I stood there half-curious inside myself, not certain what the message was. The Lord asked, “What do you feel?” I don’t remember saying anything, but after He asked I was aware I felt an atmosphere of death, deadness, lifelessness.
This morning the Lord reminded me that only love leads to happiness. Without love there is no happiness. I read 1 Corinthians 13 as if it were the first time I ever read it. There was abounding life and happiness in what I read, in the heart oozing out love and not covered by gold. Not that there aren’t rich people who are very loving and generous. Just that this vision was of a man placing his trust in gold to protect himself from the world. The happiness and love I was feeling as I read 1 Corinthians 13 was like a fountain pouring up and freely out of me.
“If I give all I possess to the poor… but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:3-8 (NIV)
The Lord also reminded me you can’t love money, thus be overly focused on it, and love God at the same time. Focusing too much on money, and thus loving it, causes death, lifelessness. Focusing on love yields overflowing life, the abundant life Jesus describes. If you put your trust utterly in God and follow Jesus, He will take care of your needs, which the Bible proves time and time throughout.
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 6:24 (NIV)
Christians are in a spiritual war of Money versus Love as perhaps never before. Not until recent years has the “prosperity gospel” been taught so widely. Part of the teaching is victory in Jesus Christ means you are prospering in all areas of your life just as your soul prospers, and this includes financial wealth. We are exhorted to “sow a seed of faith” into a ministry. “Seed faith”, meaning giving specifically money and not giving of yourself through volunteering or helping those you meet, is a taught recipe for personal gain so we “reap the harvest” in the future. The flock has been fleeced by their naivety in how to handle money properly with clever, wise decisions. “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?” Luke 16:11-12 (NIV) And the flock, including myself in past years, has given to wealthy ministers and churches with expensive buildings who consider it acceptable to live exceedingly richly off of Christians they teach, much like self-help gurus do.
The apostle Paul gave us his example to follow, which was to work to provide for his own needs and those who needed financial help, and not rely on those he taught to provide for him: “You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:34-35 (NIV)
Jesus’ appeal to all His disciples was to not love money and not seek worldly riches, but rather seek the Kingdom of God and you will be sufficiently provided for, “So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” Matthew 6:31-34 (NIV) And Jesus also taught, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matt 6:19-21 (NIV)
The giving of money in the Lord’s new covenant of grace (the New Testament) was to help the poor, not to make the apostles wealthy. Yes, a Bible teacher is worthy of receiving compensation but the theme is one of moderation. Paul writes, “Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.” Galatians 6:6 (NIV) And Jesus instructed, “As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.” Matthew 10:7-10 (NIV) A minister or gospel worker is worthy of compensation for personal living expenses, but there is no indication a worker’s keep is lavish in nature.
One may argue there is nothing wrong with a minister becoming rich from the ministry (I am not commenting on making wealth through shrewd business dealings and investments not associated with the gospel), much like the CEO of a non-profit charity can become rich. But I ask, really, there is really nothing wrong? Why is it ok to deviate so sharply from what both Jesus and his apostles clearly taught and the examples they set? Why not use the money flowing to the ministry to help the poor even more and further the gospel and His kingdom even more, as the apostles did, rather than personally enrich the overseer of the ministry? Ministries may be non-profit companies from a legal standpoint, but does that mean the guideline is no longer the New Testament but rather secular CEO compensation? I’m not implying that the Lord doesn’t use wealthy ministers, He certainly does. I am just questioning whether their decisions regarding personal gain from ministry line up with the word of God.
I have been prayerful as I wrote all this associated with my vision of the coat of golden mail. I then went on a prayer walk to pray over what I wrote. I hope this blesses you and, perhaps, helps you to be on guard against those with a coat of golden mail who want your money, and, perhaps, your cooperation with them. To love others, love God, believe in Jesus whom God sent, and provide for the weak according to our abilities is what Jesus and His apostles taught us to do.
