A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Leviticus 24-25 (Part 2)

Leviticus 24:10-22—10 Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and this Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel fought each other in the camp. 11 And the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the name of the LORD and cursed; and so they brought him to Moses. (His mother's name was Shelomith the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) 12 Then they put him in custody, that the mind of the LORD might be shown to them. 13 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 14 "Take outside the camp him who has cursed; then let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 Then you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. 16 And whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the LORD, he shall be put to death. 17 Whoever kills any man shall surely be put to death. 18 Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, animal for animal. 19 If a man causes disfigurement of his neighbor, as he has done, so shall it be done to him—20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him. 21 And whoever kills an animal shall restore it; but whoever kills a man shall be put to death. 22 You shall have the same law for the stranger and for one from your own country; for I am the LORD your God.'"

God put together the Scriptures as He saw fit. Many times, to the human eye and understanding, He put certain passages together that kinda make us say, “Why did He put this story of a blasphemer right after the commands about the oil and showbread, and the commands about the year of Jubilee?” Well, the short answer to that question is this: Because he wanted to. That’s the only reason I can come up with. “Make the oil for the lampstand from beaten olives. Put the showbread on the table every Sabbath. Don’t blaspheme against Me or you will die. Keep the year of Jubilee.” That makes sense to God—and if it makes sense to Him, who are we to argue?

OK, so what do we know from verse 10? We know that this man’s mother was an Israelite and his father was Egyptian. And since they are here only two years removed from that exodus, he obviously came out with the mixed multitude that left Egypt the night of the first Passover. What do we see him do in verse 11? He blasphemes. Now, there is a reason why I kept the italicized words italicized. In verse 11, we see that the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the name—what comes next immediately? of the LORD. These words are italicized, meaning what? The translators inserted these words in an attempt to make the text more understandable. However, I do not really think (nor did the translators of the NASB think) that this needed to be done. Allow me to show you why.

When we talk about the name of God, what do we always say this name is? יְהֹוָה (YHVH). And yes, most people Anglicize it and spell/say it “Jehovah.” And we’re not going to go into all that right now; we’ve already discussed that in Exodus 20:7. What I do want us to see is this—there is another title that Jews have for the One True God, and that is  הַשֶּׁמ(HaShem)—this Hebrew word literally translates as “The Name.” And it is by this title that many Jews do not even try to pronounce the name יְהֹוָה (YHVH) or even אֲדֹנָי (Adonay). They will simply refer to God by the title הַשֶּׁמ(HaShem)—The Name. Zola Leavitt Ministries—

 

“Since ancient Hebrew did not use any vowel markings, the actual pronunciation of the sacred Name is simply not known. In ancient Temple times, only the Kohen Gadol (high priest) would utter the Name during Yom Kippur.

The Jewish tradition is to not pronounce the sacred Name at all, but to substitute the word Adonai ("my Lord") in its place. Thus, when reading Torah, you do not attempt to vocalize the Name, but say Adonai instead. When not reading Torah or the Siddur, most observant Jews refer to the sacred Name simply as Hashem or "the Name" (Leviticus 24:16).

In Hebrew the sacred Name is called Shem HaMeforash, "the ineffable Name." Attempts to provide an exposition of the Name have come to be known as Shelosh Esreh Middot, or the Thirteen Attributes of God and are usually based on exegesis of Exodus 34:6-7 (mystical speculation about the Name is found in Kabbalistic literature).”

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/YHVH/yhvh.html

So then, we see that the young man of mixed heritage blasphemed The Name (הַשֶּׁמ(HaShem))—not simply His Name, but THE NAME.

Then in verses 12-21, we see God proscribe the punishment for blaspheming The Name—specifically, that punishment was death. Today, the man would probably get his own show on Bravo, or alongside the women on "The View". But, when a people fears YHVH, blasphemy is not tolerated, and the person is duly punished. But notice something else here: God elevates Himself—and man, who is made in His image—over all the rest of creation. If you kill an animal, you replace that animal. If you disfigure another person, you get likewise disfigured—break a bone, your bone gets broken; put out and eye, your eye gets put out; knock out a tooth, you lose a tooth. BUT! Kill a man—you die. Genesis 9:6—“Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.” Blaspheme The Name—you die. Exodus 20:7—“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” And it didn’t matter that this man was half Egyptian. God did not give one set of commands to Israelites and another, separate set to foreigners. Leviticus 24:22—“You shall have the same law for the stranger and for one from your own country; for I am the LORD your God.” Period, paragraph. If ANY person within the camp uttered blasphemy against God, they were to be taken outside the camp, the congregation was to lay their hands on the guilty party, and that person was to be crushed under a pile of rocks to show that God does not tolerate insubordination in those who claim to be His people.

