He is addressing the people of a city known for its wealth.

But despite its fina ncial prosperity, it was spiritually impoverished. most people in this world who call themselves Christians are lukewarm. Yes we m ight go to church on Sundays, make an appearance, and think to ourselves, hey, I don't sell drugs, I haven't killed anybody, I never robbed a bank, I even give to charities. But think what Christ is saying here "I am rich; I have acquired w ealth and do not need a thing."

But with all this prosperity also comes a falling away from God. Now Jesus understood that riches, luxury and opulence can become idols, creating a false sense of security. They bestow a power that can easily drive a person t o arrogance, cheating and selfishness. For this reason, Jesus said wealth posed a challenge to the spirit. It was harder for a rich person to fulfill his true purpose in life than for a c amel to pass through the eye of a needle (Matthew 19:24). Here we see a consequence of worshiping money and other idols, instead of worshi ping God. If you feel you are one of these people who calls himself or herself a Christian , but knows deep inside that your money and lifestyle comes before Christ, if yo u know that there is never any time to pray or have fellowship with God because of the time it takes to earn your money, party, play with all the toys that mone y can buy, read pornography, enjoy R-rated movies, or just sit in front of the t elevision for hours, then you are a "lukewarm Christian," and it's time to make a turnaround, before Christ spits you out, which I think means, you may be on yo ur way to Hell. Take time now to thank God for all that He has given you. Thank Him for your fam ily, house, car, job, bank account, toys, etc, because everything on this earth actually belongs to Him. He gave them to you. And to receive the biggest gift of all, an eternal life in Heaven, all you have to do is ask Him for it. It won't cost you a cent. Just confess that you are need of salvation, that you believe i n Jesus, that you regret your sins, and that you want His salvation, and you wil l receive life's biggest treasure - eternal life in Heaven, not to mention the p eace of mind you will have while here on earth. If it helps, these are the kinds of things that I said when I asked Jesus for sa lvation: "Jesus, I am a sinner. I ask You to forgive me of every sin I have comm itted throughout my life. I know You are the Son of God, and I need You, Jesus, to guide me through my life. Come into my life Jesus, and guide me and make me o ne of Your own." Many people invest. Some of them get returns, some get losses. But other people don t even care to invest, and most of them fall into debts and poverty. In the fi nancial realm, investing can be a good move for any person who wants to achieve financial freedom. Psychologically, it can also strengthen a person s behavior tow ards discipline and sense of purpose. Personally, I invest my money and time to achieve my goals. These goals include financial stability, prosperous family, he althy life and philanthropic capability. Investments may be in the forms of busi ness entrepreneurship, real estate, web properties, financial instruments, and o ther investments that we expect returns or profits. There are many books written by the word s top financial authors that will guide us to effective and responsib le investing. But there can only be one book that I believe surpasses them all a book which texts and words are not coming from humans but coming from a God. The following are Bible Verses that pertain to investing: Ecclesiastes 11:2 Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come

upon the land. Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Proverbs 6:6-8 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its fo od at harvest. Proverbs 13:11 Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes i t grow. Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unp unished. Proverbs 24:27 Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house . Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be g iven to you as well.