A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Deuteronomy 10

We have discussed everything contained in Deuteronomy 8:1 through Deuteronomy 10:13 at various times, so we will not tread that ground again, but will pick up Moses’ narrative at Deuteronomy 10:14.

Deuteronomy 10:14-22—14 “Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it. 15 The LORD delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. 16 Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer. 17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. 18 He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. 21 He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude.” 

Let’s start with verse 14 because it is absolutely mind blowing! “Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it.” Everything, everywhere, in all of creation belongs to God. Our sun has a mass 330,000 times that of Earth and its diameter is 109 times that of Earth’s. The star PZ Cassiopeiae has a radius 1200 times that of our sun. In fact, there are believed to be about 200 trillion billion stars in the known universe. That is the number 200 with TWENTY ONE ZEROES after it! Or 200,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. And guess who owns them all? God. There are other objects in space—asteroids, comets, meteors, and these are innumerable—and guess who owns each and every single one of them? God. And how big is the universe? It is 93 billion light years in EACH DIRECTION from one end to the other (if there is an end to it). And how many miles is that? 546,700 with EIGHTEEN ZEROES behind it. That is 546,700,000,000,000,000,000,000 . And God owns every single square inch of it! And as big and as huge and as vast as all that is, what does Solomon say about it? 1st Kings 8:27—“Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You.” 546 sextillion by 546 sextillion by 546 sextillion miles—1.63398183X10^71 cubic miles—cannot contain God. And it all belongs to Him! (And I won't even begin on how He owns time!) Even those things we cannot see belong to God. Laws and principles of math, logic, physics, chemistry, gravity. Thoughts, emotions, feelings, desires. Kingdoms, lordships, powers. All these things belong to God. Because they were created by God. Colossians 1:16—For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. Who is “Him”? That would be Christ Jesus. John 1:4—All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. That includes you. 

And what is the best response we can come up with? “Wow!” And I don’t say this to belittle God, but to praise Him. Because that is the best we can do, when our feeble little minds try to grasp even a whisper of the greatness of God. The greatest and grandest words we can use to extol the hugeness and awesomeness and majesty of God don’t even come close. And guess what? He chose the nation of Israel to be His. He chose to place His name in Jerusalem. He chose to dwell in the temple there. Before the temple, he dwelt in the Tabernacle between the cherubim atop the Ark of the Covenant in a part of that Tabernacle measuring 30’ X 30’. “Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You.” 1.63398183X10^71 cubic miles of space cannot contain Him, yet He chose to dwell within a 30’ X 30’ room! And you know what? If you have faith in Christ as your Lord and Savior, He will take up residence within you! Romans 8:9-10—But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 1^st Corinthians 6:19—Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 2nd Timothy 1:14—That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Colossians 1:27—To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. God, who is bigger than all the 1.63398183X10^71 cubic miles of space in the universe chooses to dwell within those who have faith in Christ! And guess what? He owns you, too! You have been bought with a price (1st Corinthians 7:23), and He doesn’t issue refunds! 

15 “The LORD delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. 16 Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.” God had given to Abraham the sign of circumcision of the foreskin (Genesis 17:10-11). But Moses was telling the people here that it was not only their foreskin that needed to be removed, but the fleshly covering of their hearts—their wants and desires that were against the holiness of God. Because God had chosen them (and not because they had chosen God), Moses commands them to put off the desires of their hearts and to bow their hearts to God. You see, one could have their foreskin circumcised, and that was good, it was the sign that the person was of the people that God chose. But what good would that circumcision be if the person walked in the ways of the pagans and worshipped their idols? If that person committed murder or adultery? That person would be as one who was not circumcised, and he would suffer whatever penalty God’s Law determined. Jeremiah repeats this warning in the word he received from God in Jeremiah 4:4—“Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your hearts, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest My fury come forth like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.” They had circumcised their foreskins but their hearts were still made of stone. They were stiff-necked and refused to bow under the hand of God. It wasn’t only the circumcision of Abraham God wanted to see, it was the taking away of their fleshly desires, the wantonness of their hearts, the desires of their flesh He wanted them to cut away. But because they wouldn’t do that He told them, through Jeremiah’s contemporary Ezekiel that He would make a new covenant with them, in which He would do it, and give them a new heart that was tender toward Him. He would bring them back from their exile, He would do a work in them that He had never done before, and He Himself would give them a new heart. 

Ezekiel 36:19-27—19 So I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds. 20 When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name—when they said of them, 'These are the people of the LORD, and yet they have gone out of His land.' 21 But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went. 22 Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. 23 And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD," says the Lord GOD, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. 24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” He had caused them to go into exile because they had not circumcised their hearts, but now He was saying He would give them a new heart, one that He Himself would circumcise, and that they would walk according to His ways and be stiff-necked no longer. This is why Paul tells us in Romans 2:25—For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Paul wrote Romans to both Jews and Gentiles in Rome. So the Jews would have known exactly what Paul was saying, and the Gentile believers could have learned about circumcision from their Jewish brethren. And they could show their Gentile brothers and sisters that even though they had been born with a heart that wanted to go its own way, that God would give them a heart that would gravitate toward Him. 

17 “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. 18 He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” God does not take a bribe because there is nothing we could bribe Him with, since He owns every single thing in the universe He created. He looks with pity upon those who can do nothing for themselves, and sets His eyes against those who would do them harm. This is the attitude we are to have as well—to help those who cannot help themselves. You’ve heard the old saying “God helps those who help themselves.” Now, forget that saying because it is not true. What is true is saying that “God helps those who cannot help themselves.” If one can help themselves, they will start to believe that they do not need God, and live their lives as though He does not exist at worst, or at best that they can live their lives without Him. Neither way is any way to live. This is the definition James gives of true religion. James 1:27—Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. The word translated “religion” here is the Greek θρησκεία (threskeia, “ceremonial observance—religion, worshipping”). In other words, if one is to say they are truly worshipping God and doing those things He commands, they must help the widows and orphans—those who can do nothing for themselves. This was one of the things the people of Israel got hung up on before their exile—the rich would become richer at the expense of the poor, they would take advantage of those who could least afford it, and they would eat while the poor went hungry. 

This was the sin of the rich man in Luke 16:15, 19-21—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…19 There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.” (This was a different Lazarus than the brother of Mary and Martha, whom He raised from the dead in John 11.) This rich man had all he would ever need (and maybe more), yet Lazarus only wanted some scraps of food the rich man did not eat. But the rich man said “Eh, go, be warmed, be filled” (see James 2:16). Or as we would say today, “I’ll pray for ya.” And even though this rich man could have brought him out a plate of food, he simply sent him the gristle and waste from what he ate. Even the dogs had more pity on this poor man, because they licked the sores that covered his body! Jesus had some harsh words for men like this in Matthew 25:41-46. And He certified the words He said there, by telling the people of the eternal fate of this rich man, Luke 16:22-23—22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Was the fact that Lazarus was a beggar the reason he went to Abraham’s bosom?” No, it was because he depended on God to provide even the leftover scraps of the rich man’s meals, indicating that he relied on God for his very existence. “Was the rich man’s wealth the cause of him going into Hades?” Yes, because he relied on his wealth to sustain him, and did not share it with those who needed it. 

A Worldling, wretched, vile and base,/Not subject to restraining grace;

But yielded to his lusts and pride,/And set all fear of God aside.

Though he had riches laid in store,/Yet no compassion on the poor!

A beggar in a helpless state,/Found no assistance at his gate.

The worldling spent his precious days,/In Luxuries, in sports and plays—

While the poor beggar lay distress'd,/With poverty and sores oppress'd.