So then, what do the people do top this insubordinate riff-raff? Leviticus 24:23—Then Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and they took outside the camp him who had cursed, and stoned him with stones. So the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses. They did what they needed to do—they put this man out of their misery. They destroyed the man who had flung σκύβαλον (skubolon)—rubbish, to say it politely—at the face of Almighty God. These people were quick to rid themselves of the one who had slandered their God. So why is the church today so slow to take action? Why does the church embrace every hip new trend that comes along, that claims to be “Christian”? Why do the Mark Driscolls and Perry Nobles and Steven Furticks become so popular for using language and methods that are so foul and perverse? Why do “Christians” embrace the heresies of the prosperity preachers, who teach that God is at your every beck and call, and that the cross is nothing more than an ATM that use can call on to give you more material wealth? Or they bring in Eastern Mysticism, and Transcendental Meditation, and they teach that those things that the Bible calls “sin” aren’t really sins, and that the only sin anyone can commit is when they call sin “sin”. And the sad part is, when you examine their teachings, and their doctrines are found to be wanting of any truth, their acolytes claim that the one doing the examining is the one causing division. But in all reality, the one who is bringing in the destructive heresies is the one who is truly causing division.  The one who is teaching against Christ is the one we should be taking outside the church and leaving them to their own devices until one of two things happens: they will either (a) see their pernicious errors and come back in repentance and sorrow, or (b) they will creep more closely to Satan’s side.

Paul told the Corinthians they needed to do that very thing. A man was having relations with his stepmother, and instead of removing that one from their midst, they were actually encouraging it. 1st Corinthians 5:1-2—1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father's wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. Look at what Paul is telling them. He’s saying “Get that sinful person out from among you!” Then what are they to do once they remove them? 1^st Corinthians 5:4-5—4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Then once he is put out of the church, and handed over to Satan that he may see the fullness of his sins, we are not to have any fellowship with such a one. 1st Corinthians 5:11—But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. Steven Lawson—

“The church in Corinth is not to associate; they are not to fellowship with the so-called brother who has been put out of the church. There are to be ramifications for his continued choices of sin. He is to be cut off from all privileges of fellowship among the believers. He is to be painted into a corner where he is there, by himself with the devil.”

[note--I wrote this before all that came about with him came to light. His actions do not change the truth of his words. And actually, they seem to be rather prophetic, seeing as he is now being shunned by many]

Now you may be asking, “But that’s for sexual sins. This man in Leviticus was killed for blasphemy.” But I say there is no difference. Is not the one who claims to be saved, by default, taking to himself the name of the Lord Christ? Is he not claiming to be Christian and, therefore, under the headship of Jesus? So then, if this one who has taken the name of Christ continues in his sin, refuses to turn away from that sin, and is one that John describes as being among those who went out from us, but were not of us (1st John 2:19). These have, in fact, “taken the name of the LORD in vain.” These are the ones that the church today does not want to offend. They don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. They don’t want to look like the “bad guys.” So they will rather offend God than offend man. They are friends of the world rather than friends of God (James 4:4-6). Matthew Henry—“He who will act upon this principle, to keep the smiles of the world, and to have its continual friendship, cannot but show himself, in spirit, and in his actions too, an enemy to God.”

So now that brings us to Leviticus chapter 25. This chapter has four major themes: (1) the seventh-year Sabbath for the land, (2) the Year of Jubilee, (3) Redemption of people and property, and (4) the treatment of the poor among them. We are not going to go through this chapter so much verse-by-verse, but rather we will treat the various themes, since they are interwoven with each other.

The first theme we’re going to look at is the seventh-year Sabbath for the land. Leviticus 25:1-7, 18-22—1 And the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, “2 Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. 3 Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; 4 but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. 5 What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land. 6 And the Sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, your male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you, 7 for your livestock and the beasts that are in your land—all its produce shall be for food…18 So you shall observe My statutes and keep My judgments, and perform them; and you will dwell in the land in safety. 19 Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill, and dwell there in safety. 20 And if you say, "What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?" 21 Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years. 22 And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest.”

Now, this was a command that was not for the time when it was spoken. Notice what God says in verse 2. “When you come into the land which I give you…” This was for when they would take the land of Canaan. In Exodus, God equates this seventh-year Sabbath for the land with the seventh-day Sabbath for the people, their servants and their livestock. Exodus 23:10-12—“10 Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove. 12 Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed.” The people were to rest on the seventh day of the week. Their servants were to rest on the seventh day of the week. Their livestock were to rest on the seventh day of the week. But what about the land? Doesn't the land need to rest also? So the people were to store up produce from the sixth year—which God promised would be enough for three years—eat that through not only the seventh but also the eighth year (they were to sow seed in the eighth year), and then eat the harvest of the ninth year. What was God trying to teach the people? The same thing He tried to teach them with the manna in Exodus 16—trust in Him to supply their food. That’s all they had to do with the manna. Just trust that God would provide it, one day after another (and twice on Friday)—and God would give them all they needed.

BUT. As I asked the question before, so I ask it now. Doesn't the land need to rest also? Yes it does. Unfortunately, there would come a time during Israel’s history when would not allow their land to rest and lay fallow. And God would punish them for this insubordination. Turn to 2nd Chronicles 36:11-14—11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He did evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD. 13 And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD God of Israel. 14 Moreover all the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the LORD which He had consecrated in Jerusalem. Zedekiah was an evil king, four generations removed from Josiah. After Josiah came Jehoahaz, then Jehoakim, Jehoachin, Zedekiah. And it was under Zedekiah that Judah’s captivity under the yoke of the Babylonians was completed. It began under Jehoakim; it was finished under Zedekiah. Now before we get too far into the Babylonian captivity, let me point out something. In Leviticus 24, we talked about blaspheming, and taking the name of YHVH in vain. Now look what Zedekiah did in verse 13. And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD God of Israel. There are some who would say, “Well, but he made that oath under duress. Besides, Nebuchadnezzar was an evil man; certainly God wouldn’t punish him for making an oath under such extreme circumstances.” But He did. God did hold him accountable, and for this Judah was taken away captive to Babylon.

