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“Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward.”  Jude 1:11

“Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.”  2 Peter 2:15

“But I have a few things against thee, because you have there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam.”  Rev. 2:14

Balaam was a prophet of God.  He saw mighty things spiritually (see Numbers chapters 23-24), but his living was very small.  He was weak when it came to money.  Even Samson was a mighty man when he was in the spirit, but he was very small in his living.  He was loose with his morals and it cost him his life.  Many men are powerful in the spirit (which deals with the anointing and the call ONLY), but yet their living has much to be desired.  When I say “their living was small” I mean that their lifestyles behind closed doors was deeply lacking, and the motives of their hearts are very lustful.

If you look very closely at Numbers 24:17, you will notice something that most people overlook.  Consider this statement: “I shall see Him, but not now: I shall behold Him, but not near.”  Balaam is prophesying his own fate.  He shall see the Lord, but not when he passes away, and he shall behold the Lord, but not near.  His sin of greed and his love of money sent him to hell.  Jude’s list is describing people who did not and will not make it.

God had told Balaam, “Do not go with them.” And he disobeyed God for the lust of his heart concerning his pocketbook.  He went to hell over his love of money.  1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some  having erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Please notice a few things here: money is not the root of all evil – but the love of it is.  And the verse also brings out that when men began to seek after money, they have erred from the faith.  They have left the path of righteousness and they are piercing themselves through.  In other words they are committing spiritual suicide all because their heart and motives are wrong.

I have been places where men (brethren even) have stolen my offerings.  And oh the excuses they make to themselves to justify their sin.  Just as Jesus said, “and they began to make many excuses.”  These men have not lied nor stolen from men, but from the Holy Spirit.  For the outward symptom of stealing is nothing more than the signs of a much deeper spiritual sickness.  Their heart is sick.  And just like men in the natural who brush off the symptoms of an imminent heart attack by making excuses that it’s just fatigue or the flu; and they die of a heart attack.  The body tried to warn them, but they had closed their ears to the voice of an inner warning.

Men of this sort have gone in the way of Balaam, and they practice this so often that you will notice in the Revelation 2:14 verse that is has turned into a doctrine to them.  They have now taught themselves to live in error and they actually believe it.  Any deed will eventually turn into a learned experience (doctrine).  Even in Revelation 2:6 you will notice that the doctrine of the Nicolaitans started out as a “deed” but then in Revelation 2:15 it has developed into a “doctrine”.

Men do this in many areas.  They practice unrighteousness and deceive themselves with many excuses to justify their sin and then it turns into a learned practice in their hearts and in their minds.  But the Lord said in Luke 16:15, “You are they which justify yourself before men; but God knows your hearts.”

If we can’t be faithful in the unrighteous mammon (money), who will ever entrust us with the true riches of the kingdom? Luke 16:11.  Isn’t it interesting that this verse in in the same section of scripture as the one about men justifying their sin before themselves and before men.

It is very sad that men can love money this much and then wonder why they are not blessed.  They love the wages (the present receiving of money) of unrighteousness and they will receive their just reward.  I feel very saddened for these because they have left the faith (according to 1 Timothy 6;10) just so that they may have a little money in this life.  And Jesus said that he who is unfaithful in that which is least (money) will also be unfaithful in much (Luke 16:10).  And can it really be a second coincidence that this also is in the same section of scripture as the other two verses?

I admonish you to heed the warnings in scripture about money.  Do not love it, do not seek after it, do not set your heart upon it.  For the motive of it will always take you towards Sodom.  It always starts out with the hearts motive of being “towards Sodom” Genesis 13:12, but the fruit of it (the end result of it) will always find you “living in Sodom” Genesis 19:1.  Let God be your supply.  Let Him increase you.  Learn to believe Him and not put your trust in man.  It is better to be poor and enter the kingdom than to seek after much and lose it all.

A man can be doing all the right things and have one thing wrong and miss out on it all.  If you just leave the sugar out of a cake, you’ll still have a cake but not one that anyone will appreciate.  You can have a family with many children and leave out the love and you’ve missed it all and lost it all.  If just one of the ingredients is missing, then the entire thing is tainted, for just a little leaven ruins the whole lump.  Just a little.  Just one little thing ruins everything else.  One little sin of Achan in Joshua 7 cost him his very life and the life of his sons and daughters and of all that he owned or had ever possessed.

Is it really worth it?  Really?  One sin is all it takes to ruin all of mankind.  One sin is all it takes for Moses to not enter into the promise land.  One sin.  May God have mercy on anyone reading this today whose hearts are not right in this area before the Lord.  May you repent while there is still time and render back to any man that which unrighteousness gained.  For the bible teaches that there are fruits that accompany repentance.

Coming to you live from Africa, in the Great Rift Valley. May much love and grace come your way as you love Him in all sincerity and truth.  For everything is an issue of the heart.  Have you had your heart checked lately by the Great Physician?