I BELIEVE, HELP MY UNBELIEF

I BELIEVE, HELP MY UNBELIEF

Mark 9:17-24
17 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

How does belief develop?

    Family

    Church - preacher, Bible Study, experiences related to church events

    Facts

    Experiences

    The experiences of others

    Intuition/Sixth Sense/Perception

    Common sense

    Faith

    Most importantly, hearing and reading God's Word

Proverbs 14:15

The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.

Matthew 18:6
Causing to Stumble“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Matthew 21:22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Mark 9:23
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Mark 11:24 (difficult to digest)
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Mark 16:16
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Luke 24:25

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

John 1:1-13

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

John 5:24
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

WHEN BELIEF FAILS

Luke 8:12
Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

Luke 8:13
Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

Luke 8:14

14 "The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature." Belief never develops.

John 5:38-40

...you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

John 5:41-44

I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

John 5:45-47

45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”

WHEN NOT TO BELIEVE

Matthew 24:23
At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

Matthew 24:26
“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

CONSEQUENCES OF NON-BELIEF

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:18
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

TATTOOS

TATTOOS

Leviticus 19:28: "“Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord." That pretty much says it. "I AM the Lord" meaning I don't mean maybe. God, the great I AM, is Lord over all. He has no beginning or end and He never changes with the times as humans do.

Allowing tattoo marks to be put on your body is like consenting to putting graffiti on a temple, to which your body is compared in the Bible. Put another way, it would be like putting graffiti on a church building. But since New Testament times, "the church" indicates the people, not the building. If our bodies are temples, and we are part of the church body, we are not to put graffiti or tattoos on ourselves. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."

Then there are the health risks. The following was taken from a Mayo Clinic internet site:

"How tattoos are done

A tattoo is a permanent mark or design made on the skin with tattoo ink. Usually, a tattoo artist uses a handheld machine that acts much like a sewing machine. The machine has needles that pierce the skin many times. With every puncture, the needles insert tiny drops of ink into the top layer of the skin.

Tattooing causes a small amount of bleeding and some pain. As they create tattoos, tattoos artists usually don't use medicine to ease pain, called anesthetic.

Know the risks

Granuloma

The process of getting a tattoo breaks the skin. That means skin infections and other health problems can develop afterward. The risks include:

• Allergic reactions. Tattoo ink can cause allergic skin reactions, such as an itchy rash at the tattoo site. This can happen even years after getting a tattoo. Red ink tends to be more prone to allergic reactions that other tattoo ink colors.
• Skin infections. A skin infection is possible after getting a tattoo. An infection might be due to contaminated ink or equipment that isn't sterilized correctly. Getting a tattoo at a studio that doesn't follow good safety steps also can raise your risk of a skin infection.
• Other skin problems. Sometimes an area of inflammation can form around tattoo ink. This is called a granuloma. Tattooing also can lead to keloids. Keloids are raised areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue.
• Diseases spread through blood. If equipment used to create a tattoo has infected blood on it, you can get diseases that are spread through blood. Examples include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. To lower your risk, get vaccinated for hepatitis B before you get a tattoo.
• Skin reactions to an MRI. Rarely, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam may trigger burning pain in the tattooed area. Sometimes, tattoos can lower the quality of an MRI image.

You might need medicine or other treatment if you develop an allergic reaction, infection or other health problems because of a tattoo."

Tattooing often requires that multiple needles puncture the skin, oftentimes causing some bleeding.

 
By Leviticus rules listed in Chapter 13, verses 1-8: "The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “When anyone has a swelling or a rash or a shiny spot on their skin that may be a defiling skin disease, they must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest. 3 The priest is to examine the sore on the skin, and if the hair in the sore has turned white and the sore appears to be more than skin deep, it is a defiling skin disease. When the priest examines that person, he shall pronounce them ceremonially unclean. 4 If the shiny spot on the skin is white but does not appear to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest is to isolate the affected person for seven days. 5 On the seventh day the priest is to examine them, and if he sees that the sore is unchanged and has not spread in the skin, he is to isolate them for another seven days. 6 On the seventh day the priest is to examine them again, and if the sore has faded and has not spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce them clean; it is only a rash. They must wash their clothes, and they will be clean. 7 But if the rash does spread in their skin after they have shown themselves to the priest to be pronounced clean, they must appear before the priest again. 8 The priest is to examine that person, and if the rash has spread in the skin, he shall pronounce them unclean; it is a defiling skin disease." 

