Sinister Ministers Pt.3

our reaping

1 Pet 4:17: “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

If we look around us, I believe that we find the church being judged as a direct result of our compromise with many of those that have found a home in the pulpits of America. I’m referring to those who give false promises of money so they can have money given to them. The church will always be judged before a country. To whom much is given much is required. I’m not saying because of this one thing we have judgment but it certainly is a good reason God is bringing the church to a place of judgment because she did not judge the lies and stand for His truth. We are to be the head, we are to be salt and light to a world of darkness, but how can we fulfill this when we neglect the sheep! The Lord has sovereignly allowed financial judgment on our land because we are to deal with the false prosperity movement, that make people covet.

But we continue to ignore its vampirish appetite. Watch out for these prosperity philanthropists that will beat the sheep as the money well dries up for them. They will be forced to change their lifestyle and forfeit the standard of luxury they have grown accustom to off the back of their supporters. This is extortion in Jesus name.

1 Cor 5:11-13: “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. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."

Many complain of no outcry in the church, no supervision or accountability. Yes there are some Pastors that will at times mention the false doctrine but don’t have the courage to name the offenders, so the congregation cannot make the connection of those involved and who to avoid. Because of this manner of teaching the fleecing continues and they are not removed from among us. Even when false doctrines surface inside their own church their courage wanes, instead of being a real shepherd that protects his family, they instead consider membership and contributors leaving.

Even atheists who refuse to believe there is a God can see right through these snake oil salesman on TV, but a Christian who is supposed to have the Holy Spirit to teach them the difference between good and evil, truth and error cannot (Heb.5:13) WHY? Two main reason, first they were not taught the word correctly to distinguish the false from the true; second and more importantly because they allow them to appeal to their carnal nature.

The world is constantly looking for flaws in those who set themselves as teachers of Christianity, and we have given them the ammunition. Of course they will never be friendly to real gospel preaching but they look at the majority of religious representatives of Christ on TV and think its all about money and cons. And we allow these religious blatherskites to exploit the “gospel” for their own financial gain. When we neglect our duty God uses human government, the world and even our enemies instead. Romans 13:2-5: “Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.”

It should have been the church that has an outcry against these charlatans to be removed off the air. Instead the world will do our discerning work and it will not have discretion, they will remove the good preachers along with the bad. Satan will have a win-win situation.

The shaking of politics and church are both taking place at the same time. The worlds corruption is no different than what we see today inside the church; greed, coveting, avarice, self –aggrandizement, the works of the flesh. God is more concerned with His church than the world, we are his body.

2 Corinthians 11:19-21: “you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise! For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. To our shame, I say that we were too weak for that!”

Paul calls these preachers fools and the people who listen to them think they have wisdom, but they have compromised their integrity.

They promise you freedom but they instead bring you into bondage, (how… by the law they devour you, they take your money and at the same time exalt themselves, by calling themselves anointed, apostles, prophets whom God has spoken to with new revelation and has given prosperity plans. It was a great insult to be struck on the face, those who allow this are being struck in the face over and over not learning their lesson, they will be “taken to the cleaners” and they are not ashamed.

The Bible instructs us to rebuke those who bring harm:

Titus 1:11: “whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.”

Paul asks in Rom. 11:35: “Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?” The answer to this - no one. We give to God in response; he has given us everything by His grace. To tell people you can’t out give God and then manipulate them to give their best sacrificial gift, more than they may have to your ministry (as if you are God’s representative by teaching this) is being a charlatan and when you stand before God you will know him by his wrath.

This tells me that people are not thinking, not discerning, not questioning but believe every word that comes out of these soothsayers mouths. The church must make its stand to separate from this or we will continue to be dragged into it simply because we have said nothing. If this were a football game these men would be benched, but instead the church has given them the ball and said play on. Until we approach the teachers and make them accountable the church demolition will continue. I have seen the devastation first hand from too many people over the years.

Tithing is an Old Testament concept, a requirement of the law. Under the Mosaic covenant a tenth was a requirement to the Levites who would teach the tribes. The Levites were the servants in Israel, who would teach the people. And they were supported by a system, a type of income tax called “tithes”.  The Old Testament Law required multiple tithes which would reach a total of over 22 percent, not 10 percent. Tithes was not only money; In fact it was rarely money. Mal.3 is specifically for the people of Israel; we have it as a principle because we are under a different covenant. If we look carefully at Mal.3, the promise was an agricultural one. If the Churches who have their people tithed today because of this scripture then they should have the most abundance of crops and rain in their areas. Again, the promise was to Israel and to a specific area.  God could be tested on their giving because it was part of the covenant relationship He had with Israel. The Levitical priests did not teach people how to get wealth from their tithing.

Today the “prosperity priesthood” are teaching us to become the initiator expecting God to respond by law. They bring you under the law by teaching you to give so that God can give back, they call it his blessing But if we operate under law we are no longer under the new covenant of grace. We do not live under the Law as Israel once did, we live under the grace provided through Jesus Christ. If you choose to obligate yourself to even part of the Law of Moses, you must keep it all or you will be guilty of it.

