Love Not the Things that are in the World?

All scripture references, unless otherwise noted, are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible. 
The Bible says in 1st John 2:15-17, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." Have you ever heard the expression you can't take it with you? How true that is. Yet how many folks have never wanted to give up something in their lives and turn to God because they thought it was too hard.

Apparently my father was  one. I remember before I turned to God an incident that happened when my father was on his death bed. My two brothers and I were in the V.A. hospital to visit my father. My brother Joe had given his heart to the Lord at that time and asked my father why he had not?  I shall never forget the response of my dad. He said that he had not because he would have to give up too many things he enjoyed doing.

My folks were divorced when I was about 3 years old.  We lived with my mom and I never got to know dad well. Dad had become an alcoholic after my mom and he had separated. My mother used to tell me that after she turned to God they would have "Cottage Prayer Meetings" sometimes at their house, and my father would take part. She told me that he would make sure the house was heated, e.g.he would cut enough firewood for the stove. He would even get on his knees to pray with the rest of the folks. But he never gave his life to God. He died while I was in the army before I turned to the Lord Jesus.

I do believe the Word of God and don't think anyone who doesn't believe it will be saved. Jesus said in Mark 16:16, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." It is clear to me anyway. Perhaps there are things in your life that you can't take with you. One that can be taken with you is your faith in the Lord Jesus. The Bible says in Jeremiah 17:7-8, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."