Does this sound like God approves of tattoos, considering the damage they do to the skin, which is part of your temple, a holy place, and considering also the health hazards tattoos pose. God didn't set that ritual in motion for no good reason. There are so many risks that, though not common, do happen. Nowadays we have HIV and Hepatitis C blood diseases, among many others.

I was asked to explain Revelation 19:16 - " On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

King of kings and Lord of lords."

My response was: I'm no theologian, but the way I see it is first of all, linens don't get tattooed. Secondly, if God said not to get tattoos, then Jesus would not get one. There are many ways to write a slogan without getting a tattoo. Thirdly, the slogan was being described as being written on the part of the linen that was in the area that covered the thigh. Jesus would never run around with his thigh exposed. There is so much symbolism going on in these verses that it's difficult to wade through it, but one thing is for sure: If God said not to get a tattoo, then Jesus would have obeyed His Father.

We are not to compromise our beliefs that are based on God's Word in order to impress the world or imitate those who are worldly. We are not to "fit in." We are not of this world. Romans 12:2: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

OTHER VERSES TO CONSIDER:

John 17:14

I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

2 Corinthians 10:2

I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.

Colossians 2:20

Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:

James 4:4

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

1 John 2:17

The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

1 John 4:5

They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.

1 John 4:17

This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.

Just so there are no misunderstandings, my goal is not to condemn but to inform. A person needs to have all of the information available before they choose whether or not to get a tattoo. It is now between that person and God. I'm not the judge.

--Becky Wall

beckyowall.blogspot.com

REGARDING KINGS AND AUTHORITIES

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬.
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.”

Romans 13:1
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Romans 13:5
Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

Romans 13:6
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.

Titus 3:1
Saved in Order to Do GoodRemind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good...

GOD, THE 3-IN-1

 GOD, THE 3-IN-1

I asked myself why I usually talk about God instead of Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Well, when I talk to or about God, I am talking to or about all three: God the Father, God the Son and God, the Holy Spirit who was left behind as a gift from Jesus to us when we are baptized.

In my prayers, I specifically thank Jesus for dying on the cross and for making a place for us in heaven. After all, it was Jesus the Son who died a terrible death on the cross preceded by a horrible beating with a whip and other painful, humiliating, and cruel actions. God the Father allowed His Son to endure all that so that we can co-exist with them in heaven. All decent fathers know how crushed God the Father must have felt.

As for the Holy Spirit, I give Him credit for what I write. He provides the inspiration. He intercedes for all of us in prayer when we just don’t know what to say or how to say it. He helps us understand scripture. He’s there in ways in which we are not aware.

Still, it was Jesus who, as both God and man, was tortured and then hung on a cross – not His Father, not His mother, not the Holy Spirit, not any saint, not a statue, not Santa or the Easter Bunny. Christ deserves the worship, praise and glory for sacrificing Himself for our benefit. I know if I had gone through something like that, I wouldn’t want my loved ones to go to someone else for their needs or to worship or to praise. Christ’s goal was to win the hearts of men and women so we can live with Him in heaven. His expectation is for them to obediently follow Him through His teachings, although His teachings were from His Father. No one or nothing else is to get the glory for God, the Son, laying down His life for us. According to Exodus 20:4-5a (one of the 10 Commandments), we are not to make “an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them …”

Stay focused on Christ but don't neglect the Old Testament in which God, the Father, is predominant in teaching us about sin and in the process, we also learn history. Don't forget about the Holy Spirit, who is a tutor of sorts and is there when you are stumped about something you read or heard. He's there when you say your prayers and gives you inspiration and remembrance as needed. I've had it said to me that the three are like the fingers on a hand, though in that case there are five-in-one.

--Becky Wall

beckyowall.blogspot.com

4-19-25

GIVING GIVES BACK

This is a portion of another article I have written. That one may be a little more controversial because it crosses political lines, so I opted to just pull this part out.

GIVING GIVES BACK

If the church itself is poor, giving of oneself through labor by an individual or individuals in the church will often meet those unmet needs. That amounts to tithing of your time and talents. If an elderly widow cannot afford to make repairs on her house, the donation of one’s services will save the same amount of money that the church would have had to donate if the church family had the money. In that situation, the woman saves money when an expense is eliminated, which is the same as receiving money. Ideally, every individual with a skill would donate 10 percent of their time to a person in need of the services they are able to provide.

