In recent news, there has been a lot of talk about financial bonuses that those in government have received. Recently Postmaster General David P. Steiner was questioned by congress as to why he accepted a 300,000 dollar bonus when one of his mail sort facilities in Saint Louis was caught dumping mail in a field. A mayor for a large city recently told its residents to make sacrifices while he took in his own 300,000 dollar bonus and increased bonuses for city council people as well. Even though the city is in a crisis with people and business leaving daily. To date there has been only a very few cases where large city leadership in the world gave up their annual bonuses. Some may feel that their leadership was worth of such things while many, when the news was made public, it sparked outrage from many people. It seems this world often rewards people for their performance whether good or bad. Often times they show no signs outwardly of any reason to receive their pay let alone an increase. Sadly as part of their accumulation of wealth it comes as expense of taxpayers and workers that suffer under their leadership.

While having wealth is not something that excludes you from the Kingdom of God it becomes something of a hinderance for those who possess it. So much that the Bible wars against its trappings. Jesus himself likened it to serving two masters and how you can’t serve both. Jesus Christ also warned his disciples about having wealth this side of the Kingdom:

 Look at Luke 6

24 “But woe to you who are rich,

    for you have already received your comfort.

25 Woe to you who are well fed now,

    for you will go hungry.

Throughout His testimony he addressed the issues of possessing wealth now and how the blessing we seek are not found in this life but in the Kingdom of God. The big reason we should seek them there is because they can be eternal. Everything in this life is only temporary, whether it is being rich or in a state of poverty. It is His good pleasure to give us those things in the kingdom.

In Christ always,                                                                                            

Steve Koenig

Lake Shore Fellowship