One of the main characteristics one must possess if he or she is to serve God is a heart free of the love of money.
In Exodus Moses father in law told him to choose wise men to help him judge the people.
Exo 18:21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
These are basic leadership qualities that equate to faithfulness to the truth when they have to judge a matter between their brethren.
God hates a bribe.(Ex 23:8) All those who serve him must be free from the snare of the love of money hating covetousness. If we love money and are covetous then we will be prone to receiving bribes from the guilty in order to give them a good outcome.
Paul the Apostle also said that in choosing deacons and overseers they must
be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;
1Ti 3:3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
A covetous man or woman will often turn God’s truth into another way to make money. To put it more gently..a pastor who loves God but struggles with covetousness and the love of money will be tempted to preach for profit and to squeeze dollars out of his flock.
One of the main features of the end of the age (because we are in it) is the love of money. Anyone called to preach to this generation MUST be free from covetousness and the love of money or they will not be able to deliver anyone. Of course this is true for any sin or iniquity found in us humans. Can a preacher who is practicing sexual immorality deliver and set free someone in the same sin? No.
When Jesus preached it was with authority, not as the Scribes. His preaching was backed by a holy life set apart to God.
Today the mass media report that the Bank accounts of the Russia Today- RT – news outlet have been frozen in Britain. The decision is final. They cannot access any of the money in their account. Some are saying that this is the end of freedom of speech in Britain.
I bring this up here because of the connection between money and speaking the truth.
What if you were speaking ‘your’ truth and were threatened like this? What if the Bank contacted you to warn you that unless you back off and stop speaking truth then all your accounts will be frozen? Most likely they would not warn you anyway.
The mark of the beast is the love of money or simply money. No one can buy or sell without it. One can have money, but it is the love of money that is the root of all evil. We know we love money when we cannot give it away. We know we love and trust in money when we do not step on anyone’s toes when we preach a message. When we fear to tell the truth because it may cost us financially….we trust in money.
Rev 14:8 And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
Rev 14:9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand,
Rev 14:10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
The love and worship of money is a snare which brings us into perdition and destruction says Paul.
John writes in Rev 14 that torment in fire and brimstone is given to all who worship the beast and receive his mark. This torment goes on day and night –not forever–but age to age. The torment is only UNTIL that person is delivered from their love of money.
Babylon has many captives and God will set them/us all free. Babylon is about to fall. God says Come out of her my people just as He did to those in Egypt. But it was 40 years in the wilderness where God was getting Egypt out of the people!
Covetousness and the love of money must be dealt with severely by God. This is why we find ourselves being put into hard situations financially. This is to expose the love of money in us-to us…for God already knew. Then we endure the chastening under his rod and allow Him to deliver us from the love and trust in money. This removes the mark and places His mark on our foreheads instead.
We become saints- Overcomers- over the beast and the love of money.
See: http://impiousdigest.com/why-journalists-are-targeted-by-the-state/