And lest you ask why God allowed Babylon to take Judah captive, let me point out this fact: God did not simply allow Judah to be overrun by the Chaldeans—He empowered the Chaldeans to overtake her. 2nd Chronicles 36:15-17—15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy. 17 Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand. Read the first part of verse 17 again. He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans. Who brought the king of the Chaldeans against Judah? God did! God fought against the people of Judah! And He used the Chaldeans, a most vile and despicable people, to inflict punishment upon them! But that is the lesson for us—if you fight against God, God will fight against you. Do you really want to fight God? How on earth do you think you would ever win that battle? And yet here, God, Judah’s only refuge turned His back on her. He would not fight for her. He fought—actively fought—against His own people. Can you think of any fate more sad than to be abandoned by God? To know that He is handing you over to be subjected to such a yoke as Babylon would put upon the neck of Judah?

And yet it was not simply the sin of a broken oath that brought about Judah’s calamity. The other main motivating factor that led to God’s judgment on the house of Judah was this: they had not allowed their land to lay fallow and enjoy her Sabbaths. 2nd Chronicles 36:18-21—18 And all the articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, all these he took to Babylon. 19 Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions. 20 And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. When the writer speaks of the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah he is speaking of the prophecy found in Jeremiah 25:9-12 (Jeremiah prophesied during that period of time recorded in the parallel passages of 2nd Kings 22-25 and 2nd Chronicles 34-36). Now, commentators and scholars have debated whether the “seventy years” in 2nd Chronicles 36:21 means (a) that the land had missed seventy sabbaths over a period of 490 years, and the 70 year captivity was meant to repay one year for each seventh-year Sabbath which they neglected (70 X 7 years), or (b) they had neglected ten seventh-year Sabbaths, and God was granting the land 70 years to make up for the 70 lost Sabbaths. Whichever the case may be, God Himself punished the people for breaking the Sabbath He had declared the land should be allowed. And He did so by using a people like the Babylonians.

Now, while we’re talking about God cursing the people for their neglect in not allowing their land to lay fallow, let’s look at Leviticus 26. The 26^th chapter of Leviticus outlines the blessings and cursings God would bring about for the people’s obedience or disobedience, respectively. We are not going to go through the whole chapter right now, but we do need to see how the Babylonian captivity was in fact a result of their neglect of the seventh-year Sabbath. God tells the people that if they rebel against Him, He will send warnings and pestilence and robbers to steal their harvest. And then He tells them that if they still don’t obey, and if they still don’t allow their land to lay fallow, He paints them about as vivid a picture of the aforementioned Babylonian captivity as He possibly could without simply mentioning the Babylonians by name. In Leviticus 25:18 He promises “So you shall observe My statutes and keep My judgments, and perform them; and you will dwell in the land in safety.” But listen to what He promises in Leviticus 26, and see if this sounds familiar. Leviticus 26:27-35—“‘27 And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me, 28 then I also will walk contrary to you in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. 29 You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. 30 I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your idols; and My soul shall abhor you. 31 I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas. 32 I will bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it. 33 I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your cities waste. 34 Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies' land; then the land shall rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. 35 As long as it lies desolate it shall rest—for the time it did not rest on your Sabbaths when you dwelt in it.’” (we will read more about this when we get there) He tells them exactly what is going to happen if they ignore the Sabbath for the land—and then when they do neglect it, he causes to pass exactly what He promised. This is a God who tells the truth, and when He promises something will happen—whether good or bad—mark His words, it will happen!!

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Exodus

Introduction--Part 1
Introduction--Part 2
Arrival at Sinai
"You shall have no other gods before Me"
"You shall not make a graven image to bow down to it"
"I am a jealous God"
The myth of the "Generational Curse"
"You shall not take My name in vain"
Jesus as the "I AM"
Taking God's name in vain (Part 3)
Making oaths in God's name
"Remember the Sabbath" (Part 1)
"Remember the Sabbath" (Part 2)
"Honor your father and mother"
"You shall not murder"
"You shall not commit adultery"
"You shall not steal" (Part 1)
"You shall not steal" (Part 2)
"You shall not bear false witness"
"You shall not covet anything that is your neighbor's"
"God has come to test you, that you may fear Him"
Treatment of slaves
Statutes concerning murder
Statutes concerning fornication, sorcery, bestiality, and usury
Treatment of Widows and Orphans
Statutes concerning idolatry, obeying authority, perjury
"You shall keep the feast of Passover" (part 1)
"You Shall Keep the Passover" (Part 2)
"You Shall Keep the Passover" (Part 3)
Bear your neighbor's burdens; let your land lay fallow; I send My Angel before you
The First Covenant (part 1)
The First Covenant (part 2)
The First Covenant (part 3)
The Tabernacle, The Priestly Garments
Replicas of the Tabernacle and the Priestly Garments
Consecrating Aaron and His Sons (part 1)
Consecrating Aaron and His Sons (part 2)
Consecrating Aaron and His Sons (part 3)
Ransom Money, Incense, Anointing Oil
The Calling of Bezalel and Aholiab
Picturing the Tabernacle
The Sign of the Sabbath
Aaron's Golden Calf
The Golden Calf (epilogue)
Two New Stones, The Sins of the High Priest
Finishing Exodus