But to them both it proved strange,/To meet with such a sudden change;

The worldling sent to endless pain,/The beggar plac'd with Christ to reign.

(“A Worldling, Wretched, Vile and Based” by Paul Henkel) 

The poorest 5% of Americans have higher incomes than about 95% of all people who have ever lived. May we always seek to use what we have been given by God to help those less fortunate than us, remembering that we are less fortunate than others. I remember hearing Paul Harvey relate a story about how when he was a kid, his church raised funds to help a family that was having financial troubles. So his family went out and raised money for them; week after week they would collect cans and return them for the deposit, they would go door-to-door to collect money for them, and when the end of the fund raising campaign came, they took all they collected to the church for the family. A few days later his family got a knock at the door. It was the church pastor. And he said to the father that the church was raising money for a family in need. It was his family they were raising money for. His family realized that even with as little as they had, they were still blessed by God. If I can find the story I will post it here. 

20 “You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name.” Fearing God is the first thing we must do if we are to think ourselves wise. Solomon tells us this in Proverbs 1:7, 9:10. That the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. How can a man think himself wise if he does not even understand—first that God exists—and that He is the Almighty Ruler, King, Lord, Sovereign Potentate, and that He is above all and holds the entire creation in His hands? He spoke and all was created. He probably used more words than He needed to. And if He wanted to, He could end it all with a snap of His fingers. He is bound by nothing but His own holiness. He never fails, He never sleeps, anything and everything He wants to come to pass will come to pass. Those who scoff at the idea of the Virgin birth of Christ do not realize what an easy thing it was for God to do so. And by minimizing the Almighty power of God, they elevate man to a state he does not deserve. Was Man the crown of all of God’s creation? Yes. But he is still a part of creation, we are not God no matter what Steven Furtick or Creflo Dollar say.

First, Steven Furtick:               

  

It’s always been in you. There’s nobody who can leave my life who can keep God from keeping his covenant with me. I’m not in covenant with a person. I’m not in covenant with a political party.  I’m in covenant with God Almighty! I am God Almighty! 

Creflo Dollar:

 

When the devil shows up in the wilderness experience of your life, then you’ll act just like Jesus. You’ll say, “Get thee behind me, Satan, because I am the Lord Your God!” Hallelujah! “I have authority over you…” It’s time for us to go and dominate this world! It’s time for the body of Christ to start gathering up what belongs to us! 

We laugh at these men (and others like them) when they say such heretical things, but it is sad. Because they are influential to a great many people—people who refer to themselves as Christians (whether they are or not, God knows). And these men are leading these poor people away from the true God and into the worship of themselves by teaching these things. Bottom line—we are not God! We can never be God. We occupy an infinitesimal piece of a little planet in the 1.63398183X10^71 cubic miles of all creation, and to think that we could rule over this creation is ludicrous! I won’t even get started on the many blasphemous ideas about who God is because, quite frankly, even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. So let us remember this one thing—YHVH is God. He alone is God, and there is no other. There can be no other. Because even the 1.63398183X10^71 cubic miles of all creation cannot contain Him, and to think that we could ever have any power to rival His in truly insane. We should fear Him, serve Him, and hold fast to Him. He is our anchor, He is the one who supplies our needs, He is the One who fights for us, He is the one who raises up kings and brings them down. He turns their hearts in whichever direction He decides. 

21 “He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude.” Think about the whole of Christian history. All of human history is Christian history because all of creation belongs to Christ. For Christ—according to the flesh—is descended from our first father Adam. From Adam came a long list of descendants including Noah, his son Shem, then Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Judah, then Obed, Jesse, David, Solomon, etc., until that night when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. All of human history belongs to Christ. He created it, He sustains it, and one day He will return and lay final claim to it. He is our praise. He is our God. The Early Church Father Melito of Sardis said as much in 180AD:

 

He that hung up the earth in space was Himself hanged up; He that fixed the heavens was fixed with nails; He that bore up the earth was born up on a tree; the Lord of all was subjected to ignominy in a naked body—God put to death! ... [I]n order that He might not be seen, the luminaries turned away, and the day became darkened—because they slew God, who hung naked on the tree.... This is He who made the heaven and the earth, and in the beginning, together with the Father, fashioned man; who was announced by means of the law and the prophets; who put on a bodily form in the Virgin; who was hanged upon the tree; who was buried in the earth; who rose from the place of the dead, and ascended to the height of heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. 

Who else but God could live a sinless life on this planet? Who else but God could refuse to repay those who did evil to Him? Who else but God could endure all that Christ endured on the earth, then set His face like flint to go to the cross and die an ignominious death for all the world to see? When you read the passages about how the soldiers mocked Him, how the Jews rejected Him, how Herod wanted to see Him perform some parlor trick for his amusement, how those who saw Him on the cross shook their heads and wagged their tongues at Him and ridiculed Him, remember one very important thing—they were doing these things to God! Let me share a few verses from Scripture, edited to show the truth about these things. Matthew 27:29-30—When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on God’s head, and a reed in God’s right hand. And they bowed the knee before God and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on God, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. Mark 15:24—And when they crucified God, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take. Matthew 27:39—And those who passed by blasphemed God, wagging their heads. You see now how much more grave their blasphemies and insults were! The God of all creation and of all history, and these people rejected, mocked, and blasphemed Him to His face! 

This is the God of all. This was the God who called Abraham out of a city in the Chaldees, showed him the land his descendants (who were still several generations away) would dwell in, caused Joseph to be sold into Egypt, brought about a famine that drove his father and 11 brothers to Egypt, kept them there for 430 years, led them out of their slavery with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and would eventually conquer the people dwelling in the Land of Promise by the power of God. Seventy people went down to Egypt, and when they came out 430 years later, they were a nation—a relatively small nation, but a nation nonetheless. By the time they conquered Canaan they had grown in number. Were there 200 trillion billion of them? Of course not. But they had grown to a number previously unimaginable. And it all started with 70 people who went to Egypt. More precisely, it started with one man who came out of Ur of the Chaldees! 

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--The Myth of the "Generational Curse"

“For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the 3rd and 4th generations of those who hate Me...” People like Paula White and Benny Hinn and so many others on TBN make a whole lot of money by twisting this particular statement and showing you how to break “generational curses.” They teach that if your father was an alcoholic, then you'll be an alcoholic, and your kids will be alcoholics and their kids will be alcoholics, and so on and so forth—and there is nothing you can do about it, unless you learn the prayer that will “break that curse”--and send them a few dollars in the process. WRONG!! WRONG!! WRONG!! Just because our parents may have been notorious for some sin, that does not mean that God will say, “Well, that’s it! You were a thief and an idolater, so I will curse your entire bloodline for the next 4 generations!” What God is saying is that as long as the children are walking in their father’s footsteps, God will inflict punishment on those offspring—even if it is 3 or 4 generations. Now, will an alcoholic father probably wind up with children who will also be alcoholics? Probably. BUT, that is not a “curse from God.” That is simply children doing what they see their father doing. Deuteronomy 24:16—“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.” Now, it is quite common to see three or four generations of alcoholism or adultery or any other kind of sin—but that is not some "curse from God", that’s just sinful human beings doing what sinful human beings do. Dogs bark, ducks quack, sinners sin. And God will punish the children for their own sins—not for the sins of their father.


