THE LOVE OF MONEY IN THE CHURCH 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 one and despise the other.You cannot serve God and Mammon”. There is a battle for your heart over the issue of money. It is a daily on-going battle satan is warring against the saints. Yes we need to bring our finances into position of divine blessing by honouring the Lord first, but our battle is always first in the spirit. The love of money today in the priesthood has caused many preachers to sway in preaching another gospel, because of the benefits. It is sad to say there are only a few that continue to go by faith today and that believe God for all their provisions. Why did Jesus tell His disciples to take nothing for the journey? Luke 9:3 "And he said to them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor money, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece." It was to save His apostles from such temptations, that Jesus left them poor in the world to be dependant on His provision and that their riches would only be found in Christ Jesus. The Lord Who made Job, Abraham and David rich could easily have made His apostles rich too. But He didn't. Why? Because new-covenant apostles, unlike Old Testament saints, had to wage a deep war against Satan. And when Satan came against them, it was essential that Satan should find "no love for Mammon in them"? Otherwise the Lord's purposes could never have been fulfilled through them. What about you? When Satan comes against you, does he have power over you, because he finds the love of this world and Mammon in you? The battle against Satan is not fought on earth, but in "the heavenlies" (Eph.6:12). It is there that Satan's power has to be bound by us (Matt.18:18). Only those who are heavenly-minded can fight this battle. Those who love Mammon are earthly-minded and are useless in this battle. Satan knows that very well, even if believers don't. It doesn't mean He wants us to walk in poverty, but that our possessions would not control us in the battle against satan. Even as ministers when the Lord starts to bless you He will never bless you with something that will cause you to turn from Him. Imagine today as I travel the nation's it is common to find prosperity preachers driving expensive cars!! But most of the other cars owned by the congregation were cheap ones! It could be concluded by most that the "prosperity gospel" did work - but only for those who lived off fleecing the sheep of Christs offerings of the congregation!! In many cases the rest of the congregation remained in the same condition that they had always been in and not advancing because not beinging taught the simple principles of seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mat 6:33) Even in poor countries like Africa, India etc preachers are becoming rich, off the offerings of poor people, through this counterfeit gospel of prosperity making your best life now. What must the Lord think of the Christian "church" and its leaders today, who have pursued after Mammon, become tolerant of sin, and thus made themselves powerless in the battle against satan. Would the Lord not also turn a few tables as He did when He saw the temple, of His Father's house becoming like a den of thieves? Yes the Lord can bless when we do Gods work His righteous way. But many so called Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers of today have been taken by this bait of Mammon and are useless in the spiritual battle we were originally called to. Let us learn to be rich in Christ Jesus that we may not be snared by the trappings of the false prosperity gospel.