The electronic church prosperity preachers tell people to just have faith to receive your blessings as you sacrificially give to the prophet for the hundredfold return. What a pathetic state we are in to believe this - carnality at its zenith.

They are Silver tongued snakes that are out for your money, making you think that they have the Midas touch (which they call the anointing) … nearly all the voices on Christian TV say the same things, with one voice they convince the viewers this is what the Bible actually says. They write books and give seminars and the church accepts it as truth. They are teaching faith in your faith, trust in your power to believe for what you need (or want).They are not teaching to have faith in the truth of the Word but faith in theses men’s own interpretation of the word. Their followers as they give are made to be disciples of themselves.

I tuned into the program “ Deal or no deal” on Mar.27, 09, for some reason I continued to watch. It became apparent why -- Koshka was down to the final two cases $5,000 or one million. She previously said she wrote a check to herself for 1 million and said if you speak it you shall have it, she convinced herself by the word faith belief that she had the case. I knew how this was going to end up and it was agonizing, she turned down an offer to buy her case for $530,000 and then preceded to lose. Why, because $530,000 was not enough when she spoke a million as her confession. She got nothing. She believed as much as anyone but it wasn’t enough.

In both Romans 6:14 and Galatians 5:18, Paul emphasizes that the believer is no longer under the Law of Moses. An example of grace-giving is found in Acts 4:32-35, where the believers gave as they felt led with no specific percentage.  New Covenant Christians do not have to tithe in order to please God.  Grace is freedom; in the new covenant everything is about grace, even grace in giving.

 As a New Testament believer we are to use the guideline of 10% as a principle for giving but not as an obligation. We give as we are able to; sometimes we can give more than 10 percent; sometimes less. The New Testament principle is based upon Spirit-controlled giving rather than tithing by law. Every Christian should participate in giving. These offerings are an attitude of worship to God and help serve the body of Christ. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

We are not to give what we do not truly have.(2 Corinthians 9:7). Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion. If you are manipulated then you are not cheerful giver. Guilt of lacking in faith is most often used to get the desired result.

In 2 Corinthians 9:7 there is no amount mentioned, it what you have settled in your own heart. The Greek word for cheerful is hilaros, it is the English word “hilarious,” meaning give in a joyful, cheery, and exuberant manner. We should be happy and joyful to give to expand God's Kingdom. We are specifically told not to give grudgingly. The Greek word for grudgingly is lupe. It carries the meaning of sorrow, grief, being annoyed. If you are compelled to give, or give out of necessity, if you are annoyed you should not give. If someone has convinced you or forced you to give by making you feel guilty or promised you a greater return, then you are no longer a cheerful giver, but are coveting.

Our first responsibility is to attend to the needs of our family. The Bible takes a dim view of those who fail in this area (I Tim. 5:8). We are not to give first, when we do not have it, this is not God's word but the faith teachers words to squeeze what they can out of you.

Too many think it is about giving to be blessed when they should be more concerned about who you are giving to. The Lord is concerned; is the person using the money well for ministry or burning it up for their own high lifestyle living. In the end the Lord will hold both you and them responsible.

The greater the promise the more easily the naïve and simple in the church are manipulated. The philosophy of stealing from the saints is implemented by the prosperity ideologues that maneuver thousands that watch their TV program to give money to them for preaching prosperity instead of the gospel.

By the message of coveting they convince you that you deserve more, more money, a new house or car, a promotion, whatever it is that the preacher is baiting you with - you are no longer a disciple of Jesus but of a fallen man that is living in his carnal nature. The solution is – you need to die to self.

2 Peter 2:1-3: “ there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words.”

Why are they called false teachers by Peter? Because they are liars. What do they lie about MONEY, WEALTH Greek -pleonexia - greedy desire to have more, covetousness, avarice, i.e. (by implication) fraudulency, extortion:

They exploit you – make merchandise Greek emporeuomai; to travel in (a country as a peddler), i.e. (by implication) to trade: to import for sale, to use a person or a thing for gain

What are they trading money for a blessing. How do they convince people? plastos – feigned words,

artificial or (figuratively) fictitious (false): They are offering something supernatural from God for the money given to them.

You can put the Scripture 2 Pet 2:1-3 behind them on a banner for all to see and the people listening to them will not connect it to what they are saying. So they follow their destructive ways (covetousness). Greek- aselgeia - excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence.

Peter also spoke of “the way of Balaam” as one being motivated with greed, “who loved the wages of unrighteousness” (2 Peter 2:15) and Jude addresses the dreamers who “have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit.” The church at Pergamos Rev 2:14: “Jesus said I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam.”

It means to be sold out for money (Numbers 22:18). Money eventually influenced Balaam to be a mercenary prophet. Corrupt ministers will use their position to find a way to be rewarded.

What is the church being taught as the motivation for giving; the “hundred-fold return” promised by these ministries, but that is old, now we have “thousand fold,” maybe next we will have “million fold” because of inflation. Promises of increased wealth to wayward children coming home, to deliverance from their sinful lifestyles. The stories and testimonies are endless and so are the devastated lives from the lies of what has been promised to them. Is this not coveting.

