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.

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.

"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!

Did he almost say what I think he almost said?

Pay real close attention to Jesse at about the 0:30 mark (timer counts down toward 0:00.) When he starts talking about "hatchet head." Does he almost say what I think he almost says? That he don't want his grandbabies to come out looking like...

Jesse D on YouTube

Ya know, it's one thing to not want your daughter dating someone becasue they would be a bad influence. But when you "run him off" because of the way he looks, that ain't right. Watch this video, and listen closely as it gets to the 0:24 mark it almost sounds like he has to stop himself from saying something that wouldn't be very good for his career.

"It Is Well With My Soul" by Jesse Duplantis

(With apologies to Horatio Spafford and Phillip Bliss)

When cash like a river attendeth my way,
When I drive around in a Rolls;
That Jesse hath taught me to name and to claim,
It is well, it is well with my soul!

When my car(when my car)
Is a Rolls (is a Rolls)
It is well, it is well with my soul!

Oh Adam has given authority to me
To ask for a house full of gold.
Because GOD had promised some guy long ago
He must give me the wish of my soul!

When my house (when my house)
Fills with gold (fills with gold)
It is well, it is well with my soul!

My wealth, oh the bliss of this glorious thought,
My wealth, every day, shall He grow!
Because His ah-NOIN-tin' has fallen over me!
Oh cha-ching! Oh cha-ching! says my soul!

Oh my wealth (oh my wealth)
Shall He grow (shall He grow)
It is well, it is well with my soul!

And LORD haste the day when my bank account shall be
So big that my barns cannot hold
That great double blessing that Jesse hath said
Shall abound, shall abound to my soul!

When my barns (oh my barns)
Cannot hold (cannot hold)
It is well, it is well with my soul!

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!!!!!

Words of wisdom, from Jesse Duplantis

Think Jesse is ah-NOIN-ted? Well, he's got a spirit alright. Whether it's the Holy Spirit or not...

Check out these quotes I found at Forgotten Word:

"I've never had the Lord say, 'Jesse, I think that car is a little bit too nice.' I've had vehicles and the Lord said, 'Would you please go park that at your house. Don't put that in front of my house. I don't want people to think that I'm a poor God.'" (Jesse Duplantis, "When Will We Yield To The Anointing of Wealth II," April 10, 2005)

Jesse Duplantis: "People told me, 'Well, they say, Jesus was poor.' When was He poor? I would like to know when He was poor. [Uh, Jesse. Look at Matthew 8:20--"And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head."] Well, He was born in a stable. Why? Why was He born in a stable? Because that short, deaf lady lost their reservation. [I guess we can find that in the Book of...] He couldn't get into the inn. Think about that for a minute...And He had 12 full time people on His staff. [And did He pay them? No.] Some were married and He took care of them. [???] He had 70 part timers. You don't gamble for rags Marcus."
Marcus Lamb: "Yeah."
Jesse Duplantis: "You don't gamble for rags. You gamble for some clothes that cost. Don't you? He wanted a donkey that had never been rode. As I said earlier, 'You might want a car that has never been drove.'
Marcus Lamb: "He had a full time treasurer on staff."
Jesse Duplantis: "That's right! And stole for three years and the other guys didn't know about it."
Joni Lamb: "And wise men came to see Him."
Jesse Duplantis: "That's right! I mean He wasn't three minutes on the ground and the three wise guys are looking for Him with what? Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Let me tell you something, this concept that Jesus was in poverty is totally wrong!" (Jesse Duplantis, Marcus Lamb, and Joni Lamb, Daystar Fall, "Share-A-Thon," September 15, 2004)

"If I give $1,000 dollars I deserve to get back $100,000 because I am just, that's not greed!" (Jesse Duplantis, December 19, 2003 TBN, "The just shall live by faith.")

"When I began to feel weak, the angel walked over to one of those trees, picked some of its fruit and brought it back to me. . .The angel said to me, "Eat this fruit so you will be able to withstand the glory of God." (Jesse Duplantis, from a revival in Arkansas, 1988.) [Uhhh, fruit in heaven?? Because we get weak? HUH?]

"I felt weaker and weaker as we approached the Throne room. It looked to me like millions of people were there. . .When the light from the Throne hit me I couldn’t stand up; I fell down, and the angel gave me more of the fruit. . .I look up from the floor in the direction of the overwhelming Light, and I saw Him! I saw Elohim, Jehovah God, Yahweh sitting on the Throne! But I saw His feet - only His feet. . . He is so big - you can’t describe Him in a dimension. His hand is huge! His body, the form of it, is sort of like energy, spirit. [Uhhh...if he could only see GOD's feet, how could he describe His hands and body???] There’s a wall around the Throne, but the Throne is higher than the wall - that’s why you can see the Throne from every direction, from a distance. And that power, that energy-like smoke of God, covers all around the chair of the Throne itself." (ibid.)

Hooo-weee! That's some rev-uh-lay-uh-shun they-uh Brutha Jess-eh!

The Prosperity Hymn

Sung to the tune of "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus", and sung weekly by the chiors behind Kenneth Copeland, Jesse Duplantis, Marylin Hickey, and $$Creflo$$ $$Dollarsign$$. (Original lyrics and melody here.)

O soul are you weary and troubled?
An old car in the driveway you see?
There is hope for you driving a Jaguar,
And cash more abundant for thee!

Turn your eyes upon riches.
Confess they now belong to thee.
Then the things of Heav'n will grow strangely dim
In the light of your big-screen TV.

Find yourself having wealth overflowing
If you sow a thous'nd dollar seed;
Claim this promise that He made to Israel,
Get all the toys you think you need!

Turn your eyes upon riches.
Confess they now belong to thee.
Then the things of Heav'n will grow strangely dim
In the light of your big-screen TV.

If you claim all these verses He promised;
He'll pour cash from His heav'nly vault.
So if you are not healthy and wealthy,
Then your faithlessness must be at fault!

Turn your eyes upon riches.
Confess they now belong to thee.
Then the things of Heav'n will grow strangely dim
In the light of your big-screen TV.

The Narrow Way

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

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.