BUT—if those children walk according to the Law of God, He will be merciful to those offspring, even to the 1000th generation. As I said before, His anger is not like human anger. We get upset because somebody looks at us cross-eyed, and we can't control ourselves. But God’s anger is not like that. When someone stirs Him to wrath, He doesn’t usually just ZZAPP them. There are times in Scripture where He does that, but that is because those people were so severely disobedient and regarded God’s holiness and His commands so lightly. But, 14 times the Bible says that God is slow to anger, and ready to show mercy. Psalm 103:8—The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. Joel 2:13—“Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.”


Nahum 1:2-3—God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; the LORD avenges and is furious. The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies; the LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. He will not acquit the wicked, but He will give them a chance to repent from their sins. Those who do not repent, God will destroy. Those who do repent, and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, He will spare, and reward them for the things they do in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Revelation 2:18-26—“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write…‘I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds…Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say…hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations.” And that is exactly what we see here in Exodus. God “visits the iniquity of the fathers” to 3 or 4 generations. That is, God says that those who commit idolatry hate Him. And He will punish as many generations of those children that continue to hate Him—up to 3 or 4 generations. But He shows mercy to how many generations of those who do His commandments? A thousand! The contrast couldn’t be much more striking!


In fact, we see in Ezekiel 18 that God will not punish children for their fathers’ sins. Ezekiel 18:2-4—“What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge’?” This was an old proverb, and it’s one that we hear even today in this country—“It’s my parents’ fault that I'm the way I am.” In other words, “Nothing is my fault.” It’s the same old story—we want to blame someone else for our trouble, when most of the time the blame lays at our own feet. “As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die.” That’s pretty self-explanatory. If a person sins, that person will die. If you run a red light, you get a ticket. KPD will not send you a ticket because your mother or father ran a red light. You ran the light—you get the ticket.


If a righteous man begets a wicked son, then the father’s righteousness will not shield that son. Ezekiel 18:10-13--"If he begets a son who is a robber or a shedder of blood, who does any of these things and does none of those duties, but has eaten on the mountains or defiled his neighbor’s wife; if he has oppressed the poor and needy, robbed by violence, not restored the pledge, lifted his eyes to the idols, or committed abomination; if he has exacted usury or taken increase—shall he then live? He shall not live! If he has done any of these abominations, he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him." If a wicked father begets a righteous son, then the wickedness of the father will not be counted against that son. Ezekiel 18:14-18--"If, however, he begets a son who sees all the sins which his father has done, and considers but does not do likewise; who has not eaten on the mountains, nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor defiled his neighbor’s wife; has not oppressed anyone, nor withheld a pledge, nor robbed by violence, but has given his bread to the hungry and covered the naked with clothing; who has withdrawn his hand from the poor and not received usury or increase, but has executed My judgments and walked in My statutes—he shall not die for the iniquity of his father; he shall surely live! As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother by violence, and did what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity."


Now, God has set up these contrasts, and we see the conclusions we are to draw from these statements when we get to Ezekiel 18:19-23—“Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord GOD, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?” A person is not punished for their parents’ sins—they are punished if they continue to walk in the ways of their sinful parents. Likewise, a wicked child is not protected by their parents’ righteousness—if they turn away from that righteousness and live in sin, they are punished for their sins.


In fact, we see this again in Jeremiah 31:29-30—“In those days they shall say no more: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.’ But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.” So, this whole nonsense about “generational curses” is a bunch of hogwash, and is simply a way that TBN—The Blasphemy Network—fools a whole lot of people into sending them their money…for nothing.


Jesus Christ is Lord.
Amen.

When "pastors" become lovers of money

Just two of the many examples of the modern-day "preachers" who see their "pulpit" as a way to further their stock portfolio, rather than furthering the kingdom of God.

The passage Cashflow is questioned about is Matthew 19:16-22--16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" 17 So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 19 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' " 20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 

"O what abundance of good might ministers do, if they would but live in contempt of the world, and the riches and glory thereof, and expend all they have in their Master’s service, and pinch their flesh, that they may have wherewith to do good! This would unlock more hearts to the reception of their doctrine, than all their oratory; and, without this, singularity in religion will seem but hypocrisy; and it is likely that it is so. 'He who practises disinterestedness prays to the Lord; he who snatches a man from peril offers a rich sacrifice; these are our sacrifices; these are holy to God. Thus he who is more devout among us is he who is more self-effacing,' saith Minucius Felix. Though we need not do as the papists, who betake themselves to monasteries, and cast away property, yet we must have nothing but what we have for God."--Richard Baxter, from The Reformed Pastor.

What is wrong with the prosperity “gospel”.

If you notice, at the end of the title there is a period–not a question mark. It is not great secret that the prosperity “gospel” is heresy. But, how do we explain just how many levels of heresy are involved in the TBN crowd’s twisting and perverting of God’s word for their own financial gain? Well, I made these videos for just that purpose. To tear the prosperity “gospel” apart, and show, piece by piece, why this is such a perversion and blasphemy. I apologize for the little places where the audio is kinda choppy. I guess I should have “sown” into a video production ministry, eh?

Weak preachers are God's Judgment

Sometimes I forget things. Like the fact that when a snake in the pulpit rises to fame and prominence, the people who follow that man (or woman) are not "victims." They are merely reaping what they have been seeking. They do not want the truth, they want the Mercedes. And so, God says, "Fine--you won't get either one!" And He sends a Joel Osteen or a Paula White or a Benny Hinn or some other serpent to fill a pulpit and give those people over to the one they are really serving.

Here, Paul Washer, speaking truth, shows us why people like Creflo and Kenny and Jesse and Junie-B are truly God's Judgment upon a lost and wicked people.

Fake Translation of the Week--1st Timothy 6:6-10

(Real translation here)

I gotta share a little something with ya first. This past Sunday morning, my wife was flipping through the channels, when she came across Cashflow Creflo's weekly pimpfest. What I am about to share is exactly what he taught, not taken out of context, this is the fullness of his teaching. He said that in 2nd Timothy 3:16, when it says "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable..." I think you can guess where he was going with that. Focus on the word "profitable."

Yeah, that.

If what these heretical prosperity preachers were true, then this is how 1st Timothy 6:6-10 would have to read (altered text in bold italics):

1st Timothy 6:6-10 (Creflo Dollar Translation)--Now godliness with great financial gain is contentment. For we brought nothing into this world, but we can certainly carry a bunch out in our gold-plated coffins. And having food and clothing, with these we shall never be content. Because if that's all you have, then your faith ain't strong enough, you're under a curse, or you have some unconfessed sin in your life. But those who desire to be rich are the only ones worthy of the kingdom of God, and many foolish and harmful people want y'all to be broke. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of blessin', for which some have strayed from the faith by not confessin' it, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows because they ain't sowin' a seed into the ministry.

What's in a name? Just ask Creflo DOLLAR

Skimming through the blogosphere, I ran across this article by PJ Miller at Sola Dei Gloria. Not content to let Todd Bentley be the only one commanding angels, Creflo has decided to ratchet up his heretical pattern of demanding that God do what Creflo commands Him to do:

Angel Power Confession

Because I am the righteousness of God, angels have been sent to minister to me. They respond to the Word of God which I speak. Therefore, I loose angels with the words of my mouth. I say today, let the Lord be magnified who takes pleasure in my prosperity. In the name of Jesus, I command the angels to bring to me prosperity in my spirit, in my home, in my body, in my family life, and in my finances.

I declare promotion and command the angels to bring promotion into my life. I have a blood-bought covenant promise from God Almighty to multiply exceedingly. Therefore, I confess I am exceedingly fruitful and blessed, right now, in Jesus’ name! I command the angels of God to go and bring this covenant to pass in my life now! I have the power to get wealth, and release the angels to bring wealth into my life.