God allows for great financial gain. Abraham was rich and so was Joseph after he became the second most powerful man in the Egyptian nation. David and Solomon were both rich. In fact, Solomon was probably the richest king ever. Though God allowed individuals to keep their riches, he also required them to consider the poor and to respond with generosity.

God wants us to learn to give. Giving stimulates the heart. It requires caring, compassion, consideration, sacrifice and love, all of which build character. Giving helps the Christian stay focused. Self-centeredness cannot rule the soul when generosity is present. Hard-heartedness is avoided when self is sacrificed. Giving provides an emotional reward and builds our relationship with Christ. We are an example to others with our giving. Givers earn honor and respect and make the world a better place. There is much truth in “It is better to give than receive.”

I Timothy 6:17-19 says "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

--Becky Wall

DOOR KNOCKERS

 

DOOR KNOCKERS

I don't like to pick apart other churches and am even wary about saying much about cults because I don't know enough about them to feel confident about what I'm saying. But I just looked up the name of the buildings where a certain group of people I will call Door Knockers meet. The buildings are called Kingdom Halls. They are called that because the word translated "church" in the Bible refers to a group of worshipers -- the people. Duh. It seems the Door Knockers prefer to focus on the building rather than the people.

They don't display symbols and that includes the cross. I remember visiting a friend when I was in my early 20s when some Door Knockers came knocking on her door. She graciously let them come in. One Door Knocker was training the other. The one doing the training started "witnessing" how we who are not Door Knockers have many erroneous beliefs, such as Jesus being hung on a cross. She insisted He was hung on a tree. I told her the cross was fashioned from a tree. Jesus didn't carry a tree up the hill where he was hung. I had to hold back a giggle when the trainee, standing behind her mentor, started nodding her head at what I was saying. I realized that day how important it is to know the Bible so you are able to "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" 2 Timothy 2:15. 

A third thing I know they focus on, especially in their handouts, is the end times. I was approached one day in my back yard by a couple of Door Knockers and they started talking about how their teachings are so much more accurate than ours, meaning those of us who aren't Door Knockers. I asked them why they focus so much on the end times. They denied that they do. I asked them to turn their literature over and let me see the back. There was an article about the end times. I had noticed that the end times was discussed in their literature in the laundromat and wherever else they left their handouts. That seemed to take the wind out of their sails and they left. 

Again, it's so important to know what's truth and what isn't. The devil tempted Jesus by using scripture out of context but Jesus came back with the full meaning of those scriptures. It isn't that the devil didn't know the real meaning of those scriptures; he purposely altered the truths or didn't tell the whole truth and meaning of the verses. 

I have a cousin whose whole family are diehard Door Knockers. They are so involved that they moved from the Benton area to Fairview Heights just to be near a Kingdom Hall. When she was high school age, my cousin lived with our family of ten for a year while things weren't going well for her at home, but she won't have anything to do with us now because we're not Door Knockers and won't go along with her beliefs. She is always on my mind when the subject of Door Knockers comes up. It makes me sad. She has three beautiful daughters and a son. That's as much as I know about them because even though we are blood kin -- her mother is my dad's twin -- we are not Door Knockers.

AN EVIL NATION ROBS GOD

The basis of this poem was taken from the Old Testament book of Malachi. I have just put the passage to rhyme using as few words as possible of my own.

AN EVIL NATION ROBS GOD

(Malachi 2:13 - Malachi 3:12)

You come to the Lord’s holy table,

Saying “What a burden,” as if cursed.

You promise to give the Lord your best,

But then you bring the worst.

You flood the Lord’s altar with tears,

And yet you’re no longer blessed,

For you have broken faith with your wife,

You’ve destroyed the family nest.

When wed, the Lord made you one,

Both in flesh and spirit is the wedding.

But you robbed God of the fruit of your loins,

Knowing He sought Godly offspring.

Also, I hate divorce, says the Lord,

And that violence like a garment is worn.

From the harm that is done by divorce,

Many lives are badly torn.

You have wearied the Lord with your words,

They’re as plentiful as dust.

You suggest that I accept evil,

Or say “Where’s a God that is just?”

Would a man rob his God, yet I’m robbed;

Your greed just keeps getting worse.

You rob me through tithes and offerings,

So the nation is under a curse.

In order to always have food,

Bring the full tithe of your offerings.

Heaven’s floodgates will open;

There won’t be room for the blessings.

Pests or vines won’t ruin your crops,

If you will obey and live rightful.

All nations will call you blessed,

And your land will be delightful.

You have said it is futile to serve me,

And therefore, what can be gained?

