Jesus said in Mathews 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else has e will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Matthew 6:24
You cannot serve God and Mammon(money).
Jesus statement above shows that money or Mammon is a powerful god.
Money is competing with God for worship. The Bible says, “the Love of money is the root of all evils”. No wonder Apostles John warned us, not to love the world and it’s glamorous things.
He said,
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
I John 2:15-17 NKJV
Majority of Pentecostal Churches are adopting prosperity doctrine and they are using every known blessings from the Hebrew Scriptures to support their teachings.
The question is, how do one differentiate between the worship of the true God from the worship of the Mammon?
When Satan demanded worship from Jesus in an exchange for the glory of this world; Jesus rejected the glory of this world for the worship of the true God.
Mathew 4:8-10
If any religion glorify the material things above spiritual things, and they elevate money more than God’s Kingdom’s moral characters, they maybe worshipping Mammon.
Apostles Paul wrote,
“For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.”
Romans 16:18 NKJV
Apostles Paul letters to the Romans is instructive. He said the preachers of Mammon will use flattering speeches, smooth words, and deceive the simples or the fools.
Apostles Peter exposed their motives, when He says,
“By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. II Peter 2:3
No wonder Africans are becoming poorer by the day, because the people adopted prosperity doctrines. Instead of the having prosperity, the people are getting poorer.
But why are people going to the Church where they will be flattered and exploited?
This is one of the signs of the end time. People cannot tolerate the healthy teaching but rather they will choose teachers who will teach them falsehood with flattering words.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
The advice of Apostles Paul was,
“But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
II Timothy 4:5 NKJV
Therefore, my readers be watchful and keep awake to false teachings and flattering prayers.
The fact is, the richest man in the world and the richest man in Africa are not religious.
The truth is, if one is upright and work diligently, you shall become rich wether you a religious person or not.
The Solution:
* Pray for the Religious leaders to stop preaching Mammon.
* Pray To Teach people about God’s kingdom.
* Pray To emphasize the characters of God’s kingdom citizens. The Bible says it is righteousness that exalt a nation and her people. It is not religion or oil or other natural resources.
You shall not be caught napping Spiritually in the mighty name of Jesus.
The Author:
David Olaniyan
The Global Evangelist
Jesus Witness Miniseries.