We live in the last days. What types of signs will we see on the earth?

1. Perilous times. People will suffer pain.
2. People will love themselves more than God.
3. People will love money more than anything.

2 Timothy 3:1-6
¹ But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! ⁶ For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,

We see so many of these signs right now.

The New Testament mentions the word “faith” 215 times. “Salvation” is mentioned 218 times. “Money” is mentioned 2,084 times. There is a big difference. Sixteen of Jesus’ parables were about money. Why? Money is you. Wherever your money is, that is where your heart is.

A lot of scripture in the Old Testament talks about false gods. The New Testament doesn’t really talk about idols or false gods so much, but it talks a lot about money. Why? Money is our new god. People fight and have war and kill because of money.

Christians don’t need to be poor, but they also don’t need to be attached to money. Money should be used to run ministries and save souls, to reach out to the lost and needy. Doing those things requires money so Christians should have money. They should use that money, though, to preach the gospel, to save the souls, to help people who need help. This is what God gives money to His children for. It’s not scriptural for Christians to be poor. Many mighty men and women of God have been very prosperous because of God’s blessing in their lives, but they didn’t worship that money.

Jesus clearly showed that money had become a god to the people.

Luke 16:13-15
¹³ “No servant 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.”
¹⁴ Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. ¹⁵ And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

This day, many people hold money above God and people. Money is their god.

Ephesians 5:5
⁵ For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Money becomes a person’s god because of covetousness.

Colossians 3:5
⁵ Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

The New Testament does not talk about false gods or idols, but Jesus commanded us to not serve money because the strongest idol in the New Testament and even now is money. Money has a lot of evil power.

How should we use money? To show the love of God.

1 John 3:17
¹⁷ But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

What is love? How do you show your love? Through giving and serving. It doesn’t matter how much you tell someone you love them, if there is no action or fruit, you don’t love them. Love requires action. Love bears fruit.

Hatred and anger also have fruit. Bitterness has fruit. Selfishness has fruit. Everything that is in your heart will bear fruit in your life, in your actions. We know love by the fruit. We know God’s love because of His fruit. We know the love of others by their actions.

We are living in a very critical time right now. Let’s not become stingy during this time. Let’s open our hearts and open our hands to others.

Luke 12:33-34
³³ Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

God is the One who blesses you and God is the One who takes it away. Money and riches are very temporary. We must always have a heart to give to God. We must pray for wisdom when spending the money that God has given us. Scripture shows us that great men and women of God give all to save the souls. This is the time that God is requiring us to release what we have and give to those who have need.

God bless you,
Pastor Sun Hui East