I declare right now that I am healthy, healed, delivered, and freed from the bondage of sin. I am the head always, and never the tail. I am above only, and never beneath. I lend, not borrow, and everything I put my hands to prospers.

I walk in the favor of God and my favor is increased even as I am speaking. I have more than enough money to pay every bill that comes in, and I declare I am totally debt-free now! I have the authority of Heaven and in the name of Jesus, I declare that whatever I bind on the Earth, is bound in Heaven, and whatever I loose on the Earth, is loosed in Heaven.(source)

I don't even know where to begin with this nonsense. The angels are NOT at our command. We can no more command angels than we can command God. We are never promised health or wealth. I wonder why it is that all these heretics who love to go around spouting about how Abraham was rich, David was rich, Solomon was rich--but they never once talk about how the apostles, after they started spreading the gospel, were never rich. They lost everything. All of them--save John--were martyred in some of the most gruesome ways possible. We could spend all day talking about how the apostle Paul's life wasn't always sunshine and puppies after he started preaching the gospel. But these robbers and thieves won't tell you these things. They'll just cherry-pick a few verses, twist them in the most abominable ways, and abscond with your cash.

As they command angels. Hogwash.

"Smells Like TBN Spirit"

A ripoff of the Nirvana song, inspired by the jackals featured every hour on TBN.

I saw this guy
On my TV
And he was staring
Straight at me
He said he'd heal
My disease
If I would send
Him money please

Don't know don't know
Don't know don't know
Don't know don't know don't know

Well he's yellin!
And he's screamin!
Could it be that
He's blasphemin?
Send him money
I don't wanna!
But he told me
That I gotta!
If I do and
God is willing
I'll find gold in
All my fillings!
Yeah!

As I wait for
My miracle
And migraines still
Pound in my skull
I must admit
The waiting's tough
Oh is my faith
Not strong enough?

Don't know don't know
Don't know don't know
Don't know don't know don't know

Dontcha dis the
Path I've chosen!
Even though the
Bank's foreclosin!
And my mortgage
I can't pay now!
"Money Comin!"
Any day now!
Though by sight you'd
Never guess it!
It'll come if
I confess it!
Yeah!

I pawned my watch
And sold my car
And I maxed out
My credit cards
But I know I'll
Get what I need
With one more
Thousand-dollar seed

Don't know don't know
Don't know don't know
Don't know don't know don't know

Brother Benny
Wants to help me!
If my checkbook
I will empty!
Send it in now!
No delayin!
In the Spirit
He's a-slayin!
Slingin' jackets!
Quotin' verses!
Calling down all
Kinds of curses!

Avanzini!
Pastor TD!
Creflo Taffy!
Stevie Munsey!
Kenny Benny!
Joyce and Jesse!
Drivin' Bentleys!
Charley Grassley!
Penitentiary!

Prosperity "gospel" under scrutiny

Another article on the hope-it-happens-'cause-it-couldn't-come-soon-enough demise of the prosperity "gospel" (Via Associated Press. The comments [in blue within the brackets] are my $.02):

The teachings took on various names — "Name It and Claim It," "Word of Faith," the prosperity gospel [Also: Blab-it-and-Grab-it Nonsense, Heresy, Blasphemy...]

Prosperity preachers say that it isn't all about money — that God's blessings extend to health [Aren't Ken Hagin and Oral Roberts dead? Does that mean they didn't have enough faith?], relationships [I guess that's why two of the biggest-name couple are divorcing. Hmmm?] and being well-off enough to help others. [Just so long as you help yourself first]

They have Bible verses at the ready to make their case. One oft-cited verse, in Paul's Second Epistle to the Corinthians, reads: "Yet for your sakes he became poor, that you by his poverty might become rich." [They also never mention that the apostle Paul--one of the most faithful (if not THE MOST faithful man of God who has ever lived) was beaten, stoned, jailed...oh yeah--he lost all his money, too. But, let's not tell anybody that, M'K?]

Critics acknowledge the idea that God wants to bless his followers has a Biblical basis, but say prosperity preachers take verses out of context [Yuh think?]. The prosperity crowd also fails to acknowledge Biblical accounts that show God doesn't always reward faithful believers, Palmer said. [Isaiah--sawn in two. Paul--beheaded. Peter--crucified upside down. Jeremiah--thrown into a well. James--behaded. If only they had that ah-NOIN-t'n'!...]

The Book of Job is a case study in piety unrewarded, and a chapter in the Book of Hebrews includes a litany of believers who were tortured and martyred, Palmer said. [I guess their torture was that they could only afford a three-horse chariot, instead of the four-horse model.]

Yet the prosperity gospel continues to draw crowds, particularly lower- and middle-income people who, critics say, have the greatest motivation and the most to lose. [Yuh think?] The prosperity message is spreading to black churches, attracting elderly people with disposable incomes, and reaching huge churches in Africa and other developing parts of the world. [Leading many of these people to destruction. But I digress.]

One of the teaching's attractions is that it doesn't dwell on traditional Christian themes of heaven and hell [Or that old, worn-out, useless old Bible thingy. We's gots to have some new revelations!!] but on answering pressing concerns of the here and now, said Brian McLaren, a liberal evangelical author and pastor.

But the prosperity gospel, McLaren said, not only preys on the hope of the vulnerable, [Again: Yuh think? I stand amazed. Brian McLaren actually said something that makes sense!] it puts too much emphasis on individual success and happiness [And not enough emphasis on things like, oh, I don't know. Sin. Repentance. The Cross.]

"We've pretty much ignored what the Bible says about systemic injustice," he said.

The checks and balances central to Christian denominations are largely lacking in prosperity churches. [No kiddin'!!] One of the pastors in the Grassley probe, Bishop [Fast] Eddie Long of suburban Atlanta, has written that God told him to get rid of the "ungodly governmental structure" of a deacon board. [That's right. Can't have nobody stickin' they nose into how da good passuh got hisself that stretch Bentley now! Gots to make 'em think it's from Da Lawd!!]

Some ministers hold up their own wealth as evidence that the teaching works. [Yeah, it works for the Passuhs. For the people they fleece? Eh, not so much.] Atlanta-area pastor Creflo [Worshippin' the Almighty Dollar], who is fighting Grassley's inquiry, owns a Rolls Royce and multimillion-dollar homes and travels in a church-owned Learjet. [While the people he fleeces watch one check after another go boingy, boingy, boingy.]

More on Senator's investigation of pulpit pumps

Independent Conservative has put up two videos (at YouTube) of news stories about Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) investigating the (mis)use of donor moneys to several of the largest prosperity "gospel" churches, as well as Richard Roberts (Oral's son, and president of ORU).

The first is from WFLA (Tampa), and deals with Randy and Paula White, and their Without Shame Walls International money-making scheme Ministry (about 4 min.):




The second is the full interview between Grassley and WFLA's Jeff Patterson (7:40)




OK, so here's the question: Should the government be allowed to force an organization that calls themselves a "ministry" to open their books? Should the government be allowed to say what is and what isn't necessary to operate one of these "ministries." Yes, if:

• The "ministry" wants to retain a tax-exempt status with the IRS. (In other words, if they want to avoid paying taxes in order to enrich themselves. You know, that whole "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's" thing.)
• There is concern among the members that the money they are giving for the purpose of spreading the gospel of Christ (which is the purpose of a true ministry) is instead being used to increase the material comfort of the "pastor" above that which should be considered "reasonable."
• The "pastor" lets it be known that he don't cotton too well to people trying to make him abide by the laws of the land.
• The "pastor" has installed a board of directors filled with relatives and cronies and yes-men to surround himself in a cloak of secrecy.
• The "minister" spends more time talking about why you should give them your money than they do preaching the gospel.
• The "pastor" answers "Yes" to the age-old question: "Would Jesus Wear a Rolex on His Television Show?"
• The "pastor" is encouraging people to store up massive credit-card debt so they can send him their "seed-faith offering."
• The "ministry" continually gets a transparency rating of "F" from MinistryWatch. Like this guy did. And this one. And him.