They say a certain amount will free you and bring blessing when this amount is not found in the Bible anywhere! Mike Murdock has been saying he broke the back of poverty with $1.000; for years there’s 100 people that are going to give $1000, he does this nearly every night, or the program is repeated when he is not there and how much do you think he is taking in?

Todd Coontz says sow your seed quickly because its time dated. Don’t wait because it may not be any good. Clearly manipulation to give at the spur of the moment. He promises to make their wildest financial dreams come true by sending money to… you know who -- Todd. “As a treasured Partner, you also share in the anointing and financial mantle on Dr. Todd’s life as he agrees to faithfully pray for you, your family, and your finances on a daily basis.”

Often the amount is a one thousand dollar seed, after all Murdock, a disciple of Oral Roberts says he broke the back of poverty with this amount of seed.  Think about it, if only 1% reacts to them they get paid well over the worth of their teachings. In fact if they get one penny, it’s overpaid.

But they are more than willing to abandon the bible and be criticized by the few to have their money and lifestyle. To borrow a phrase from an astute conservative talk radio speaker -we have country club Christianity.

In the Old testament the priests had requirements- they were to fear God and hate coveting. We certainly see that missing today in the “TV prosperity priesthood.”

Mark 10:23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”Why say this if it is not true? V: 24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! In fact Jesus repeated this, means it is especially true.

Morris Cerullo's Gulfstream, is estimated to be worth $50 million, Benny Hinn had already purchased this Jet from Cerullo for 9 million. When I attended his partners meeting here in Honolulu Hawaii in 2007 to raise the funds for the purchased jet, what we watched was pure manipulation. He started with those to give one thousand dollars to come forward in front of everyone to be prayed for. Then 100 dollars, then 50 dollars and those with any less -- stay in your seats and no prayer is said. There is you answer to how those with a dime is treated

Psalm 37:16 “A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked.”

They teach the righteous are all supposed to be rich. Paul a Pharisee was quite rich yet he gave it up for a life to follow Christ and he had this to say under inspiration of the Holy Spirit

Phil. 3:7-1:1:" But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,  if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."

This is plumbline for those who truly follow, prosperity was not Paul’s message, he asked for no money but instead gave his life for the brethren.

Consider what Paul wrote to Timothy,

1 Tim. 6:3-12: " If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,  useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.  Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.   For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.  But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.   Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

Many godly men have been drawn away by the snare of wanting to be rich. Pride, those who teach to be Godly is prosperity, they are void of truth. Those who teach you to pursue being rich (you too can become rich like me if you give to me) Paul says they are not in the faith, greedy and are trapped by their own coveting, we are not only to separate from them but run from them.

We all know how arrogant Politicians can be and the TV prophiteers of prosperity are no different, selling the church a lot of worthless promises. Narcissism is preached as spirituality and the people who have not given up self love believe it. They have become convinced that God’s blessing are what we are to strive for when the Bible says we receive them by grace.

The word faith movement with its heretical teaching on prosperity has become the norm. It has the monopoly of programming, the church is being influenced and controlled by its own media. Christian TV has become is an extension of the false teachers ministries. As one conservative spokesman summed it up the country, we have become the US of entertainment. Is your time filled with Christian entertainment? Because of this pastime the church has become Biblically illiterate and less able to reach out personally to those around us, so much opportunities for ministry are missed. If Christian TV went off the air we would for the most part have a great improvement, for it would move many to be personally involved.

Interpreting the bible in an affluent American/western cultural setting has changed the meaning of Scripture so that imposters who have the goal of independent wealth can receive money through their Christian jargon. The naïve are more than willing to go along with it because they are promised the same benefits. They preach the distorted Word of God for personal gain, a life of luxury and opulence that few of their contributors will ever see, despite all their assurances. Living like successful entrepreneurs that made their fortune in business they own multi-million dollar house[s], personal jets and numerous expensive cars.

The Lord Jesus has everyone choose whom they serve - is it the world or the Lord. It’s impossible for anyone to serve both God and mammon. It has been said “He that serves God for money will serve the Devil for better wages.” (Roger L’esStrange)

What your mind is focused on will shape your life and produce your actions. The faith prosperity teachers have made the things on earth to be eternal. You cannot serve two masters. Whose message are you going to listen to and obey- mans or Gods. You are either storing up ETERNAL treasures in heaven or you are getting your rewards now on earth and will have nothing where you will spend eternity.

As disciples are to be in the world but not of it. Jesus is coming for a bride that is unspotted and without wrinkles, holy, Ephesians 5:26-27. James interprets being with spot as having worldliness, James 1:27 and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. 2 Peter 2:13-14 warns us of those who are spots and blemishes “carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you” Jude calls them “spots in your love feasts”(1:12). They are corrupting the church from within.

If what you have read bothers you personally, then maybe you have been taken captive by their false teaching.

Sinister ministers pt. 4