Luke - One Master

Luke 16:13  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.  

Who is your Master? Joshua asked this question to the children of Israel:  

Josh 24:15  And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Josh 24:16  And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;  

Other gods are idols, anything that we serve and love more than God can be our idol, including money and the gathering of it.  

1 Th 1:6  And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

1 Th 1:9  For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
1 Th 1:10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

1 John 5:20  And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
1 John 5:21  Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.


Luke 16:14  And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.  

It happened to Jesus and it will happen to you if you serve God. The Pharisees were the proud religious leaders of the Jews, but they did not know God by His Spirit. They wished to mock and put down the Lord Jesus Christ. They were covetous of wealth and power over men. Friends in the world get together and mock the things of God. They love the lusts and power, the wealth of the world.

Luke 16:15  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.  

They were not fooling God. He saw their hearts were wicked and far from him. The things that they love will perish and were an abomination to our holy God. The church of this time was described in the book of Revelation, a rich church, needing nothing. Rich in the world's things and pleasures, but poor in their faith and holiness.  

Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.  

It is time for those of God's church to come out from the world and to be the light in the darkness. The word of God is truth and light. We love God our Father because Jesus has forgiven our sins. Who else shall we serve when we have received so much from our God? Freely receive and freely give to others.  

Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercessionfor us.
   

If they mock you, they mocked Jesus. If they receive Jesus, they enter God's kingdom. We are His ambassadors to bring the hope of everlasting life to a blind and lost world. Jesus has paid the price for all to receive life. Praise God our master.