covetousness. The following list of some of the chapter headings will doubtless whet your appetite to read further:

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Covetousness: Scriptural Examples

“Covetousness ruled the stony, ashen heart of Judas,” writes Samuel Logan Brengle, “and for thirty pieces of silver he betrayed the Master!
“Covetousness,” he continues, “possessed the selfish hearts of Ananias and Sapphira; they wanted the praise and honor of utmost sacrifice and generosity while secretly holding on to their gold. And God smote them dead!

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Kneeling We Triumph Volume One: Prayer brings God out of His secret place

“The great battles,” says Samuel L. Brengle, “the battles that decide our destiny and the destiny of generations yet unborn, are not fought on public platforms, but in the lonely hours of the night and in moments of agony.”

God sets more value on prayer and communion than labor. The heavenly bridegroom is wooing a wife, not hiring a servant. Prayer brings God out of His secret place to work wonders in the earth . . . to pour Himself through the believer into a world of lost souls.
—A. W. Roffe.

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Kneeling We Triumph Volume One: Getting used to God’s Presence

We must remember that it was not by interceding for the world in Glory that Jesus saved it. He gave Himself. Our prayers for the evangelization of the world are but a bitter irony so long as we give only of our superfluity, and draw back before the sacrifice of ourselves.
—M. Francois Collard.

Last night I had a unique experience. I awoke intensely oppressed and as I lay under the dead weight of it, it dawned on me that it meant I was to pray, so I got to work to pray for the men who have just gone off to the fighting line, and in a marvelous way the oppression left and peace ineffable came, and the words emerged, “A house of prayer for all nations.” It is a good thing to stake your confidence on the ground of the perfected Redemption and pray from that basis.
—Oswald Chambers.

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Kneeling We Triumph Volume One: The Beauty of Delayed Answers

In the book, Kneeling We Triumph Volume One compiled by Edwin and Lillian Harvey, there is a reading entitled “The beauty of delayed answers.” In this reading, the authors have included a moving prayer uttered by the blind poet and hymn-writer, George Matheson and author of that well-known hymn, “O love that will not let me go”:
“My Father, help me to learn that I am heir to possessions which exceed my present holding! They exceed my present power to hold—they are waiting for my summer. Do I ever thank Thee for the blessings which Thou postponest? I am afraid not. I am like the prodigal: I want to get all at once the portion that falleth to me; and, where it is not given, I deem it is refused. Teach me, O Lord, the beauty of Thy delayed answers.”

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Kneeling We Triumph Volume One: Bitterness hinders prayer

In the book Kneeling We Triumph Volume One, compiled by Edwin and Lillian Harvey, there is a reading entitled “Bitterness hinders prayer.” I think most of us are aware of this fact as it is reiterated in Scripture as A. B. Simpson points out:
“Job had to pray for his very enemies before God could turn his captivity, and had to banish from his heart every particle of bitter feeling towards the men who had tormented him through months of sickness, with their ignorance, misconstruction, and offensive interference. And when he did, God turned his captivity and restored him to more than his former blessings (Job. 42:10).

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