A Survey of the Old Testament Law------- Taking the name of God in vain (PART 3)

How we end our prayers? “In the name of Jesus.” But how many times do we really grasp what it means to finish a prayer with that little phrase? Because to say that is a whole lot more serious than we think it is. If a person says that they are praying “in the name of Jesus”—in the name of the Lord Jesus, who is fully God—is to say that they are praying in the name of YHVH—the LORD. And there are many who are praying things that are clearly contradictory to the ways of the LORD YHVH, but they will claim that they are praying in the name of the LORD YHVH. Now, let me make a distinction here. If you are praying for your Aunt Hildegarde, that God would heal her cancer, and you ask this “in the name of Jesus”—even though it may not be God’s will to cure her cancer, but if you are praying out of love for your Aunt Hildegarde, then that is not necessarily taking the name of the Lord in vain. However, if a person feels like they don’t own enough stuff, and they are ripping out verses from the Bible and claiming that God “owes them” a big-screen TV and a house in Sequoia Hills , and they are making these demands “in the name of Jesus”—then it’s a whole ‘nother matter altogether. And there are folks who do this. Listen to this gem from Kenneth Copeland:

"As a believer, you have a right to make commands in the name of Jesus. Each time you stand on the Word, you are commanding God to a certain extent, because it is His Word" (Kenneth Copeland, Our Covenant with God, p. 32).

He is saying that you have the right to command God in the name of Jesus. Which brings us to today’s text. Exodus 20:7—“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” If someone is declaring that they are making a demand on God “in the name of the Lord” then they are standing on thin ice, because God considers His name to be held in the highest esteem and reverence possible. Look at the last part of this verse: “The LORD (YHVH) will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” This is what Keil and Delitzsch had to say about Exodus 20:7—

“[This commandment] prohibits all uses of the name of God for vain and unworthy objects, and includes not only false swearing, which is condemned in Leviticus 19:12 as [profaning] the name of YHVH, but trivial swearing in the ordinary [conversations] of life, and every use of the name of God in the service of untruth and lying, for [cursing others], witchcraft, or [séances]; whereas the true [use] of the name of God is confined to ‘invocation, prayer, praise, and thanksgiving,’ which proceeds from a pure, believing heart. The natural heart is very liable to transgress this command, and therefore it is solemnly enforced by the threat, ‘for YHVH will not hold him guiltless’.”

If I'm trying to convince someone that I'm telling the truth, I may finally come to the point where I say “I swear to God I'm telling the truth!” If I do that, I had better be telling the truth. And that’s what is spelled out in the Law. Exodus 22:10-11—“If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep, and it dies, is hurt, or driven away, no one seeing it, then an oath of the LORD shall be between them both, that he has not put his hand into his neighbor's goods.” In other words, if I ask Yitzhak to watch my goats while I go out of town, then I come back and my goats are gone and Yitzhak tells me that someone stole them, and nobody saw it, then we would take an oath in the name of YHVH, and Yitzhak would swear by the name of God that he didn’t do anything mischievous to my goats. But Yitzhak had better be telling the truth, or he will have taken the name of YHVH in vain, and as God says in Leviticus 19:12—“You shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.” If Yitzhak has sworn that oath to God—by doing that, he has called God as a witness. So, basically, what I do, being the offended party, is to say, “OK, you’ve said it. You’ve taken an oath to God; you are in His hands now.” And what that means is, if he did indeed pilfer my goats, then the responsibility for punishment has been taken out my hands, and placed it into God’s hands. And if Yitzhak lied, then he will receive punishment directly from God. Romans 12:19—Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. So if we take an oath in the name of the LORD, and we are taking that oath in vain, then God is the one who will take vengeance on us. Not a very pleasant proposition.


But listen to the goodness and faithfulness of our God, when He swears an oath and makes a promise. Hebrews 6:13-16—When God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you." And so, after [Abraham] had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Like we just saw, if you swear by the name of God—it’s out of my hands, you are now in God’s hands. But we don’t have to worry about whether or not God is telling the truth because it goes on to say, Hebrews 6:17-18--Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath—there is nothing greater than God, so He swore by Himself—that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. God IS truth. As we talked about last week—not only is He true, He is truth. When He promises to do something, He will swear an oath by HIMSELF to do it. And because He CANNOT lie, if He makes a promise, He will do it.


