Money

Just writing out my view on money to read back to myself so I can stay focused and don’t get distracted. Maybe it will benefit someone out there.

Money has spiritual forces attached to it.

As Ken Honda said in his book "Happy Money", there’s energy behind it. How we acquire and give out money has a spiritual aspect we cannot see, but those attuned to the spiritual world can easily sense the energy behind it in all value-change scenarios.

The Great Spirit of Mammon, one of the Greater Demons that rule the world, created it to facilitate the increase of greed and selfishness.

When the world was perfect, do you think money existed?

The concept wasn’t needed because Adam and Eve always tried to give more than they took before they fell and cursed us all.

If we were still there, in Eden, then “fair” value exchange from trades wouldn’t exist as a concept, which is money’s core value proposition and reason to exist as a primitive.

That said, God blesses financially and expects us to work hard in life to make the most impact using our gifts and talents to love and help people.

Money is just a necessary byproduct of a fallen imperfect world.

The Bible is clear that money isn’t bad on its own but obsession with it is. Identity built on money is.

“No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and mammon.” ~ Matthew 6:24 (NKJV)

Most people on earth are enslaved by Mammon.

For some strange reason, people judge others and themselves based on financial wealth and income, but in reality, this makes no sense because our identity doesn’t include our money, but it does include our body, mind, soul, and spirit.

Money isn’t a fundamental core element of who we are as humans, yet through incredible works of Mammon, it’s seen as the ultimate worthy thing to pursue in life by most people on earth. We make decisions based on the probability of increasing our income and net worth.

Nowadays, because of what I’ve experienced and learned about who God is and how God works, I believe it’s very dangerous to make major life decisions based on money first.

God should come first, meaning that we live attuned to the Spirit of God and He’s doing. It is far better to be aligned with God and earn less than to rebel against God and earn a lot more. Ideally, we earn a lot more while being aligned.

God also gave us literally the single most critical method to not be enslaved by Mammon: give away money.

I don't need much in life, so I've given most of my extra money away and will keep doing so. I do it purely out of gratitude to God for the number of times He's saved me from despair and circumstances that I couldn't handle on my own, and because I know I don't have the talents to do specific types of Kingdom work that others can. Others can multiply the impact of the money I have, especially in parts of the world that are ready to receive God, mostly not in Canada and the US. People in 1st world countries are too comfortable and worship themselves and think they are gods of their own lives.

A pivotal turning point in my escape from Mammon's grasp was when my lawyer returned most of the deposit that I gave to prepare for a lengthy legal battle to clear my name of something I never did. To fight a false accusation from my son's mom. Justice prevailed that day when I cleared my name without a lengthy trial. I received the money back, then wrote a cheque to transfer that money to the ministry I support that prints Bibles in spiritually thirsty places of the world, not in the West.

That remains the single largest lump sum I gave away because the lawyer I hired was among the top 3 in Canada, the same lawyer as Justin Bieber. The fact that I had an opportunity to be represented by this lawyer was already a miracle on its own. How that happened was documented with timestamps and reveals God's Hand. It was beyond humans. I might tell that story one day.

I was mentally prepared to spend all the money I had at the time to clear my name.

Giving that money away and immediately feeling a step-change difference in my heart was one of the best memories I have, of being so close to God and seeing Him move behind the scenes in ways that simply left me knowing "this is God's Hand", and offering whatever little I can as a way to tell Him I see Him and that I'm grateful. And in the process, truly feel Mammon's grasp lifting.

Ever since then, because of what I've experienced, felt, and observed in the physical and spiritual realm, I keep on giving, nowadays split between two places: my local church and the same ministry I continue to support: https://empowerministries.ca/. Money is used to help people around the world with both practical and spiritual needs. 

Outside of major givings, whenever I get the opportunity to help, and I sense the Spirit is calling me to, I do it. Usually, it's when I'm going about my daily life and bump into people in need, like those struggling and looking for a free meal. I give them an amount or a meal that makes them remember it as an outlier, so there's a chance they'll remember my parting words: "find a church, they'll help you."

Besides taking care of ourselves and our loved ones, there is no better way to spend money than to help others, practically in material needs, and spiritually through sharing the Good News of God's Word, the Bible.

What Jesus, God, directly said in the Sermon on the Mount below is pretty much all we need to really practice.

