One of the most deadly sins is the love of money. Throughout my life I have
observed numerous people, who started down this wrong path of desire for
financial prosperity, and it hurt or ruined them. There is a very dangerous
mindset that many Christians have, which says, “I want to make lots of
money, so I can give money to help others and support church ministries.”
In actuality, they desire money for them self, but are exploiting God's work as an excuse to justify it.
Some of the worst ideas in history were done with the best of intentions. Please notice that the Bible doesn't say the love of money is the root of all evil if you have bad intentions. No, rather, it says the love of money is the root of all evil, regardless of your intentions. Your reason for loving money is irrelevant. The love (strong desire) for money is a sin.
Frankly, if making money is always on your mind, your heart is not right with the Lord. God doesn't need our money. There's only one thing that isn't already God's, that He wants from us, and that is our heart. Proverbs 23:26, “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.”
I have seen Christians go astray from getting involved in pyramid scams; such as, selling A.L. Williams life insurance, Amway products and Excel phone service, to name but a few. These companies want to make money at your expense. You can read about these pyramid scams online! I recall in each of these cases, carnally-minded, money-hungry Christians, who tried to recruit me to sell things, which in turn would make them money. Of course, the scammers at the top of the food-chain make nearly all the money. That's why they are called “pyramid schemes.” If you are ever approached by anybody involved in such shady schemes, with a gleam in their eye, tell them firmly that you are not interested!
There's just something about money that once you have it, it has you! Money has destroyed countless lives. And I'm not just talking about the love of money. Money by itself has destroyed many people's lives. The love (or strong desire) for money leads people astray from the Word of God, because almost always, they end up falling by the wayside in their faith, having “pierced themselves through with with many sorrows” (1st Timothy 6:10). Whether it be money or the love of money, few believers can handle it. I don't think I could either, which is why I'm glad I don't have lots of money. Let the Devil and his children have it all!
I am so glad that I have learned the value of not being rich. The greatest things in life are not things. The more you have in this life, the more you have to lose, and consequently the more you tend to worry. I worked with a man who worked his entire life, laying up a big retirement, and then he dropped dead of a heart-attack (on a dialysis machine) the week he was supposed to retire. No kidding! That's one reason why I am not interested, nor am I trying, to lay up earthly treasures. I'm laboring to get souls saved, and to live for the Lord, and to help the poor, to lay up eternal treasures. I'm ready to go home to glory whenever God wants to take me. I'm tired of this sin-cursed world. Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Even so, come, lord Jesus!!!
I'm going to lay up treasures in Heaven. Matthew 6:19-21, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” What an encouraging Scripture! If you've ever had thieves steal from you, which I have (big time!), then you can truly appreciate this passage of Scripture. My car was stolen and trashed out many years ago in Chicago. One of my pedal steel guitars was stolen. I could go on and on. Lawyers are the biggest thieves of all! I love Matthew 6:19-21. I can truly appreciate Matthew 6:19-21. I rejoice in Christ daily, knowing that my labors for the Lord are accumulating in eternity. Heavenly riches cannot be stolen, cannot rust, cannot be repossessed, cannot dry rot or be ruined by water, et cetera. That's where I am investing my life.
Jesus plainly warned that NO MAN can serve God and mammon (wealth). Luke 16:13, “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” There's no pursuit as shallow as the quest to make money. Millions of foolish young women have put off motherhood to pursue a career instead, and many of them never have any children as a consequence.
Dolly Parton at near age 70 looks like warmed over death. She purportedly contemplated suicide over her decisions to pursue a career instead of having children. Biblically, she is a failure, turned aside after Satan (1st Timothy 5:14-15). Dolly's $500,000,000 cannot make her happy. She's not a true born-again Christian. She believes that we all have our own routes to Heaven. That is the Devil talking. Jesus said in John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” It's Jesus or the Lake of Fire! So forget your own cute little route to Heaven and trust Jesus alone!!!
“Listen, did you know the purpose of school ought to be to learn the Word of God, and yet, their not allowed to have the Word of God. ...But you know what we do now? We go off to college and say now, 'I want a college education so I can make some money, and won't have to dig ditches, and work so hard.' I mean that's the purpose of it—it's materialistic to the core! I mean, we send people off to school to make money!” —Brother Lester Roloff, a quote from the needful sermon, "The Wisdom Of The World."
The Love of Money is Still the Root of Evil, Even if You Want the Money to Serve God
The love of money is the root of all evil, it doesn't matter why you want it. 1st Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” I've heard Christians say that they want to “make a lot of money,” so they can be generous and give to God's work. But it's still the root of all EVIL to love money, regardless of what you intend to do with it. Christians ought not pursue money! It ought not even be on our list of life's priorities. God only knows how many women have forfeited motherhood to pursue a career instead.