Men, on the other hand, aren't always so honest. And many times, men will not hold the name of God in such high regard. And not only will they swear an oath in the name of God—an oath they never meant to keep—they will simply toss around the name of God and use it in some of the most despicable ways possible. The first example of this is in Leviticus 24, so let’s turn there. Leviticus 24:10-12—Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and this Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel fought each other in the camp. And the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the name of the LORD and cursed; and so they brought him to Moses. (His mother's name was Shelomith the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) Then they put him in custody, that the mind of the LORD might be shown to them. In much the same way that it didn’t take the children of Israel very long to construct an idol and say “this is YHVH, who brought us out of Egypt,” it didn’t take long before we have an example of someone using the name of YHVH as a cuss word. And as God promised, He will not hold that person guiltless who takes His name in vain. We see that as we look down in Leviticus 24:13-16—And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Take outside the camp him who has cursed; then let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. Then you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. And whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the LORD, he shall be put to death…You shall have the same law for the stranger and for one from your own country; for I am the LORD your God.'…Then Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and they took outside the camp him who had cursed, and stoned him with stones. So the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses. Before we go any further, remember last week, what were the Jews going to do when Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I AM?” They took up stones to stone Him. What were they going to do when He said “I and My Father are one?” They took up stones to stone Him. They took outside the camp him who had cursed, and stoned him with stones. Seems a little harsh, doesn’t it? Well, to us it seems harsh. But we’re not talking about just anybody’s name here. We are talking about the name of God Himself. And God guards His name above everything else. And while we may think this was going a bit overboard, God does not think it too great a punishment. And when you get right down to it, whose opinion matters more? Blaspheming His name carries with it a much harsher punishment—either in this life or the depths of Hell—than nearly any other sin. Because His name is not like any other name.


Is it hard to find a movie these days—or even a TV show for that matter—is it hard to find one that uses God’s name as a profanity? “Get out of my G.D. house” Or they’ll use the name of Jesus Christ as a profanity? Now, the culture we live in may not think there’s anything wrong with that. But does our culture determine what is and is not acceptable to God? God does not say “Culture will determine whether you can use My name as a curse word.” He says “I will not hold him guiltless.” Another way to say it is “I will hold that person personally accountable to Me for how they use My name.” Now, not only is this degree of punishment fit for those who blaspheme the name of the Father, it is also true of those who blaspheme the name of Christ—because He was the manifestation of God’s name. John 17:4—“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world.” He has been given the name that is above every name. Philippians 2:9-11—Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. And also, He bears that name upon His thigh and upon His robe. Revelation 19:13, 16—He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God…And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And if we honor the name of Christ, we will enter into eternal life. John 20:31—These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. Acts 4:12—“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” So the name of God is not something that is to be trifled with. Now, we see a couple other places where punishment is dealt out to one who claims to be speaking in the name of the Lord.


Turn to Deuteronomy 18:20-22—“The prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.' You may say in your heart, 'How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?' When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” And what will happen to that prophet? He will die. If a prophet was going around claiming to be prophesying “in the name of the LORD” and what he was prophesying did not come to pass, he was taken outside of the camp and stoned to death. Again, let’s shine spotlight upon TBN. So many of them call themselves “prophets.” And they go around saying things like “God spoke to me and said…” If God did not speak to that person—and just for the record, He didn’t—and yet they are standing there saying that “God told me…” then they are claiming to speak in the name of God, and what would have happened to that person under the Law of Moses? Their body would still be rotting under a pile of rubble in the Middle Eastern desert.


Let me put it to you this way: if I'm going around saying that I'm speaking on behalf of Grace Community Church, and I'm saying that we believe some sort of goofy, off-the-wall doctrine, what am I doing to the name of GCC? I'm bringing shame and reproach on the name of GCC. Now, take that principle and apply it to the name of God Himself. Suppose some lunatic were to stand before a crowd in the Orlando Civic Center on December 31st, 1989 and say that “God told me that Fidel Castro will die sometime in the 1990’s” and that a major earthquake would devastate the east coast of the USA, and that God would destroy the homosexual community with fire somewhere around 1993-1994—and yet Fidel Castro is still alive to this day, there was no earthquake and homosexuality is still running rampant—then what kind of reputation does that give of God? At best it says that God just kinda guesses at things. But at worst, it says that God is a liar. (BTW, those were actual "prophecies" delivered by Benny Hinn on December 31, 1989, at the Orlando Civic Center) Now, we may hear someone try and wiggle out of this by saying, “Well, yeah, but that was just in the Old Testament”—think again. What did Jesus say? Matthew 5:17-18—“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” We don’t stone false prophets these days—we leave them in the hands of God. And we let Him deal with them as He will. And He will.


And we see that, as we finish up with a New Testament example of someone claiming the name of Christ in vain. Turn to Acts 19. The name of Jesus is not some kind of magic incantation that a person can simply spit out of their mouth and make demons disappear. Demons are spiritual beings and they cannot be overwhelmed by physical acts. As Paul says in Ephesians 6:12—We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. But in Acts 19, we see a fellow who has heard of this Jesus guy, and has taken it upon himself to try and fight a demon-possessed man using the name of Jesus—a name he had no right to use. Acts 19:13-14—Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" These guys had no idea who Jesus was, but they had heard Paul preaching about some guy named Jesus and thought they could simply toss out His name, and the spirits would leave.