We have to remember something here: This is not about the government telling the church what they can and can't teach. Well, at least not yet. This is about these organizations abiding by the laws they agreed to follow when they applied for tax-exempt status. If they want to retain that status, then they should comply with the laws. (See 1st Peter 2:11-17.) Otherwise, they take off the mask, admit they are a business and not a church, and start paying their taxes.

Senate to investigate pimps

In a long-overdue move, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee is calling "Bull!" on several pulpit pimps who serve on the board of Oral Roberts University. From FOXNews:

Acting on tips about preachers who ride in Rolls Royces and have purportedly paid $30,000 for a conference table, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee said Tuesday he's investigating the finances of six well-known TV ministers.

Grassley sent letters to the half-dozen Christian media ministries earlier this week requesting answers by Dec. 6 about their expenses, executive compensation and amenities, including use of fancy cars and private jets.

In a statement, Grassley said he was acting on complaints from the public and news coverage of the organizations.

"The allegations involve governing boards that aren't independent and allow generous salaries and housing allowances and amenities such as private jets and Rolls Royces," Grassley said.

"I don't want to conclude that there's a problem, but I have an obligation to donors and the taxpayers to find out more. People who donated should have their money spent as intended and in adherence with the tax code."

Who is under investigation? Several of the top preachers of the prosperity "gospel."

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland of Kenneth Copeland Ministries of Newark, Texas, a $20 million organization and prosperity gospel pioneer. Questions were raised about the transfer of church assets to a for-profit company, Security Patrol Inc., a $1 million loan from Gloria Copeland to the group, and a "personal gift" of more than $2 million given to Kenneth Copeland to mark the ministry's 40th anniversary.

Creflo and Taffi Dollar of World Changers Church International and Creflo Dollar Ministries of College Park, Ga. Grassley's letter asks for records on private planes, board makeup, compensation and donations and "love offerings" to visiting ministers. In a statement, Dollar called his ministry an "open book" and said he would cooperate. He also questioned whether the investigation could "affect the privacy of every community church in America."

Benny Hinn of World Healing Center Church Inc. and Benny Hinn Ministries of Grapevine, Texas, is asked about use of a private jet, a home in Dana Point, Calif. and "layover trips" while traveling on ministry business. Hinn did not respond to requests for comment.

Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and Bishop Eddie Long Ministries of Lithonia, Ga., was questioned about his salary, a $1.4 million real estate transaction and whether he, and not the board, holds sole authority over the organization. Long plans to fully comply with the Senate's request, and his church has "several safeguards" to ensure transactions comply with laws governing churches, according to a statement from Long's spokesman.

Joyce and David Meyer of Joyce Meyer Ministries of Fenton, Mo., who were quizzed about receiving donations of money and jewelry and the handling of cash from overseas crusades. They also were asked about expenditures at ministry headquarters, including a $30,000 conference table and a $23,000 "commode with marble top."

Randy and Paula White of the multiracial Without Walls International Church and Paula White Ministries of Tampa, Fla. are asked about home purchases in San Antonio, Texas, Malibu, Calif., and New York, credit card charges for clothing and cosmetic surgery and the reported purchase of a Bentley convertible as a gift for Bishop T.D. Jakes, a prominent Texas preacher and televangelist. An e-mail to a spokeswoman for Jakes was not immediately returned.

Ya know, it was just a matter of time. God is "slow to anger, slow to wrath" (Psalm 103:8), but the US Government is a whole different story.

I know there will be some who will say that this opens the door for the government to swoop down and force every church to open its books. That is not what is going on here. This is a case where it is obvious that these pimps are robbing people under the guise of (and appropriating the title of) "mimistry". These people DO NOT RUN MINISTRIES! These people are running rackets! They are running get-rich-quick schemes. (Of course, the only ones getting rich are the pimps!)

These people are pimps, they are charlatans, they have no knowledge of anything biblical, and they trick people--usually the most desperate and the most gullible--out of their money, and leave those they fleece high and dry. But someone--finally--is calling them on it.

And if these pimps think the weight of the United States Government is a heavy load, wait until they stand before God and are forced to account for why they blasphemed His name, and took advantage of His Christ. And they have. After all, Jesus said in Matthew chapter 25, that whatever you do to "the least of these," you have done to Him.

This guy's REALLY good!!

John Piper on the "prosperity" gospel:

So, Melvin, tell us what you really think!

Melvin Jones, the man who operates the website pulpit-pimps.org, posted a well-researched treatise on those who go around saying that if you'll "sow a thousand-dollar seed" to their ministry, which is struggling--struggling!!--to afford that new $20,000,000 Citation X-20, that GOD will bless you with a $100,000 windfall. These people are, without a doubt, pimps. Or, as Melvin tells us...

Okay, here’s the thing. Some of you in the audience say I’m not loving. And I should be loving because God is love. I shouldn’t be judgmental of these people who preach a false doctrine. I should love them and pray for them.

And since I consider myself to be a man who at least tries to obey the Bible, I have decided to emulate God and say the same things He says. Since God is love, and God is perfect, then He only says loving things. So if I say the same things that God says, then I’m loving too. Right?

Okay, let’s run with that for right now.

Here are some of the same things God says about false teachers:
• They are ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15-16)
• They are practicers of lawlessness (Matthew 7:22-23)
• They are hypocrites ( Matt 15:7-9)
• They are thieves (John 10:1)
• They are slaves of their own appetites (Romans 16:18)
• They are men of flesh (1 Cor 3:1-4)
• They are peddlers of the word of Christ(2 Cor 2:17)
• They are accursed (Galatians 1:6-8)
• They are tricksters and schemers (Ephesians 4:14)
• They are deluders (Ephesians 4:14)
• They are deceivers (Colossians 2:8)
• They are defrauders (Colossians 2:18-19)
• They are teachers of strange doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3)
• They are blasphemers, and have been handed over to Satan (1 Timothy 1:19-20)
• They are teachers of myth (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
• They are paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1-3)
• They are liars (1 Timothy 4:1-3)
• They are conceited and understand nothing (1 Timothy 6:3-4)
• They have gone astray (1 Timothy 6:20-21)
• They are evil men, deceiving and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13)
• They are empty talkers, after sordid gain (Titus 1:10-11)
• They turn away from the truth (Titus 1:13-14)
• They are false prophets, false teachers, greedy exploiters (2 Peter 2:1-4)
• They are stains and blemishes, greedy, loving of wages of unrighteuosness (2 Peter 2:13-15)
• They are slaves of corruption (2 Peter 2:19-20)
• They are ungodly (Jude 4)
• They are rebellious people (Isaiah 30:9)

So I guess if I am going to emulate God, I should call the people who promote a different gospel wolfish, hypocritical practitioners of lawlessness who are enslaved to their own appetites, while being men of flesh and peddlers of the word, who by the way are accursed and deluding and deceiving, while teaching myths and paying attention to deceiving spirits, while at the same time being empty talkers and being greedy exploiters while being blemishes and stains, and being ungodly.