Beware of loving money! The word “love” here means a strong desire to have money. Beware of the strong desire to have money! It is still a path to evil (injury, depravity). Untold millions of Christians in America have pierced themselves through with arrows, injuring them self spiritual, financially and morally. Money destroys trust! Money ruins marriages! Money wrecks families and churches!
Poverty is a blessing. BLESSED ARE THE POOR!!!
Proverb 14:20a, “The poor is hated even of his own neighbour...” James 2:6a,
“But ye have despised the poor.” Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in
spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
True Lasting Wealth Comes from Investing in the Things of God
Here's Dr. Russell Anderson's Christian testimony. Brother Anderson began working for pennies on the dollar in the coal mines of Kentucky, working hard while honoring God with his substance, and God blessed him financially. In Dr. Anderson's own words... I went from the coal mines to the gold mines! As a young man, Brother Anderson didn't say in his heart, “I'm going to make lots of money!” No, rather, he purposed in his heart to work hard and honor God, then and now, with the fruits of his labors. God blessed Dr. Anderson with $100,000,000, and he gave most of it to the Lord's work. What a beautiful testimony!
However, that is extremely rare. I believe it is not God's will for 99% of Christians to become wealthy. You may honor God with your substance (i.e., everything that you own) and may stay financially poor all your life. It is wrong to do anything for God with the primary goal of making money. Dr. Jack Hyles' mother, Coystal Hyles, was poor most of her life, but she raised up a man and a godly son, who in the later years cared for her. There's not a wealthy woman in this world, or in history, who did more for God that Coystal Hyles did, through her son's 55 years of faithful ministry. Literally, millions of souls will be in Heaven because she raised a godly son. Dr. Hyles' mother never purposed in her heart to “make a lot of money.” She didn't want any money. She purposed in her heart to be faithful to God, and thank God for what SHE DIDN'T HAVE. Coystal Hyles is a wealthy woman up in Heaven, surrounded by thousands upon thousands of saved souls, who are only there because she raised a godly son! She and her son will shine as the brightness of the stars forever, because of all the souls saved (Daniel 12:3).
Please read my article, “Investing
For Eternity” (debt-leveraging for an eternal lifestyle).
The Shallow Pursuit of Earthly Riches
No Christian should ever pursue a desire to make a lot of money in life. To do so, the Bible says, may fail or succeed, but you'll pierce yourself through with many sorrows. You may still attend a church, but you'll err from the faith. The proper attitude is that you're going to please God with your life, even if it means being poor and broke all your life. If you don't think that way, Satan has many sinful opportunities for you to sell your soul to make money. Case in point, many women are selling their virginity on E-bay to pay for their school bill. I read where one of those sluts actually said she was doing it because she loves her family, and wants to go to school so she can help them financially. Folks, the love of money is the root of ALL evil. I'm talking especially to young people, because Satan targets youth in their innocence. Tell Hollywood to go back to Hell where they came from! Tell the music industry to keep their cursed contract, you're not for sale! Tell anyone who tries to buy you off that you're not for sale, you belong to Jesus!!! Many preachers have turned aside from going into the ministry because Satan gave them a high-paying job.
Young person, our goal in life ought not be to “make lots of money.” Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” Now, it may not be God's will for you to be wealthy, as far as the world considers riches. In fact, I am an extremely wealthy man!!! I was able to get out of my bed this morning of my own free will and physical ability. Do you know there are millions of people who are bed-ridden and cannot lift themselves up from their bed? I'd rather go onto Heaven then survive that way. That's not living! Oh, how we ought to thank and praise God every day of our life for the abundant blessings that we have and enjoy.
My friend, if you have two working legs to walk, you are so blessed! If you have two seeing eyes, and two hearing ears, and working taste buds, you are rich indeed!!! There are many people who cannot taste their food, due to drugs or injury. My doctor prescribed the drug Elavil years ago (as an off-use for radiating neck pain) and my taste buds stopped working! I immediately went online to research the drug's side-effects, and sure enough, that was one of the side-effects. I read that the condition could possibly become PERMANENT! I immediately stopped taking the drug, and thankfully, my taste buds went back to normal and work just fine. Amen! There are many people who were born blind, or have never heard any music. Can you imagine never having seen a pretty flower, or a gorgeous sunset. Singer Stevie Wonder (who is a professed Christian) has never seen a sunset. I cannot imagine a life without music, but many people are deaf and have never heard anything. Can you imagine never hearing a bird sing? There are millions of people who never know when they are going to suffer a seizure. Oh, how blessed we all are! MOST PEOPLE ARE VERY WEALTHY!!! Yet, I have known perfectly healthy people to commit suicide, because they were frustrated and disillusioned with life.
