I speak to you this day and I say that the riches of this world are deceitful, and those who are trusting in the same are foolish. This is because they are putting their trust in those things that make themselves wings, and the consequence is that those who trusted in such riches will have nothing. There are multitudes who worship money and lust daily after the same. No matter how much they achieve, they are never satisfied. Instead, they are perpetually in upheaval and unrest because of the lust that drives them on.
When you consider the case of the prodigal son, he was deceived by the lust for his inheritance, thinking that the monies he received would buy him happiness. However, once the same was spent up, he had no friends, for they were all just after his money and what it could buy. When the riches had made themselves wings, he was alone, stranded and destitute. It was obvious that he had trusted in deception rather than the truth. Faced with his own condition, he repented and knew he had to likewise seek for his father’s forgiveness, because he had proved to be a foolish and wasteful son.
Of course, there are many who are every bit as foolish as the prodigal, and they do the same thing. They waste what they have been given, by trusting in the deceitful riches which make themselves wings. However, they fail to repent as did the prodigal. Instead, they pursue the course of the lust of money, over and over, and in the end they have nothing, for they have loved deception and have lusted for that which proved to be vanity and vexation of spirit, leaving them spiritually bankrupt and in poverty.
Such as are infected with the lust of money will never be satisfied, for they are pursuing the course of their own destruction and eventual damnation of soul. The Pharisees, who were the religious leaders during the ministry of My Son Jesus, were zealous for money and repeatedly sought to gain more and more from those they ruled. While they were claiming to be servants of God, they were servants of the lust of money and merely used the people to gain more and more of the same. These men were not wise at all. Rather, they were stupid, blinded, and controlled by the god of this world, the devil.
Inasmuch as they were driven by the greed for carnal riches, they continued in a way that was far from Me and My intention for them. They were meant to instruct and guide My people in the pathway of My righteousness and holiness. Instead, they ruled over My people with cruelty and oppression, caring nothing for the poor but only caring for themselves and what they could gain. They literally used My people for their own gain rather than with consideration for the destiny of the people they ruled over.
Inasmuch as they were so oppressive in their rule, I had My Son to rebuke them for their lust and greed. However, they refused to repent and return to Me, because they saw only how great they were in their own eyes.
When My Son told to them the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, they of course did not care that Lazarus made it into the bosom of Abraham, because they were only concerned with the riches they accumulated on this earth. The rich man was very self-indulgent and lived in abundance and luxury all of his days on this earth. However, when he died he ended up in Hades, the place of torment. In that place, he was the one begging for relief and asking for Lazarus to come to him and help him. Justly, he was not given his petition, for he was reaping what he had sown in his lustful living on this earth. He was the epitome of those who trust in the deceitfulness of riches and have abandoned themselves to the lust of money, all to their own destruction and damnation.
I do not intend that you would seek for the riches of this world, but rather seek for the eternal riches that are given to those who are in obedience unto Me. It is stupidity to chase after money and all that it buys, while you do not make preparation for your souls. How many instances are given in the words of My Son whereby He rebuked them for their lust for money!
Money is only a tool to be used at My direction, and if you are giving your money to Me, then the Holy Spirit will guide you in the use of the same. Then you will come to know and understand that it is to be used as a tool for My purposes and not for the lust of the flesh. Be thankful even now that you do not have to worship money, nor allow the lust of the same to possess you, as so many have done and have lost their souls to the deceit of riches.
Rather, as you allow what you would esteem to be yours to become Mine, then the lust will be eradicated by the fire of My holiness. I do not call you to be consumed with the lusts of the flesh, but I call you to be burning with desire for My purposes. When you use a tool to accomplish any job, do not worship the tool. Just do the job with rejoicing and gladness that it is for Me that you labor. So many fall prey to the lust of their own flesh and begin to worship money, and in the same they are taken far from Me.
You are meant to stay near to Me and to work where you see Me working, and know that you can have much or little in this world, but what matters is your obedience unto Me. My kingdom and the riches contained therein are the ones that you are meant to pursue with gladness and rejoicing, because in the same is true treasure that is stored in heaven.