Direct Bible Quotes — Matthew 6 Money Section

Matthew 6:19–21 — ASV

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.” — Matthew 6:19–21, ASV

Matthew 6:22–23 — ASV

“The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness!” — Matthew 6:22–23, ASV

Matthew 6:24 — ASV

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” — Matthew 6:24, ASV

Matthew 6:25–34 — ASV

“Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment?” — Matthew 6:25, ASV

“Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value than they?” — Matthew 6:26, ASV

“And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life?” — Matthew 6:27, ASV

“And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” — Matthew 6:28–29, ASV

“But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” — Matthew 6:30, ASV

“Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” — Matthew 6:31, ASV

“For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” — Matthew 6:32, ASV

“But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” — Matthew 6:33, ASV

“Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” — Matthew 6:34, ASV

What Jesus Is Teaching About Money

The money section has four connected ideas.

1. Money is not evil, but earthly treasure is unstable

Jesus says not to lay up treasures on earth because earthly wealth is vulnerable. In his world, wealth could be destroyed by moths, corrosion, decay, or thieves. Today the forms are different: inflation, taxes, lawsuits, market crashes, theft, business failure, greed, pride, and death.

The point is not “never save money.” Proverbs praises wisdom, diligence, and planning. The point is: do not build your identity, security, and meaning on wealth.

Jesus attacks attachment, not stewardship.

2. Treasure reveals the heart

The key line is:

“For where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.” — Matthew 6:21, ASV

Jesus does not say, “Where your heart is, your treasure will follow.” He says the reverse: where you place your treasure, your heart follows.

That is deep. Your spending, saving, investing, giving, and chasing reveal what you truly worship. Money is not just financial. It is spiritual evidence.

So the question becomes: What is my money training my heart to love?

3. The “eye” is about how you see money

Right after treasure, Jesus talks about the eye:

“The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” — Matthew 6:22, ASV

This sounds unrelated, but it is still part of the money teaching.

A “single” or healthy eye means a clear, generous, undivided way of seeing. An “evil” eye in biblical language often connects to greed, envy, stinginess, or distorted desire.

So Jesus is saying: your relationship with money affects your perception.

If your eye is healthy, you see money as a tool under God.

If your eye is dark, you see everything through gain, status, fear, comparison, and control.

Money can make a man practical, generous, disciplined, and useful. But it can also make him cold, anxious, proud, possessive, and blind.

4. Money becomes a rival master

Then Jesus gives the sharpest line:

“Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” — Matthew 6:24, ASV

“Mammon” means wealth, possessions, riches, or money treated as a power.

Jesus does not say, “You should not serve God and money.” He says you cannot. It is impossible to have both as ultimate masters.

Money demands control, accumulation, image, security, comparison, and self-protection.

God demands trust, obedience, generosity, surrender, righteousness, and love.

You can use money while serving God.

You cannot serve money while serving God.

That is the distinction.

Why the Worry Section Comes Right After Money

Matthew 6:25 starts with “Therefore.” That means Jesus connects anxiety to the treasure and master issue.

He moves from:

• Do not store your life in earthly treasure
• Do not serve money
• Do not be anxious about food, drink, and clothing

That means worry is often the emotional side of serving money.

Greed says: “I need more to be safe.”

Anxiety says: “I may not have enough to be safe.”

Both can put money in God’s seat.

Jesus answers this by pointing to the Father:

“For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” — Matthew 6:32, ASV

He is not saying needs are fake. Food, clothing, and tomorrow are real concerns. He is saying they must not become your master.

The Center Command

The center command is:

“But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” — Matthew 6:33, ASV

This is not a prosperity formula. It does not mean, “Put God first and you will become rich.”

It means: make God’s reign, God’s ways, and God’s righteousness your first pursuit, and trust the Father with your needs.

“First” means priority. Not theoretically first. Actually first.

• Before wealth.
• Before lifestyle.
• Before reputation.
• Before financial control.
• Before fear of tomorrow.

What Jesus Is Not Saying

Jesus is not saying:

• You cannot have money.
• You cannot build wealth.
• You cannot invest.
• You cannot plan.
• You cannot enjoy material provision.
• You should be careless or irresponsible.

He is saying:

• Do not worship wealth.
• Do not trust wealth as your savior.
• Do not let money own your heart.
• Do not let money distort your eye.
• Do not let money become your master.
• Do not let tomorrow’s needs choke today’s obedience.

The Full Meaning in One Sentence

Jesus is teaching that money is a powerful servant but a deadly master: use it for God, generosity, righteousness, and eternal purposes, but never let it become your security, identity, obsession, or lord.