Matt. 6:1-34
The Father comes first, His interest and reign come first. This is very important because as the times are changing, there's the tendency to change and put yourself first.
Times and seasons do not alter the order of God. These times make it easy to change but God does not change. His interest must come first. As long as we put ourselves first, we remain in want. Jesus gave the disciples a template they were to follow (Matt 6: 9-13). Our daily bread is available where His will is done. Every time there is pressure to alter the order of God and you are able to pull through, and insist on God's standard, you have by that stand raised a block in your life, and crossed to a new level.
The level of injustice in these times makes one easily offended and unforgiving, but we must learn to forgive and grow in it. This is one reason marriages are breaking up and can’t be sustained, even organisations etc.
Statements such as “secure your future” are simply avenues to make you rely on physical things. Our confidence must never be on physical things, having confidence in physical things doesn’t secure your future. Your confidence must remain in God. When God wants to test what your confidence is in, He would touch what seems dear to you, place a demand on you and check your heart.
No man can serve two masters. Generally, there are two sets of people; those whom God is ruling over and the other whom mammon has control over.
In these times, the level of desperation and hardship will increase, and if you are not careful, you will join the bandwagon of desperadoes, thus, it becomes the survival of the fittest.
John 4:24 makes it clear that God is a Spirit and mammon is a spirit.
Who dictates or governs your countenance, choices, decisions, actions etc, is your master. Nobody masters anything when the gain is what they are focused on. There is only one spirit that can threaten the place of God in a man’s life and that is Mammon.
Interestingly, you are the one who will make the decision about whether God or mammon will be your master. There can only be a divine supply in God’s will.
Whoever is leading you is the one that will keep you. You can’t serve two masters. You can’t claim to be serving God, yet mammon is your lord. With the difficulty of the times, more and more people will serve/run after money (mammon) and this will rule and ruin as many as give themselves to it.
Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. When money is what determines your future, choices, security, your choice of relationship, it has become your master and it will ruin you.
When God is your master, it shows in your values and choices. The church is the body of Christ. Know God, grow in God and spread the good news of the gospel.
The Church is under serious attacks in these last days. Don’t carry an assignment God did not give to you. As Christians, we are meant to grow in Christ and leave whatever news going on in the body of Christ to the builder and founder of the Church. You have no right to speak against the Church, the body of Christ. When you do that, you are liable to become a victim of what you are speaking against. When there are things you see going wrong in the Church, it should push you to pray and not speak against the Church. Whenever you see a fault, make sure you are not contributing to it but rather make sure you are walking in the right path.
Beware of the words that proceed out of your mouth, because God is watching and by Him, actions are weighed. Don’t speak against the government or against constituted authority, etc.
In recent times, due to some government initiatives, there are a number of monetary offers, in the form of loans, which some have collected. You have no right to speak against the government if you are benefiting from it.
Don’t borrow money if you are not willing to pay back. Don’t borrow money for pleasure, grow in God and believe Him to have the kind of money you need.
When God is your Master, money becomes your servant. It is sad that we have put money and gain before our eyes. When you find God, everything He has become yours. We are to seek first, the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and other things shall be added unto us.
Don’t become desperate or fretful over what you will eat, drink, or shelter but be content with where you are whilst believing God to take you to the next level.
Until God approves the motives, He doesn’t reckon with the result.
- To seek means to be in a desperate search. Anytime we see the word seek, it gives the impression of a ‘desperado’. When you find God, all that He has and is becomes yours. Deliberately, generously and cheerfully give to the gospel. Love is the greatest motivator. Where there is love, many other factors do not count. We are not applying the values of the kingdom in our everyday life because we are afraid of missing out.
Whatever
you are seeking for should be God-sought. Don’t seek things but God’s ways,
(His righteousness) His acts and His way of doing things. A true seeker of the kingdom of God must be totally committed to God’s way of doing things, whether in ministry, business or in the home.
- “Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met”. (Matthew 6:33 MSG)
Solomon out of love for God gave in abundance and God gave him all the things any man would desire that he did not ask for.
- God is a God of process; He’s a God of principles. He doesn’t bypass His process and principles. You do not determine the process you will go through.
- We must not be people governed by our emotions but ruled by the principles of God. Pursue God, not money. Your expected end or outcome will determine the path/process you will go through. Do not abort the processes of God in your life. (See John 8:31, Ephesians 2:10, Acts 2:42).
It is at the point of ownership there is transfer. You own it when you truly believe and abide in the word, the doctrine of scripture. When a word from God comes to you in whatever state it hits you, believe it first and act on it and the grace to deal with your peculiar state will be revealed to you. Make God your goal and dream.
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses”. (1Timothy 6: 10-12 ) NKJV
In other words, never compromise these things for gain/money, status etc.
We must commit to learning the principles of God and being ruled by it. Conviction should govern you not results and whatever your hands find to do, do it well and righteously.
