For part two of our new series on the Biblical Pathway to financial freedom, Gabe ignited our spirit of faith to take back what the devil has stolen from us. It is time to break free from worry and fear so we can get our minds off money and into God’s Word. God wants to reverse your captivity and restore the fortunes you have lost, so He can put you into credit in every area of your life.
The backdrop to Gabe’s powerful message is based on Mathew 6: 24-33, where we are warned that we cannot serve both man and mammon (money). So much of the Bible is focused around wealth, generosity, money and possessions; much like our minds. You cannot remain in neutral, for you will always default backwards to greed instead of generosity.
The meaning of the word mammon is more than just money. It is a spirit of this world that diverts our attention and love from God to the pleasures and comforts of earthly desires. It goes after both the poor and the rich alike and is out to steal our futures, our inheritance and our finances.
God is not fighting for our wallets, but for our obedience.
The enemy doesn’t care about our bank balance, but how we view God.
Our futures are not dictated by the worlds economy or the exchange rate.
Our generosity must be driven by our decision to give, and not based on our emotions or our bank balance.
When we give into God’s Kingdom, we are investing into eternal souls.
God does not offer us a carrot stick to give, but an invitation to trust Him.
God wants His resources to flow through us to bless others.
If God can get money through you, He will get money to you.
To break the curse of the spirit of Mammon, we need to understand the following 3 things: –
- The Root of Mammon
The deity god of wealth and provision distorts our perspective on our finances and corrupts how we view and deal with money. In Genesis 1:28 we are reminded that God is a God of blessing. God us our source provider who lavishly and generously wants to satisfy us with His blessings.
A Prosperity Gospel reduces God to a principal instead of a person and turns Father God into Father Christmas, who only gives when we are good.
A Poverty Gospel wants you to be poor, but happy and distorts God into the God Father, who is holding out on us.
We need to be preaching the correct Theology based on God’s Word, that will dispel these false gospels with the truth – Before we do anything, God will bless and provide for us, for He is our source and provider who wants to pleasure us with His generous blessings, so we can pour out and bless others. It is a decision we make every day by asking ourselves is God enough for me?
- The Fruit of Mammon
What is the overriding emotion you have regarding money? Is it worry, fear, stress, comparison, greed or covet? These are not the emotions God wants us to have. Mathew 6:25 tells us not to worry. The enemy wants us to cash out, live for the now instead of trusting God with our future and our finances. The spirit of mammon is territorial and will keep coming back to make us:-
scared – by stealing our faith.
self-absorbed – by stealing our strength
self-righteous – by stealing our worship. - The Weapon against Mammon
The cure to severing the head of the python snake of mammon who is constricting our lives and our finances is found in Mathew 6:33. It is the bottom line to changing the way we view and use money.
SEEK – you need to be passionately pursuing God
FIRST – you need to make God your priority.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD – to activate God’s power
And ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED TO YOU – the promise of God’s provision This is not only a great principle to live by, but also a declaration that God is our great provider. Romans 8:32 encourages us that God wants to give us ALL things. God is still the God who multiplied the loaves and fishes. Stop looking at your salary as the means of your provision. Your job does not drive your income, God does.
WE DON’T GIVE TO GET, BUT TO GET TO GIVE TO GIVE AGAIN.
Stop holding on tightly to your finances, with closed, clenched fists, but freely receive, so you can freely give.