The Colombus Complex

The Lust for Gold, the Fever destroys lives. I call it the Columbus Complex, because Christopher Columbus was called by Christ to find the Way Around the World. Columbus was the first to make the case for the world be round, in a time when scientists claimed it was flat. Columbus arrived at this revelation, "It is he that sitteth upon the globe (sphere, circle) of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as locusts: he that stretcheth out the heavens as nothing, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in." (Isaiah 40:22). Unfortunately, Columbus strayed from His Calling in Christ when he landed near Cuba and discovered great veins of gold. Columbus wrote in His Journals that people can access on the internet, "God has told me if I do not stop this quest for gold, I will get crippling illness." And so it was, during one of Christopher's voyages he contracted Malaria and died of it. Replacing Columbus and his Calling, was Magellan who found the way.

Gold can be a god, notice how its one letter apart from God. Jesus Christ said, "You cannot serve two masters, you will love one and hate the other, you cannot serve God and Mammon (money)." (). In art Mammon's statue is shown to have people present offerings of gold. Jesus Christ also said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19-20). Our Lord completes this important direction with, "where your treasure is, there your heart also will be." (Matthew 6:21),

Money and gold is not evil, but the love of it leads to ruin: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorro (griefs)." (1 Timothy 6:10). This happened to Columbus, he  lost his calling, he "gained the whole world, but lost his soul." (Matthew 16:26). His treasure became gold, rather than God who is Jesus, and the calling to find the way around the world. Columbus could have been remember like Magellan, but instead he is known as a Mammonist, a man consumed by his lust for more gold. Gold promises men that if they gather enough, they can have anything they want, buy what they want, and never worry, but the truth is the opposite, for Jesus says, "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 6:25-26). Gold cannot purchase salvation, heaven, or clean heart. Gold cannot save a person's soul, only Jesus Christ can (John 3:16). There were two wicked people who thought they could lie to God for money and He struck them down, they were called Ananias and Sapphire (Acts 5:1-11) and there was man named Simon the Sorcerer who tried to buy the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:18-20), and the Apostle Peter said, "Peter answered, "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!" (Acts 8:20). God the Father, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit is not Mammon. Anyone who thinks they pieces of rock and metal can buy anything of Heaven is deluded. For only those who "deny themselves, pick up their cross, and follow Jesus," can be Disciples.

Jesus says to a Rich young Ruler, "Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
(Matthew 19:21). The Rich young man walked away because, "he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property." (Mark 10:22). Jesus is not calling us to dire poverty, but the point is someone who serves God cannot have the "love of money" in their heart and wealth can choke out the word of God, because that fever for gold takes over. Christ is making the point that it is easier to serve the Lord without great wealth, "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, then for a rich person to enter heaven." (Matthew 19:24). Wealth can destroy lives, and eternal life. For in the quest for gold, man becomes possessed by Mammon, and can never "have enough." For those who delve for riches think they can save their lives, but the Scripture, "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." (Matthew 16:25)

I have personally witnessed a brother in Lord, who was tender and loved God. He strayed from Lord in his lust for riches, deceiving people for gain. Another closer brother, who was paragon of integrity, has not become a schemer who seeks to steal from widow and orphan. Gold and lust for riches can turn the righteous in wrecked ships. Money has the power to deform the hearts of men, and turn people from "narrow gate," to the "broad path." But Christ Jesus urged us, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." (Matthew 7:13). Jesus Christ is the narrow gate, and if you follow Him with a cross you shall have eternal life, and a holy life where no one can call you murderer, thief, wicked, sexually immoral, and the plethora of vices that stem from the love of money

So who shall you serve God or gold? You cannot serve both.