Notes from Wealth Riches and Money

NOTES FROM 'Wealth, Riches & Money' by Craig Hill & Earl Pitts

The N.T. alone has 2,084 verses dealing with money (215 to faith, 218 to salvation).

16 out of 38 of his parables deal with money.

Not because Jesus was so obsessed with money, but Jesus was after people's hearts. Matt. 6:21 -- Where your treasure is, there shall your heart be also.

The Mammon Factor

Matt. 6:24 -- '''No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon.'''

Mammon competes with God to be served. It's anti-God. Some have seen mammon as "money" and have renounced money (taken vows of poverty, etc.) But money is impotent, neutral, has no power.

Ancient Aramaic word, "mammon" to denote an entity that exists in the heavenly realm, which people had worshipped as their god of finance. It belongs to the "principalities and powers" that Paul talks about in Eph. 6:12.

This demonic spirit, like all, deceives people - into worshipping money and influences us to love and serve money in the physical realm, instead of God.

It entices us to give more value to money than God has intended. If we believe it has power, we're tempted to love it. This gives rise to many forms of wickedness (1 Tim. 6:10 -- For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.) 

The purpose of the spirit of Mammon is to get people to empower money with sacred value, thus making money their source of well being in life. They will then love money rather than God, and fear the lack of money rather than fearing God.

Money was never intended to be my Master, but rather to be my servant. If I believe God is my source, then money becomes my slave to accomplish Kingdom work.

10 Symptoms of Mammon's influence in our lives:


 * 1) Worry and anxiety over money
 * 2) Money mismanagement
 * 3) Consistent financial lack
 * 4) "I can't afford it" mentality
 * 5) Impulse buying
 * 6) Stinginess
 * 7) Greed
 * 8) Discontentment
 * 9) Bondage to debt
 * 10) Exaggerated emphasis on money & overestimating it's true power

NL versie van Dick Brouwer gekregen: In welke mate worden we door Mammon beïnvloed? (10 symptomen)


 * 1) bezorgdheid: 'ik ben onrustig en geagiteerd over geld'
 * 2) financieel wanbeheer: 'ik weet niet waar het geld is gebleven'
 * 3) stelselmatig financieel tekort: 'ik kom altijd geld tekort'
 * 4) verkeerde zuinigheid: 'ik kan me dat niet veroorloven'
 * 5) impulsief koopgedrag: 'ik kan zo'n koopje toch niet laten lopen'
 * 6) gierigheid: 'ik kan mijn tienden niet echt missen'
 * 7) hebzucht: 'ik kan er niet genoeg van krijgen'
 * 8) ontevredenheid: 'anderen hebben meer dan ik, dat is oneerlijk'
 * 9) gebondenheid aan schulden: 'ik kan het niet meer terugbetalen'
 * 10) overschatting van de macht van het geld: 'met geld kan ik alles voor elkaar krijgen'