Now the arrogant are called blessed,

And evil is ever sustained.

But you who revere my name,

And many trials endure,

Shall one day be rich beyond measure;

Your lives will be secure.

So respect the wife of your youth,

And don’t fracture your happy home.

Or you will trade your mansion in heaven,

For the place where demons roam.

SHAME, SHAME, SHAME

SHAME, SHAME, SHAME

This is a study of the word "shame." Shame is something we all experience at sometime in our lives. Some experience shame more often than others. They may live in a household where they are shamed alot or kids may be shamed at school. This is what the Bible has to say about the subject.

1 Peter 3:16 - keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

1 Peter 4:16 - However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

1 Samuel 20:30 - Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you?

1 Samuel 20:34 - Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David.

Psalm 4:2 - How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

Psalm 34:5 - Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

Psalm 97:7 - All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols— worship him, all you gods!

Proverbs 3:35 - The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame.

Proverbs 13:18 - Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.

Proverbs 18:13 - To answer before listening— that is folly and shame.

Proverbs 19:26 - Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

Proverbs 25:8 - do not bring hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?

Isaiah 42:17 - But those who trust in idols, who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back in utter shame.

Isaiah 45:24 - They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength.’” All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame.

Isaiah 54:4 - “Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

RICH VS. POOR

RICH VS. POOR

Proverbs 22:1

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

Proverbs 22:7
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

Job 36:18
Be careful that no one entices you by riches; do not let a large bribe turn you aside.

Psalm 49:16-20

Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing with them when they die,
their splendor will not descend with them.
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—
and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,
who will never again see the light of life.
20 People who have wealth but lack understanding
are like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 62:10
Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

Psalm 112:1-5

Praise the Lord.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
who find great delight in his commands.
2 Their children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures forever.
4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
who conduct their affairs with justice.

Proverbs 10:15
The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

Proverbs 11:28
Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

Proverbs 12:27
The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

Proverbs 13:7
One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

Proverbs 13:8
A person’s riches may ransom their life, but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes.

Proverbs 14:20
The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.

Proverbs 18:11
The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale.

Proverbs 18:23
The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.

Proverbs 21:17
Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.

Proverbs 22:1
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

Proverbs 22:2
Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.

Proverbs 22:16
One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

Proverbs 23:4
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.

Proverbs 23:5
Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

Proverbs 27:24
for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.

Proverbs 28:6
Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse.

Proverbs 28:11
The rich are wise in their own eyes; one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.

Proverbs 28:20
A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 28:22
The stingy are eager to get rich and are unaware that poverty awaits them.

Proverbs 30:8
Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.

Ecclesiastes 5:8
Riches Are MeaninglessIf you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still.

Ecclesiastes 5:12
The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.

Ecclesiastes 10:6
Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones.

Ecclesiastes 10:20
Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say. (Have you ever heard the saying "A little birdie told me so." It could be it came from this Bible verse.

Jeremiah 9:23
This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches,

Jeremiah 17:11
Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay are those who gain riches by unjust means. When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them, and in the end they will prove to be fools.

Jeremiah 48:7
Since you trust in your deeds and riches, you too will be taken captive, and Chemosh will go into exile, together with his priests and officials.

Jeremiah 49:4
Why do you boast of your valleys, boast of your valleys so fruitful? Unfaithful Daughter Ammon, you trust in your riches and say, ‘Who will attack me?’

Hosea 12:8
Ephraim boasts, “I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin.” (Ha!)

Micah 6:12
Your rich people are violent; your inhabitants are liars and their tongues speak deceitfully.

Matthew 19:23-24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Luke 6:24
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.

Luke 8:14
The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

Luke 12:16-21
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.  And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Luke 16: 1-31

Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ 3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ 5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’ 7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ 8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? 13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” 14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

ILL-GOTTEN GAIN

Proverbs 1:19
Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.

Proverbs 10:2
Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death.

Proverbs 28:16
A tyrannical ruler practices extortion, but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.

Jeremiah 5:27
"Their houses are stuffed with ill-gotten gain, like a hunter's bag full of birds."

Jeremiah 17:11
Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay are those who gain riches by unjust means. When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them, and in the end they will prove to be fools.

Micah 4:13
“Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion, for I will give you horns of iron; I will give you hooves of bronze, and you will break to pieces many nations.” You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” John 2:13-17

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” Mark 11:15-17

Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” Matthew 21:12

KJV

Proverbs 1:19 - So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

Proverbs 15:27
He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.