Jon the Baptist.

We had a discussion today on God and money! Yes the age old question. How do we serve a God when there is no money. I was very excited to hear so many of the stories of God’s provision. It is perhaps the most encouraging thing to hear at a short term missionary. The truth always seems so simple when it is explained to me, but as i begin to think about it, the more question i have. Should i just give everything away i have to the poor? Should I just give up on trying to get money?

Knowing that money isn’t mine I don’t believe is enough. I have to hate money. I can’t serve both money and God. It is the easiest thing to do, to hate money, but to search and rip it out of every part of my life is a much greater task. A task that will never fully be ended.

I think back to how i used to be, only doing things like Quest and Trek because i knew i had the money in the bank to do it. I wouldn’t have done them if i didn’t have enough money to do so. And in doing so, i would be saying to God, “you know what, NO, i don’t trust your word.” How ridiculous is that? So much truth. God tells me to do something for him and I say “NO” because i don’t have enough money is diminishing God; it’s saying that the creator of plants, animals, earth, life, death, love, hope, fear, sadness, happiness, joy, light, darkness, and me, does not have the power to provide, just a few earthly bills. I want to say, “ITS BLASPHEMOUS!”, but i don’t truly understand that word, so perhaps you know a better one that describes true faithlessness.

In my saying “NO” to even attempting what God has told me to do because I don’t have enough money, is exactly what the Spirit of mammon wants to hear (see below for more on Spirit of mammon). He loves every second of it. My fear is that he has gone so deep into the lives of every person who has even just herd of the word money, that no one is willing to fight him. No one wants to confront this Spirit, because they have been imprinted into a culture where to be independent is the greatest achievement, and care for their needs first, then, whatever is left over, if any, can go to the poor. We all know what ends up happening, we end up thinking we NEED more, and “it’s ours in the first place. I earned it!” comes to mind. It isn’t ours. Who was the one who made your body able to move and make such things as money? Who is the one that made you see, hear, talk, taste, touch? God could simply so “NO” to being generous to you…and it’s all over. All that money made and kept because perhaps tomorrow will bring a storm…gone. Every earthly possession down to your wedding ring is gone. What will matter then? The fact that you made all this money, and now finally have earthly “security”? Or is it something bigger? Perhaps your relationship with the one who controls live and death!? It’s God’s begin with, and I’m sorry to say, but it aint coming with ya to heaven or hell.

No only is trusting God to provide one of the most freeing things Christianity has to offer, but it is essential to seeing his indescribable power in a fallen world.

“Two things i ask of you, oh Lord; do not refuse me before i die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God.” Proverbs 30:7-9

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Below is something I found from just looking up stuff on “Spirit of Mammon”

(http://www.kaog.org.my/resources/sermons/pdf/2005/050213.pdf)
By: REV CHAN NAM CHEN 13th Feb 2004
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The Spirit of Mammon
Text: Matthew 6:24

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the
other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
mammon.” (NKJV)

Note – In the NIV the word translated here as mammon is given as Money. However, Money is an
inadequate translation because the original word means riches (not just money)

In dealing with wealth, there are two “spirits” or perspectives operating in the world today – the
Spirit of Mammon or the Word of God. The Spirit of Mammon is operative because Satan is the
prince of this age. When we accept Christ as Lord and Saviour and we look to the Bible as our
rule of faith and practice, we bring in God’s Spirit and perspective. Unfortunately most
Christians still live and operate under the Spirit of Mammon.
From the text (Matt 6:24) we see that it is an impossibility to serve both – it is one or the other,
never both. The word “despise” means to think against; see it the opposite way that God does. In
using the word “master” it means that one will have authority over your life. Which one?