"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money" (Matt. 6:24). In America, we value our freedom. Many of us like to think that we don't "serve" anybody. We are all for freedom and independence.

We're also eclectic in our tastes?we like a lot of different things. We like choices. Just look at our retail shopping outlets. They are packed with all kinds of things. Usually there are multiple choices in style, options and price range for most products. If there's not we just go someplace else.

But here's one place we don't have a choice. I know most of us don't like being forced to choose, but you have to here. You must either choose to serve God or the material world. You just can't equivocate here. Say it's one way or say it's the other.

There is a modern teaching of Christianity that preys on our desire to have it both ways. This "gospel" strongly and confidently asserts that if we love God and give him lots of money (and especially via that particular church or speaker), he will bless us and make us rich. It sells seats in churches and books quite well, but it's a fine twisting of the scripture though. It's a sort of Christian attempt to serve God THROUGH money. Be careful of falling for it. These guys are aggressive with it and defensive about it too. Might cost them their "beamers" and mansions and fancy lifestyles to believe otherwise.

Certainly God blesses us for giving (Luke 18:29-30). But it's never "quid pro quo" though. (Hey, that's poetic isn't it?) It's an Okie speaking Latin and saying God does not necessarily "return in kind". That is, just because you give money does not mean God will bless you back with a lot more money. God sees poverty as blessing by the way. That makes some of us feel more blessed than others, doesn't it? God's blessing in return might be poverty, knowing that that's the best past to salvation for you. God will however bless you with what you need the most and what will help you the most.

Yes, indeed, you have to decide. Is it going to be God or is it going to be Money? Are you a disciple or a dollar-chaser? When you lay those two choices out together, and don't equivocate, the choice is quite easy isn't it? That is, when you accept that one or the other will be your master and you don't have a choice of whether to serve but just who to serve and there are only the two choices! Let me give you a tip. Choose God.