Only those who are known by Christ can call upon the name of Christ. And the thing about demons is, they know Jesus. Mark 1:23-26—Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us?" But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. They know Jesus. And they can spot a phony. And only Christ—and His apostles—had that kind of power over demons. Not even angels did this. Jude 1:9—Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" So, what happened to these sons of Sceva? Acts 19:15-16—Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. We also see from this what Jesus meant when He said in Mark 3:24-26—“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.” You had the demon possessed man on the one side; you had the Jewish exorcists—who were deceived by Satan—on the other. This kingdom is divided against itself, Satan has risen up against himself, and God gets the glory. Acts 19:17—This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.


This is really an important event in the Bible. It shows us just how dangerous it is to throw around the name of our God, and the consequences that come from doing so. Now, next week, we’re going to get a glimpse of the other side of the coin—that is, the blessings that come from using the name of God properly, and keeping a vow even if it does us harm.


Jesus 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.

Al Mohler on "Golden Compass"

On his blog, Al Mohler (president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) has written a very good post over at his blog about the upcoming "Golden Compass" movie. I warned parents in an earlier post that the purpose of the author of the series "His Dark Materials" is to "kill God in the minds of children."

Here's a blip from Mr. Mohler:

The bottom line is that these books and this movie will attract a lot of attention and will captivate many readers and viewers.

So, what's the problem?

This is not just any fantasy trilogy or film project. Philip Pullman has an agenda -- an agenda about as subtle as an army tank. His agenda is nothing less than to expose what he believes is the tyranny of the Christian faith and the Christian church. His hatred of the biblical storyline is clear. He is an atheist whose most important literary project is intended to offer a moral narrative that will reverse the biblical account of the fall and provide a liberating mythology for a new secular age.

The great enemy of humanity in the three books, The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass (together known as His Dark Materials) is the Christian church, identified as the evil Magisterium. The Magisterium, representing church authority, is afraid of human freedom and seeks to repress human sexuality.

The Magisterium uses the biblical narrative of the Fall and the doctrine of original sin to repress humanity. It is both violent and vile and it will stop at nothing to protect its own interests and to preserve its power.

Pullman's attack on biblical Christianity is direct and undeniable. He once questioned why his books attracted little controversy even as the Harry Potter books attracted so much. He told an Australian newspaper that what he is "saying things that are far more subversive than anything poor old Harry has said. My books are about killing God."

Will viewers of the movie see all this?

The direct attack on Christianity and God is toned down in the movie. But any informed person will recognize the Magisterium as representing the Church and Christianity. Of course, in our world the Magisterium is the authoritative leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. In Pullman's world it represents Christianity as a whole.

Juanita Bynum and her Thrashing Threshing Floor

This video (from dazzarai at YouTube) has been around for a while, but it's still worth posting because it shows just where Profitess Prophetess Bynum's priorities really are, and just how screwed-up her doctrine really is. How she thinks she needs a $200,000 building, complete with gold-plated walls and a mock-up of the Ark of the Covenant (Anybody recall what happened last time somebody tried messing with the Ark? Ironically enough, near a threshing floor!) in order to intercede for her sheeple.

So, tell me, if "Prophetess" Juanita has a mansion, and a bank account that would rival most CEO's, why doesn't she pony up her own dough? It kinda seems like someone who has a bunch of lambs, but covets another's ewe lamb. And isn't it just quaint how she shows herself thrashing around wildly, for all the world to see, "praying" for those people she's fleecing with her latest money-grubbing scheme who are paying for this abomination? (Didn't Jesus say something about "not praying to be seen by men?")

There are a couple other heresies in this video, but I'll let you find them for yourself.

"Test Every Spirit"--the prosperity "gospel" part 2

Part 1 here.

------------------------

Those who preach the prosperity "gospel" also say that the work of redemption was not completed on the Cross! Think I’m kidding? Kenneth Copeland said,

"When Jesus cried, 'It is finished!' He was not speaking of the plan of redemption. There were still three days and nights to go through before He went to the throne...Jesus' death on the cross was only the beginning of the complete work of redemption. The plan of redemption had just begun; there were still three days and three nights to be gone through." (1)

But the blasphemy doesn’t stop here. Apparently, God Himself spoke a new revelation to Brother Kenneth. Listen to this:

"It wasn't a physical death on the cross that paid the price for sin...anybody can do that." (2)

Listen to Fred Price:

"Do you think that the punishment for our sin was to die on a cross? If that were the case, the two thieves could have paid your price." (3)

I don’t even know where to begin! This is so wrong on so many levels! The payment for our sins was the blood of a lamb without spot or blemish! DO NOT EVER let ANYONE tell you that ANYBODY OTHER THAN OUR LORD JESUS CHIRST COULD HAVE PAID THE PENALTY FOR OUR SINS!! And that the blood He shed on the cross wasn’t enough, that He had to go through a bunch of other stuff!
Colossians 1:19-20—For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself…having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Ephesians 2:14-16—For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having ended in His flesh…the law of commandments contained in ordinances [the rules and regulations of the law of Moses]…and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross… When Jesus said, “It is finished,” If He wasn’t talking about our redemption, what was He talking about?