Hmmm. You know, I don’t really feel like typing this phrase every time I refer to the pimping inhabitants of the pulpit. I’ll just keep calling them pimps and pimpettes. It’s a lot more succinct.

Now, now, don't be shy, let it all out.

Actually, he's calling these people what they are. They are heretics (at the very least), and blasphemers (at their worst). They claim that they know some secret chant, some long-hidden promise that GOD made to ONE man ONE time, (can you say, "Jabez"?) and they know how to take that and throw it in GOD's face, and twist His arm until He cries "Uncle!" and gives them whatever toy they're screaming for. There is a word in the Greek, astokeo." It means... WRONG!!!!!

The Narrow Way

This video contrasts the truth of Jesus with the "gospel" preached by many pulpit pimps today (via pulpit-pimps.org)

"I AM" the Bread of life (John 6:35)

Unless you’ve been living in a basement, or under a rock, you have heard the tragic tale of Anna Nicole Smith. You've got one guy that says he is her baby’s father. Another one says he is the baby's father. One wants her buried in this place, one in that place. Meanwhile, her mother—who hadn’t seen her in years—wanted her to be buried in Texas, instead of next to her son. And as I watched this whole thing unfold, I realized something. These people were fighting over crumbs. Think about it—what is the motivation behind these people’s actions? A few minutes of fame, their name in the headlines—a book, TV or movie deal. Then when the dust settles, and all is said and done…**POOF**…it’s all gone. You see, so many people these days are grasping for something that means something. And they look at fame, and they think, “Yeah, that will make me important! If people know who I am, then that would just make me so happy!” And it does…for a while. After that…**POOF**…it’s gone.

If these people want something that will fill the need they have, all they have to do is look to the cross. Then they would find out just how important they really are. Because when their fame is gone, when they're nothing more than the answer to a trivia question to most people, they need to see the cross for what it stands for. That even before he formed them in the womb, GOD loved these people enough that He sent His Son in the form of sinful flesh. So that when they stand before Him to be judged, He wouldn’t see their sins. He would instead see the righteousness of His beloved Son. If that doesn’t nourish your soul I don’t know what will.

And all these people are arguing and bickering and slinging dirt at each other, trying to peck at a few crumbs that they think will satisfy them, but will only leave them hungry for more. If they only knew there is something so much better that will feed their hunger so well that they will never be hungry again. You know, the same thing happens with people like you and me every day. How many times do we see people trying to make themselves look better by making someone else look worse? Just to get the approval of someone. We’re looking for crumbs. But as we’ll see today, Jesus came to give us a whole bakery.

We’re looking at the book of John, where Jesus mentioned 9 times, “I AM.” Last time we saw how He used that phrase to name Himself, and to identify Himself as GOD in the flesh. That it’s not a case of “He was”, or “He will be.” But that, as He says in the book of the Revelation 1:17-18, Jesus said, “I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen…” These are the “I AM” statements Jesus made: I AM the Bread of Life; I AM the Light of the World; I AM the Door of the sheep; I AM the True Vine; I AM the Good Shepherd; I AM the Resurrection and Life; I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Today, we’re going to look at the first of these. Jesus said, “I AM the Bread of life.”

John chapter 6 takes place the day after He had fed the 20,000 with a couple of fish and five loaves of bread. Last time we saw how the Pharisees didn’t get it when Jesus told them about spiritual things. Well, a lot of times we’re no better. Through the bread and the fish, He was showing these people who He really is. But to a lot of them, it was just a free meal. They were bringing their families along, probably telling their neighbors, “Hey, bring the kids, we’re gonna eat good tonight!!” and they missed it. The people He fed came to Him the next day to be fed again. Listen to what He says in John 6:26—“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.” So many people today are missing it. The people fighting over a dead model are missing it. When a person’s soul is looking for someone or something to sustain it, a lot of times instead of looking to the Bread of Life, we grab onto the bread of the world. There are three ingredients that go into making THE BREAD OF THE WORLD.


The first one is THE WORLD'S IDEA OF FINANCES.
Look at all these videos on MTV. Young kids see all the fancy cars and the rings and the gold chains, and they think, “Yeah, that’s what I want.” And they’ll do anything to get it, legal or otherwise. Many times they wind up dead.

Matthew 6:19—“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal…”
Mark 10:24—“Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!”
Ecclesiastes 5:10-12—He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them; so what profit have the owners except to see them with their eyes? The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.

We live in a world that says, “Get, get, get, get. That’s what’s important!” Look at all these infomercials, “Make millions with no money down!!” I read a story about John Rockefeller, the world’s first billionaire, early 1900’s. You know what he ate all the time? Caviar, champagne, right? No. crackers and milk. Because he was so worried about his money. Listen to what Jesus says in John 6:27—“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” He’s saying, “Don’t go around pecking at the crumbs this world is going to feed you. Cause you know what, it’s just gonna sit in your gut for a while, then it’s gonna go right on out.” As the words of the old hymn tell us.

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I'd rather be His than have riches untold:
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands.
I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.

Than to be the king of a vast domain;
Or be held in sin's dread sway.
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

The second ingredient in the bread of the world is THE WORLD'S IDEA OF FUN.
Take a look at all the big amusement parks. Seems like every year they put in some new ride that’s supposed to be an even bigger thrill than the last “biggest thrill ever!!” And look at kids these days. When I was in college the big thing was muscle cars. If you had a ’69 Chevelle, or a ’78 Cutlass, or a Buick Regal with a Landau roof, and T-tops, big old tires on the back, and AM/FM cassette…with auto reverse. Buddy, you were something!! Now what it is it? These wind up cars with the mufflers that make it sound like they ate too many beans at dinner.Boy those things get on my nerves. And you see how these kids drive those cars. As fast as they can, not a care in the world. Looking at fun as something that’s gonna fill them. They're pecking at crumbs, when GOD is willing to feed them and fill them so they’ll never be hungry.
John 6:35—“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” People today are so hungry for something that they’ll grasp at the first thing that comes along. Instead of the bread of life, they’re eating the bread of the world.
John 10:10—“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Revelation 7:16—They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore.
In John 4, Jesus is talking to the woman at the well. This woman had been married 5 times. And she was living with a man she wasn’t married to. She was looking to fun to nourish her soul. But Jesus said, “After I give you this water, you will never thirst for the world’s water again.”
And when we partake of the Bread of Life, and drink from this fountain of living water, nothing this world offers will ever be good enough to satisfy us.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face.
Then the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

The third ingredient in the bread of the world is THE WORLD'S IDEA OF FRIENDS.
We’re looking for approval from people. We don’t want anyone to not like us. Last summer I worked with a church day care program. You know, kids will hit each other, push each other. But you know what makes them turn on the water works more than anything? “Johnny said he’s not my friend anymore!!” We all want to have friends. We want people to like us. That woman at the well craved it. All these celebrity magazines, with all these glamorous people on the cover. What makes someone want to be a celebrity? It’s that “LOOK AT ME!!” factor. Why are all these people hovering over Anna Nicole Smith’s dead body? “LOOK AT ME!!” they think that if people notice them, and know who they are that will fill their need for nourishment.
It won't. It will only leave them hungry for more. They would rather have the bread of the world than the Bread of Life.
James 4:4—…to be the world's friend means to be God's enemy…If you want to be the world's friend, you make yourself God's enemy.
Proverbs 22:24-25—Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.
It says in that old hymn I quoted a little while ago,

I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause;
I rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;
I'd rather be true to His holy name.


