Discernment (4)
By Pastor Raphael Adegoke
For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.” (Heb 5:13-14).
It is another glorious day. May we receive the grace to allow the full expression of God’s glory in our lives today! Amen. Last week, the focus was “lies,” and then we saw how the devil sells his plans through lies, and this he often does within, not without. Today, we shall consider one of the lies of the devil in the church today, which is “Money.”
It becomes expedient that ministers of the gospel understand that Satan has always, from time immemorial, wanted to take over lordship over man. This he successfully did in the Garden of Eden and wanted to do to Jesus while he tempted him in the Garden of Eden. 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” (Luke 4:5-7)
God has never put us in the dark as touching the methods of Satan. The same way God is unchangeable, though His ways are unsearchable and His ways are far from ours, Satan is also by nature unchangeable (unrepentant), but with his ways searchable and knowable. His mission has remained the same: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). Also, his methods will never change. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.” (1 John 2:16)
One of Satan’s approaches has always been exchanging celestial glory for terrestrial glory. He successfully made Adam and Eve trade their divine nature for a human nature. This, he wanted Jesus to do likewise, and this he will do all he can to make sure the Church does today. The chief weapon that Satan mostly chooses in executing this agenda of his is mammon. According to the New Testament, mammon is commonly thought to mean money, material wealth, or any entity that promises wealth and is associated with the greedy pursuit of gain.
It must be noted that Satan does not introduce an agenda without first not giving man the wrong orientation. As for the believers, he often gives his orientation through the scripture (God’s Word) just as he did in the Garden of Eden. He quotes, and that is why we don’t defeat him by quotations (information), but by revelation.
One of such scriptures that Satan has used over time to introduce his agenda in the Church is Ecclesiastes 10:19.
The officials make a feast for enjoyment [instead of repairing what is broken] and serve wine to make life merry, and money is the answer to everything.” In fact, almost every minister infers and concludes from this scripture that without money, nothing can be done about the gospel. This is often the reason why most ministers will do all they can to get money to fund the gospel, even when Christ has done all he should do to fund the gospel.
Unfortunately, Satan has succeeded in making many ministers change the lordship of God over them to mammon. Meanwhile, Jesus is explicit about the impossibility of man being able to serve both God and mammon. “24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money (mammom).” (Matthew 6:24). Any thought of being able to manage God and mammon together is a self-deception. You will love one and hate the other. This shows all ministers can be divided into two groups: those who love God but hate mammon, and those who love mammon and hate God.
Pastor Raphael Adegoke is a Pastor in Christ Apostolic Church (Nigeria & Overseas) and a Lecturer in Christ Apostolic Church Theological Seminary.