You see how this prosperity "gospel" gets started. Man has “authority”, gives it to Satan, and Jesus died on the cross to get it back. And that brings us to prosperity. Now that Jesus has given us this “authority”, what do we do with it? Well, we it to speak wealth into our lives. We use it to speak words which will keep us from getting sick. It goes by many names. Word of Faith. Name-it-and-claim-it. By your “faith” you speak stuff into existence. Basically, you are a little god. Don’t believe me?

• Benny Hinn—“Are you ready for some real revelation knowledge...you are god!” (4)
• Paul Crouch—“I am a little god! Critics, be gone!” (5)
• Morris Cerullo—“You're not looking at Morris Cerullo—you're looking at God. You're looking at Jesus.” (6)
• Kenneth Copeland—"You don’t have a god in you, you are one." (7)

And since we are “little gods”, we can speak anything we want into existence, including wealth. Then, we take that “wealth” and we use it to bribe God to give us more wealth. When we give, we can DEMAND that God gives us more in return. Don’t believe me? Listen to Kenneth Copeland—

“As a believer, you have a right to make commands in the name of Jesus. Each time you stand on the Word, you are commanding God to a certain extent because it is His Word.” (8)

Jesse Duplantis—

“Every time you give Him $100, He gives you $10,000. Every time you give Him $1000, He gives you $100,000. Every time you give him $100,000, $10 million.” (9)

Rod Parsley—

"To reap a perpetual harvest you need to sow a perpetual seed. I got a need for seed." (10)

He went on to say,

“I just love to talk about money…I just love to talk about your money. Let me be very clear — I want your money. I deserve it. This church deserves it.” (11)

So, we take this authority, and we claim it for ourselves, and we use the word of God to twist His arm and give us whatever we ask for. And if you are a child of God, you will never be poor or sick. Fred Price—

“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?” (12)

John Avanzini says,

“Jesus had a nice big house…Jesus wore designer clothes (13)…Jesus was handling big money.” (14)

And, since we are supposed to imitate Christ, we should have a life free of hardship or sickness. I'm sure that's somewhere in the Bible. Nope, it ain't in there! God never promises us a pain-free life for following Jesus. All these “prosperity” preachers go around saying how Jesus was rich. That He wore fancy clothes, and had a huge mansion. I dare anybody to find that in here. And I don’t care what Kenneth Copeland says that “God spoke to him”! I don’t give a rip about what Jesse Duplantis says that God “revealed” to him! I couldn’t care less about what Benny Hinn says that the “Spirit of God” spoke to him! These men are liars, they are deceivers, they are charlatans, they are blasphemers, and they are leading their followers down a path that will lead to their destruction!

Ever notice these people never tell you—they never quote anything about the life of the apostle Paul. Here was a man who Jesus Himself came to in a vision, Jesus Himself chose Paul to spread the gospel to Corinth and Ephesus, and Colosse, and Thessalonica. So you would think that Paul lived an extravagant life. Yeah, right. 2nd Timothy 3:10-13, Paul tells Timothy—But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me…And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution… In fact, Paul prophesied about people like Kenny, Benny, and Creflo. 2nd Timothy 4:3—…the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. When is God most glorified in us? It is when we either HAVE NOTHING or we RISK EVERYTHING. God was most glorified in Abraham when Sarah was unable to conceive, but Abraham believed the promise of God. That was the faith that was counted as righteousness, Romans 4:3.

God was most glorified in Moses, not when he lived in the house of Pharaoh, but when he led the people of Israel out of slavery. God was glorified in Ruth as she spent her days hunched over picking up stubble out of the wheat field. God was most glorified in David when he was a shepherd with a sling and a stone. God was most glorified in Nehemiah as he cried out to the pagan king Artaxerxes, “Please let me go back and rebuild the city of God.” God was most glorified in Job when God allowed Satan to take away his sons and daughters and house and cattle and servants. What did Job say? “Blessed be the name of the LORD.” God was glorified in Peter as he died, being crucified upside-down. John 21:18-19—"…but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. This is something that is missing in so many churches today. The idea of embracing the cross. Not simply looking at Jesus as a way to solve our everyday problems. But looking to the cross as the only way to solve our sin problem. What does it mean to embrace the cross?

When we embrace the cross does not guarantee “Our Best Life Now!” Tell the man in Iran who embraced the cross and was lashed with a whip. Tell the woman in Bangladesh who embraced the cross and had acid thrown on her that she’s having her “Best Life Now”. Tell the young man in the country of Sudan who embraced the cross—and you talk about a country where embracing the cross is more dangerous than anywhere else. This young man was caught, had his clothes ripped off of him, and a burning log laid on his bare chest. Oh, if only Mike Murdock could have been there to show him how to claim his blessing!

Embracing the cross does not guarantee a pain-free life! Embracing the cross does not mean that we will find favor with the world! Embracing the cross means that we will be the world’s enemy! Embracing the cross means that the world will look at us like we've lost our minds! 1st Corinthians 1:18—For the preaching of the Cross is foolishness to them that are perishing, but to us who are saved it is the power of God unto salvation. Did you hear that last part? Unto salvation. Not “unto riches.” Not “unto health.” The Cross will not guarantee your “Best Life Now”, but it will guarantee you eternal life after you die.