That’s the bread of the world. Let’s look at the BREAD OF LIFE.
John 6:47-51—“Truly, truly I tell you; the one who believes in me has eternal life. I am the bread of life…This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that a person may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. And the bread I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
The world puts so much emphasis on being comforted and filled right now. But the comfort and the filling, they're just temporary. That comfortable recliner is gonna sag. The food is gonna run out. And you're gonna need to get more. Just like the manna in the desert.

Let's look at GOD'S IDEA OF FINANCES.
Matthew 6:20—“…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
Isaiah 55:2—Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.
When we take our eyes off this world, and set them on Christ, how could we ever be satisfied with the bread of the world? You know, Job had the right perspective on things. “The LORD hath given, and the LORD hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Unfortunately, some preachers don’t share that same view. Listen to what one says on his website—

“Because I am God's "favorite," I prosper in every area of my life-spiritually, physically, financially, socially and mentally.

Because the favor of God shields me, no sickness or disease has a right to live in my body.

Wealth and riches are in my house because I am empowered with His anointing
and favor to draw wealth.”

Now, I don’t want to mention this fella by name, but I think Creflo Dollar’s got the wrong idea.
Acts 2:44-45—Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
Luke 6:35—“…do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.”
Following Christ won't guarantee you a life of health, wealth and prosperity. But, it will guarantee you life everlasting.

GOD'S IDEA OF FUN.
Psalm 37:3-4—Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
You know, so many people think of Christians as a bunch of fuddy-duddies that “don’t know how to have fun.” Yeah we do. We just have a different kind of fun. We don’t find our delight in temporary things. Yeah we like music. We like movies. Just not the kind of music or movies the world likes. People that want to remain slaves to sin like to go around saying, “GOD doesn’t want anybody to have any fun!” Did you know the word “rejoice” is found 192 times in the Bible? "Joy"—165 times.
Joel 2:21—Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
Habakkuk 3:18—Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Even GOD gets happy!!
Zephaniah 3:17—The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
Luke 15:4-5—“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”
Don’t think the angels get happy?
Luke 15:10—“Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
I love this song by the Newsboys:

Entertaining angels by the light of my TV screen
24/7 You wait for me
Entertaining angels by the time I fall to my knees
Host of heaven, sing over me.

Finally let’s look at GOD’S IDEA OF FRIENDS.
So many times we seek approval from the world. It’s good to have friends, don’t get me wrong. But if we’re looking to people to nourish our soul, we may find ourselves in the middle of a famine someday. Think about it. On Sunday, all the people were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!! Hosanna in the Highest!!” On Friday, they were shouting, “Crucify HIM!!”
Proverbs 18:14—A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Proverbs 27:9—Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of one's friend by advice from the heart.
There’s an old song that says, “What a friend we have in Jesus…” What a friend indeed!!
GOD spoke to Moses face to face, as to a friend. Paul referred to Abraham as a friend of GOD. And the writer of Hebrews said in Hebrews 2:6, What is man that You are mindful of him? Jesus said, “I AM the Bread of Life.” He was in the OT, He is today, and He will be forever.

The next new link is...

for a site I found via Independent Conservative. The name of the site is Pulpit Pimps. The goal of the site's owner is to expose the lying, hypocritical, mushiness found in many pulpits these days. Especially grievous are the likes of TD Jakes, Kenneth Copeland, Jesse Duplicitous Duplantis, "Bishop" Weeks, Juanita Bynum, Creflo Dollar, Hinn, Murdock, Crouch/Crouch, etc. So check it out before you waste another minute watching these heretics. Oops, I forgot. "Touch not mine anointed!!"

Here's the linky: pulpitpimps.org

UPDATE: Oops. In the URL address, I forgot the hyphen between 'pulpit' and 'pimps'. It's actually www.pulpit-pimps.org

Sorry:(

Health, wealth, hypocrisy

Checking out Independent Conservative this morning, and I came across a post he put up about these TV preachers like Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Jesse Duplantis, and Mike Murdoch. I find myself quite often railing against these people. Why? Because not only are they fleecing people who are hurting, but because they twist the Word of GOD to fit their own twisted theology. And most of all, as Independent Conservative says,

The false teachers have become so pathetic, that every late night comic can play their footage for laughs. Of course an unbeliever seeing it is not going to distinguish them (pimps) from us (true believers) who abhor such abuse of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Which is why it is important that we speak against false teaching. So that it is known that such nonsense on supposedly Christian TV is not the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So the unbeliever that might find Christ does so in Spirit and in Truth. Also for the good of those still lost in false teaching.

To see the name of GOD mocked is truly sad. And the reason it is mocked is because of these charlatans that promise "Health, wealth and prosperity" if you follow Jesus. Or they say something like

"How can you glorify God in your body, when it doesn't function right?....What makes you think the Holy Ghost wants to live inside of a body where He can't see out through the windows, and He can't hear out the ears?" (Fred Price, "Is God Glorified Through Sickness?" tape # FP605)

Well, I got news for Fred, Creflo, Jan and Paul, etc. They might ought to read 2nd Timothy 3:12. Following Christ does NOT guarantee us a problem-free life. Unles one thinks that the faith of men like Paul (beheaded), Peter (crucified upside down) or James (Thrown off of a roof) was strong enough. Besides, the founder of the Word-of-Faith movement, Ken Hagin is DEAD. What does that say about HIS faith?

But, alas, they will most likely not heed the words of the apostle Peter:

2nd Peter 2:3-- By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

These men are bringing ridicule upon the name of GOD. But, as Jesus said, they have their reward.

Touching the (not-so) anointed

"That's right, folks!! Benny Hinn will be here next week to heal your (fill in your favorite malady)!! Now, GOD really wants to heal you, but He won't, unless you show up at the coliseum this Friday night! Oh, and make sure you bring your checkbook, because you know what they say about a gullible cheerful giver!!"

Just got done watching John Stossel rip Rod Parsley, Kenneth Copeland, and the whole TBN crowd a new one on "20/20". I can just hear their followers now. "Touch not mine anointed!!! Touch not mine anointed!!!" You know, it really is sad, that these charlatans have so many people bamboozled into thinking they are humble servants of GOD. (Actually, Paul Crouch doesn't make any pretense about being humble.) And ya know, it's so frustrating. On the one hand, I don't want to sound like I'm saying these preachers don't love the Lord (Matthew 7:1). On the other hand, I can't look at these people and not think "Phony!!"

There's another new link, and it's called Ministry Watch. The guy that runs it walked away from a 7-figure income to start this ministry. These people really are fleecing their flocks. They tell these people that if they send them their last penny, that GOD will just open up His heavenly cash vault, and the material wealth will come pouring down like "latter rain." There's a word, in the original Greek, that defines this line of thought. The word is..."BULL!!" These hucksters that go around saying that if you're sick, that it's because you don't have enough faith. And that if you're poor, you're not saved. So, if you die, then what does that mean?

Proverbs 23

Let's look at Proverbs 23. We don't need to buy a bunch of elf-help advice books from Oprah, Dr. Phil, etc. If you want to know how to live a stress-free life, read the Bible. "Oh sure, you make it sound so simple." Well, it is. It's not always easy, but the solutions are simple, if you put a little effort into it.

First, DON'T TRADE YOUR LIFE FOR RICHES.
Verse 4
Do not overwork yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it.