I learned when my own mother was dying about
something called, “Quality of Life.” The doctors told my mother and father
that to continue living, she would have to be put onto an iron long (i.e., a
breathing machine). My mother had already suffered two leg amputations,
kidney failure, a heart attack and various other health problems. She was
hurting. My parents (who were both Christians) decided that God never
intended for someone to survive on a machine! My mother's “quality of life”
had bottomed out! And so, my mother died at age 65 during the night on
August 20, 2001. My father called me at 3 a.m. to let me know, and we
rejoiced that her pain had ended and she was with the dear Lord Jesus Christ
in Heaven. My father died several years later. By the way, I watched “Kool”
cigarettes ruin my mother's health. It wasn't cool! If you smoke, you are
destroying your God-given body.
Fearing God and Being Satisfied With What You Have is True Wealth
Proverbs 28:14, “Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.” I did a brief Bible study on our text passage about the LOVE OF MONEY. The Greek word for “love of money” is philarguria, which means, “avarice.” Avarice means “reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins).” Reprehensible means “bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure.” Acquisitiveness means “strong desire to acquire and possess.” Money can be compared to a meal that you eat. Some people are pigs, having an appetite that is impossible to satiate or satisfy. The love of money can be likened to overeating or eat immodestly, making a pig of oneself.
I love the holy Bible! I love the inspired King James Bible (which is the only trustworthy English Bible). Satan is working relentlessly to corrupt the Bible and remove God's Word from men's hands. Please listen and ponder the sober meaning of the following Scriptures from God. This is not mere good advice my friend, this is the Word of God. 1st Timothy 6:6-8, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” The holy Bible teaches that godliness (fearing God) with contentment (being happy with what we have) is great gain (this person is very rich). I love that!
I do not need millions of dollars to be happy
in life. I do not need a wife to be happy in life (or the headaches - 1st
Corinthians 7:27b-28). I am happy because I fear God always. All I need is
to fear God and be satisfied with food and clothes. Anything more and we're
asking for trouble! Proverbs 28:14, “Happy is the man
that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall
into mischief.” Fearing God keeps us out of trouble!!! My happiness in
life does not come from money, possessions or circumstances; but rather,
from my fear of God continually. I fear God, literally. I must give account
to God one day at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:9-11). I
must face the “terror of the Lord” (2nd Corinthians 5:11). “Terror” is the
Greek word phobos, meaning “to be put in fear.” I have made plenty of
mistakes and committed my share of sins in life, but I have learned the hard
way that true happiness comes from knowing in my heart continually that I am
right with God, and I greatly fear Him (just as a child fears discipline and
heartache if he disobeys his parents). The man who doesn't fear God, but
hardeneth his heart, will fall into mischief!
God's Will May Be for You to Stay Poor Financially On Earth
Contrary to the lies told by the health, wealth and prosperity religious crowd, it is NOT God's will for everyone to be rich, healthy and successful by the world's standards. My friend, if you can walk, see, hear and function somewhat normally, despite various health problems, you are still greatly blessed of God. Many people are quadriplegics, crippled completely. Remember, someone always has it worse than you! It may seem like others have it better than you, and perhaps they do in some ways, but if your name is written in Heaven as a born-again child of God... YOU'VE GOT IT MADE IN THE SHADE MY FRIEND!!! Jesus told us to rejoice that our name is written in Heaven, because once you are saved, that fact NEVER CHANGES. If that is what we rejoice about, we will ALWAYS have a reason to rejoice!!! Amen!
We were created to PLEASE GOD, our Creator! We were not put here on earth to eat, drink and enjoy pleasures. Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” My goal in life is to please God. God can only be pleased by faith (Hebrews 11:6). Man's whole duty in life is to fear God and obey His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
People who operate ministries will
always want money more than anything (though they'll never admit it).
Ministers always try to be spiritual, because they know it is wrong to make
money the main priority. So they'll ask for your prayers “most of all.” But
when it comes down to it, human nature is all the same... THEY WANT THE
MONEY!!! If you've ever donated money to a Christian charity, then you know
how they bombard you with requests for more money. They'll say they need
your prayers, but from my own experience, I know that they really want your
money! My mailbox evidences what I say! 
I know people who are frustrated because they
don't have enough money to buy and do all the things they would like to do.
Be careful, that's the love of money! If you need money to be happy, you
love money! Your priorities in life are wrong. The heathen world has a
warped value system, elevating financial prosperity as the meaning of
“success.” That is a dangerous and unbiblical way to live one's life. There
are two ways to be rich: 1) Have all you want; 2) Want all you have! I want
what I have and nothing else. I am a very rich man. I don't need anything
more than what God has provided to be happy in life. God could turn every
grain of dirt or sand into gold coins if He wanted. I think it is more than
mere coincidence that God made the streets of Heaven out of gold. Men lust
for gold, one of the most expensive metals in the world. Yet, God has paved
the street (singular - Revelation 21:21) of Heaven with gold. That which men
hold so dear is used by God to pave the street in Heaven! 
