Good post and I agree w/ most all of it. BTW I do tend to read Ann Coulter 99% of the time and always appreciate anyone anywhere willing to present the true gospel message.
The problem is you can not have your cake and eat it too. If you are a christian you must be in the world but not of the world. You must not love worldly ways and the filhty lucre associated with worldly ways. You must be like a ship at sea - willing to sail anywhere the wind (Holy Spirit) takes you w/o allowing the water (world/sin) to enter into your boat and eventually sinking it.
Any christian can lose his voice (power of evangelizing) through hypocrisy, thru trying to emulate world, thru willingly erasing distinctions and discriminations against sin, thru accepting the idea of ‘when in Rome do as the Romans do’, OR basically thru compromising and rationalizing (rationing lies).
The best way to sum it all up is the quote ‘to preach the Word to all the world and when necessary even use words.’
I don't even agree with Ann on EVERYTHING. ;)But, I'm not quite sure that I agree with you on the universal evil of wealth, implied by your use of the phrase "filthy lucre."
Money, righteously earned, can be a powerful force for GOOD in the world, IMHO.The Good Samaritan wouldn't have been as much help to the man he found beaten in the street, if he were the BROKE Samaritan. ;)
33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.
35The next day he took out two silver coins[c] and gave them to the innkeeper.
'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'