In other words, don't kill yourself trying to get rich. So many people turn in workaholics. They work 70-80 hrs a week, and don't have any time to enjoy what they work for. Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 5:10-11, He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance with increase. This also is emptiness. When goods increase, They increase who eat them; so what profit have the owners except to see them with their eyes? Don't make yourself weary for riches--they just become a burden. And stop thinking so much about it, put it out of your mind. Unforunately, in the church, prosperity preachers think Jesus is an ATM. How dispicable. To think that the Lord of Glory shed His blood for a Benz. Kenneth Copeland went out and spent $20,000,000 on a jet. Benny Hinn said that he doesn't want to hear about streets of gold in heaven. He went on to say, and I quote, "I want my gold now, baby!!" Well, he'll have his reward...in this world. As for me, I'll wait for my gold, and my crown. I ain't lookin for a pat on the back--just that "well done."

DON'T PUT YOUR TRUST IN RICHES.
Verse 5
Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

Remember what poor old Job said. Job 1:21--"Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." "I had everything, and now I have nothing. But no matter what--GOD is GOD!!" Money doesn't take care of us. That $5 you have on your pocket? It doesn't care whose hand it's in. But guess what? GOD cares whose hand you're in! Last week, Keith talked about people who want to win the lottery. They think it will solve all their problems. Let me ask you this: If you won the lottery, do you think you couldn't spend it all? Have you ever seen a woman in a shoe store?

Next, DO NOT TRUST THE BREAD OF THE EVIL.
Verses 6-8
Do not eat the bread of he who has an evil eye, nor desire his delicacies; for as he thinks in his heart, so he is. He will say, "eat and drink," but his heart is not with you. And you will vomit the morsel you have eaten, and lose your pleasant words.

When someone invites you to break bread with them, they are saying, "You're safe here." But there is a deeper meaning in this verse. You see, everything in the Old Testament points to Christ. And Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 16, verses 6-8 and 11-12, "Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Saducees." And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread." But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?...How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?--but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Saducees?" Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the bread, but of the teachings of the Pharisees and the Saducees. And what Solomon is saying is this--don't get caught up in the world's beliefs. Don't take in what evil men try to tell you. And why not? Because if he's speaking against God, then who's speaking through them? In 2nd Corinthians, Psul says that Satan can disguise himself as an "angel of light", that he even "deceived Eve." Now, do you think Satan's on your side? Of course not! So, when you eat the bread of deceitful men, it may seem sweet when you eat it, but, when you think on it later, it will make you sick, and you will vomit it out.

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ON FOOLS.
Verse 9
Speak not in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

Have you ever argued with someone who wouldnt listen. You do everything to reason with them, and they just will not listen. Eventually, you wind up forgetting what point you were trying to make in the first place. If it gets to that point stop, get out of it, cut your losses. In fact, Paul writes in Titus 3:10-11, A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

GIVE YOUR CHILD GODLY GUIDANCE.
Verses 12-14
Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge. Do not withhold correction from a child, for although you strike him, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, and save his soul from Hell.

This is one of those timeout moments. When we talk about the rod of correction, people can tend to get image. Remember when we were in school, the principal would have a paddle mounted on his wall, and what did it say on it? "Board of Education." Here, Solomon is not advocating abuse--if you have to give your child a swat, do it. Proverbs 13:24--He who spares the rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly. Hebrews 12:6--Whom the LORD loveth, He chasteneth. It's to be a loving discipline. I'd rather my child have a sore bottom for a while, than to suffer for an eternity.

Then, listen to the joy of a father: GIVE YOUR CHILD GODLY WISDOM.
Verses 15-16
My son, if your heart is wise, My heart will rejoice--indeed, I myself; Yes, my inmost being will rejoice.

You've seen these people driving around with bumper stickers that say "My child is an honor student at such-and-such school." Let these two verses be a prayer for your children. Proverbs 22:6 says, Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Ephesians 6:4--Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the LORD. That brings us to the next passage.

AVOID UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.
Verses 17-21
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live always in the fear of the LORD. Surely there is a future, and your expectation will not be cut off. Listen my son, and direct yourself in the way. Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, or with gluttonous eaters of flesh; for the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man in rags.

You've heard the old saying, "If you lay down with dogs, you're gonna get fleas." Is this not an illustration of the prodigal son? He got all that money from his father, and where did it go? That word "drowsiness" in verse 21 does not mean "to go to sleep." It means you get lazy. It literally means "to slumber, especially through an inclination to laziness, and sloth." When you hang out with the party crowd, they'll treat you like you're their friend. I think it was a Hank Williams song that said, "If you've got money honey, I've got the time." But, go back to verse 6-7. These people will say they're your friend, but their hearts are not with you. They'll say, "Hey, let's go have a good time!!!" But when your wallet goes flat, it's "Oh, you're out of money? Well, see ya."

BUY THE TRUTH AND DON'T LET GO OF IT.
Verses 23-25
Buy the truth and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who has begotten a wise son will be glad in him. Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her rejoice who gave birth to you.

The truth is something that deserves for us to spend everything we have to find it. If it takes all of our resources to find the truth of salvation, then my friends, it is more than worth it. Now, in these next verses, you can almost see Solomon getting real serious.

AVOID STRANGE WOMEN.
Verses 26-28
Give me your heart son, and let your eyes delight in my ways. For a whore is a deep ditch, and an adulteress is a narrow pit. She lies in wait as for a prey, and increases the transgressors among men.

I've talked to some of y'all who can hear women at night hollering, "ten dollars!" There are many reasons women get into it. One, they grew up around it, and it's just another way of life. Two, out of a sense of desperation. They think there's no other way they can make money. And three, they do it to support their drug habit. They don't even realize sometimes that they're destroying themselves. Or maybe they do, but they think they're too far gone to be helped. You know, sometimes, I don't understand the reasons why men do it. I read an article one time, about women who walk. This one, she told about a man who solicited her one Sunday morning, and told her, "We gotta hurry, I need to get home before wife wakes up." Of course, we all know about Jimmy Swaggart. He lost his ministry because of a prostitute. But you know, these are the men and women we need to pray for. David said in Psalm 10:15...break the arm of the wicked... In other words, he was asking GOD to destroy the power that was controlling his enemies.

Finally, Solomon gives us a very stern warning to AVOID STRONG DRINK.
Verses 29-35
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things. Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: "They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?"

I dont think verse 29 needs much explaining. But in verse 30, when he talks about mixed wine--in those days, red wine was stronger than white wine. So, they would take white wine and add red wine to it to make it stronger. That's why he tells us what he does in verse 31. Then verse 32: do snakes kinda walk up--well, not WALK up--and say "Excuse me, but I'm gonna bite you now." And how many times do people go from OK to being three sheets to the wind in a matter of seconds? Now, look at verse 33--some translations say "strange things", some say "strange women." Either one is correct in my book. Some people say there are no ugly women at closing time. And how many lines do drunk drivers see in the middle of the road? And I can recall days when I was like verse 34--you can't walk, the room starts spinning, what else happens when you get seasick?

And verse 35 says, "I ain't feeling no pain!" Man, how many times I used to wake up on Saturday at noon. This was before I knew the LORD. I'd have a headache, a rotten stomach. I felt like--well, something. But, what would I go and do that night? I'd just go and do it all over again. All that time I wasted wish I could have that back. But one day, GOD delivered me from all that--praise His name!! And from then on, I have never wanted a drink. He showed me a passage in Ephesians 5:18-19--Be not drunk on the wine, in which is riotousness, but be filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the LORD.

That's why we start off our worship services with singing. A few weeks ago I mentioned that the Bible is life's ORIGINAL instruction manual. We who come here and minister to y'all, we may not have all the answers--but we know where to find them.