St. Paul says that the "love of money is the root of all evil." Dave Ramsey quotes the Proverb: "in the house of the wise are stores of choice grains." So we use The Wolf of Wall Street to guide our steps between being lovers-of-self and financially prudent.
1 Timothy 3:2-4 Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, 3 no drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way;
1 Timothy 6:9-11 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs. 11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; aim at righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people.
**Hebrews 13:5 **Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never fail you nor forsake you.”
James 1:9-11 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
James 5:1-6 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have killed the righteous man; he does not resist you.
Revelations 3:15-19 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent.
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Links:
- ‘The Wolf of Wall Street' With Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, and Ryen Russillo | The Rewatchables - YouTube — The Ringer's Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, and Ryen Russillo see a pay stub for $72,000 and quit their jobs to rewatch Martin Scorsese's box office and critical smash hit ‘The Wolf of Wall Street,' starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Margot Robbie.
- Lou Pearlman - Wikipedia — In 2006, he was accused of running one of the largest and longest-running Ponzi schemes in history, leaving more than $300 million in debts. After being apprehended, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy, money laundering, and making false statements during a bankruptcy proceeding. In 2008, Pearlman was convicted and sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.[3][4] He died in federal custody in 2016.
- The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story Official Premise Trailer - YouTube — The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story Official Premise Trailer
- The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story — The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story is a documentary feature that tells the story of famed boy band impresario Lou Pearlman. The film tracks his life from his childhood in Queens, through discovering mega-bands *NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys, and chronicles his later life, including his perpetration of one of the largest Ponzi schemes in American history.
- NSYNC - Wikipedia — In 1999, NSYNC entered a publicized legal battle with Lou Pearlman, due to what the group believed were illicit business practices on his part.[30] NSYNC sued Pearlman and his record company, Trans Continental, for defrauding the group of more than fifty percent of their earnings, rather than his promise of only receiving one-sixth of the profits, similar to his promise of one-sixth of the profits with the Backstreet Boys.[30] The group threatened to leave and sign with Jive Records, which prompted Pearlman and RCA to countersue NSYNC for US$150 million and the use of the name.[31] Pearlman's request for a preliminary injunction against the band was denied.[30] After reaching a settlement out of court,[32] NSYNC signed with Jive.[33].
- Five Ways the Prosperity Gospel Makes You Poor | Desiring God — So Christ is magnified when in my dying, by which I lose everything, and I consider that a better deal than if I had everything in this world. So, the glory of God is obscured and the glory of Christ is obscured, I think, by the prosperity gospel. I really pray that you would reorient your life if you’re involved in it and embrace Christ as your supreme treasure.
- Why I Abominate the Prosperity ‘Gospel’ - YouTube — Why I Abominate the Prosperity ‘Gospel’
- I Miss You Like The Desert Miss The Rain - YouTube — I Miss You Like The Desert Miss The Rain
- Benedict XVI Quotes (Author of Jesus of Nazareth) — “Without God man neither knows which way to go, nor even understands who he is... One of the deepest forms of poverty a person can experience is isolation... Poverty is often produced by a rejection of God's love, by man's basic and tragic tendency to close in on himself, thinking himself to be self-sufficient or merely an insignificant and ephemeral fact, a "stranger" in a random universe...The human being develops when ... his soul comes to know itself and the truths that God has implanted deep within, when he enters into dialogue with himself and his Creator... It is not by isolation that man establishes his worth, but by placing himself in relation with others and with God.”