Jesus did not die so you could name and claim a Mercedes-Benz! He didn’t die on the cross so you could avoid pain and heartache in your life. You want to talk about pain and heartache, then look at the cross. God had to allow His Son to die a death you and I could never imagine. Then, He had to place all the sins of those who would ever believe in Him on the shoulders of that dear Son as He died in—not only physical—but emotional and spiritual agony. And think of the pain and heartache you put God through until you called His name. Think of the pain and heartache God is enduring right now while those in positions of power figure out how to strike His name from our lips and our ears. Think of the pain and heartache He must feel when He tells someone who denied Him all their life—or someone who claimed to know Him, thought they knew Him, did many good works in His name—but they never knew Him, and He must tell that person “Depart!” And sends them to the lake burning with fire and brimstone. That, my friends, is a heartache we can't even begin to imagine.

Watch this video of John Piper explaining why he is so disgusted with the prosperity gopel. I'll give you a hint. It's because the prosperity "gospel" AIN'T THE GOSPEL!!



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References:

(1) Kenneth Copeland, "Jesus - Our Lord of Glory", Believer's Voice of Victory, April, 1982, p.3.

(2) What Satan Saw on the Day of Pentecost, audiotape #BCC-19, side 1.

(3) Frederick K.C. Price, Ever Increasing Faith Messenger, June 1990, p. 7.

(4) Benny Hinn, "Our Position In Christ", tape # AO31190-1.

(5) Paul Crouch, "Praise the Lord" program, July 7, 1986.

(6) The End Time Manifestation of the Sons of God, Audio Tape 1, Sides 1&2.

(7) Copeland, The Force of Love, 1987, Tape #02-0028.

(8) Our Covenant with God, 1987, p. 32.

(9) Jesse Duplantis (TBN, September 21, 1998)

(10) Rod Parsley, TBN, Praise-A-Thon, March 31, 2004

(11) “An Empire of Souls,” op. cit., pg. 35 quoted from PFO Journal.

(12) Fred Price, "Is God Glorified Through Sickness?" tape # FP605.

(13) John Avanzini, "Believer's Voice of Victory" broadcast on TBN, recorded 1/20/91.

(14) John Avanzini, Praise the Lord (TBN), 9/15/88.

Sevierville Church shames Christians

Just found this over at A Little Leaven. It's about a sermon series at The Gathering church in Sevierville. The subject? "Red Hot Sex!" No, that's not a typo. I ain't taking anything out of context. This is the story of a "church" whose "pastor" has decided that hey, maybe I should send 50,000 fliers to area homes--many of which have children--to stir up the pot or, how does he say, "Push the envelope."

Ya know, it would be one thing if they did this on a weeknight, for adults, a class on improving a MARRIED couple's love life. But to preach this stuff, from the pulpit, is past being way out of line. But, that's what you get when the church tries to look like the world. And what did the apostle John say about that? And what did Paul say about "peddling" the Word of God? Here's the video:

If Satan is in charge...

...then Kenneth Copeland has some 'splainin' to do. Via Christian Witness Ministries:

• “God’s reason for creating Adam was His desire to reproduce Himself. I mean a reproduction of Himself, and in the Garden of Eden He did just that. He was not a little like God. He was not almost like God. He was not subordinate to God even. Adam is as much like God as you could get, just the same as Jesus. Adam, in the Garden of Eden, was God manifested in the flesh.” (“Following the Faith of Abraham I,” side 1)


• “He [Adam] was not subordinate to God ... [but] was walking as a god with the authority of a god. ... What he said went. What he did, counted. [And when he] bowed his knee to Satan and put Satan up above him, then there wasn’t anything God could do about it, because a god had placed [Satan] there.” (“The Force of Love,” tape #02-0028)


• “God had no avenue of lasting faith or moving in the earth. He had to have covenant with somebody...He had to be invited in, in other words, or He couldn’t come.” (“God’s Covenant with Man II”, 1985, tape #01-4404, side 1)

So, God was shut out of the Garden after the fall. He couldn't do ANYTHING. Well, as the folks over at CWM point out:

• What right did God have to make clothing out of animal skins for Adam and Eve?
• What right did God have to expel Adam and Eve from the Garden?
• What right did God have to place a Cherubim and Flaming Sword, in the garden, to guard the way to the tree of life?
• What right did God have to curse and mark Cain?
• What right did God have to take Enoch - one of Satan’s possessions?
• What right did God have to flood the Earth?
• What right did God have to talk to Abram — one of Satan’s possessions?
• What right did God have to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah?
• By what right did God kill the first born of Egypt?

I also noticed something else in reading this article. They reprint the "Statement of Faith" at Kenneth Copeland Ministries. I won't reproduce it here, but here's the link. I notice that in the statement of faith, KCM mentions that they believe Jesus was crucified, and they believe that salvation comes by faith in the shed blood of Jesus. But nowhere do they put the two together. This shows you that KCM still does not believe that the blood Jesus shed ON THE CROSS was what purchases our freedom, our redemotion, and our salvation. Obviously, they still believe Jesus had to suffer in Hell for three days. So, I guess when Jesus said, "It is finished," He was what, lying to us? This is one reason I do not hesitate to call Kenneth Copeland a heretic.