Scriptures (Hover over each
for a popup)
1 Timothy 6:7 ::
Job 1:21, Ecclesiastes 5:14,
and Psalm 49:18
1 Timothy 5:18 ::
Deuteronomy 25:4 |
1 Timothy 6:3-10 (ESV) 3 If anyone teaches a
different doctrine and does not agree with the sound
words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that
accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with
conceit
and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for
controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce
envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and
constant friction among people who are
depraved in mind
and deprived of the truth, imagining that
godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness
with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing
into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the
world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with
these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be
rich fall into temptation, into a
snare, into many
senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into
ruin and
destruction. 10 For the
love of money is a root
of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that
some have wandered away from the faith and pierced
themselves with many pangs.
I believe that the Lord has led me to start a Church
before too much longer; I await His Will on this , but
in prayer I believe He has shown me the way forward.
What I am about to say in this message will probably
irritate most everyone that I know who goes to any
traditional church. I truly hope it does, for the Church
started down a slippery slope many years ago, and is now
careening, out of control, down His Holy Mountain, and
is heading into the Valley of the Shadow of Death, where
only He can pull it back!
If nothing the Holy Spirit has me say convicts you then
you are either perfect, or you have hardened your
hearts...
If any one thing has ruined the Church it is money;
money has resulted in pride, ostentatiousness,
fornication, adultery, abandoning the poor, replacing
worship with entertainment, outlandish bills, the
selling of products within the church, and last, but
certainly not least, the crosses and ichthys (fish) on
business signs and vehicles.
I am going to start with this last one, the placing of
crosses and the ichthys on business signs and vehicles.
I know, you are going to tell me that you want other
Christians to know that they can trust you to do good
work because of that symbol.
I am just going to go ahead and call that the biggest
pile of stinking donkey dung I have ever seen in my
life!
No, you didn't...you put it on there because you think
it will cause other Christians to call you for work and
you will make more money, and have dedicated
customers, this way.
Nor is it an expression of your personal faith! It
is a rank attempt to make money off of Christ.
I do not believe that when the Apostle Paul sewed a
tent, that he put a cross or an ichthys on the corner,
with the words "Made by the Apostle Paul" to sell that
tent. I DO believe he put everything he had into
creating the best tent he could. I have bought
Amish made items, not because of their religion, but
because of the quality of the products!
From above, 1 Timothy 6:5 "imagining that godliness is a
means of gain". That's you, business
man...thinking your godliness means, and is a means to, gain, when we are
instructed in 1 Timothy 6:1-2 to perform our best work
for those over us in all that we do, not to do it for
gain, but for the glory of God.
And once you start making money, in pride you give your
tithe, and in pride you give your donations, and in
pride you tell your family that the church needs to pay
more attention to what you say.
But Proverbs 16:18 tells us that "pride goes before
destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall".
Are you ready to fall? I've lived long enough to
see it happen before...probably see it happen again, the
way things are. Even happened to me, years ago,
when I got involved in some Prosperity Gospel preaching.
I said I would be wealthy in a year, or bankrupt...I did
not get the first one...
And you, preacher! You think you get off easy?
With your expensive suits, golf club memberships,
expensive cars and homes? You think that is why
God put you in the ministry?
I am here to tell you: that is not the reason He
gave you a ministry. Never has God given a
ministry to have the minister get rich off of the people
who come to them. Kenneth Copeland is worth over
$700 million, Pat Roberson has his $100 million, Benny
Hinn is worth $42 million, Joel Osteen has socked away
$40 million, Creflo Dollar has stashed $27 million, and
even David Jeremiah has saved up roughly $2 million!
There is no place in the scripture, regardless of what
the charlatans such as the Copelands tell you, that it
is allowed for you to get rich off the people of God!
In fact, the example that Paul showed was that he NEVER
took money from the Church! He was supported by
his work as a tent maker and and the generosity of other
Christians who let him stay with them and fed him.
The only money that we find collected was from the
Gentile Churches in Macedonia and Achaia, and was sent
to the Saints in Jerusalem for their poor (Acts 20:1-5).
Oh I know..."don't muzzle the ox that treads the
corn"...odd how only those who are taking TOO MUCH corn are the ones quoting 1 Timothy 5:18.
I mean, seriously, as Paul also said in 1 Corinthians
9:7-14, you have every right to live off of the Gospel
as you are spreading the Gospel, but that never gives
you the right to become rich! If you are receiving
more than you need, put it back into your ministry!
And that doesn't mean you can buy a Gulfstream...just
sayin'...
Really now, think about that ox...is he eating more than
he needs, getting fat and sassy, and then taking the
grain home and storing it? What did Jesus say
about the rich man who stored up his grain and goods?
Jesus called him a fool for storing more and more!
Read it yourself: Luke 12:18-19
The top person in the Salvation Army, directing this
organization, makes about $65,000 a year, plus housing.
Total value is about $100,000 per year. Giving out
millions in aid to families, while Copeland stores his
$700 million and lives in a home owned by his church,
that on the open market is worth millions.
Let's go back to 1 Timothy 6:8-10 But if we have
food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But
those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a
snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that
plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love
of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through
this craving that some have wandered away from the faith
and pierced themselves with many pangs.
At the time Paul wrote this, it was "some" who
had wandered away, but now it is many. Pastor
after pastor seeking more and more wealth. It is a
snare! Satan traps you in that desire for more
money for your kids, your wife, that better house, the
new car, and before you know it you have opened that
door to him.
See, you think that sins are not connected; you feel
like you can want a little more money for some things,
but that is not a really bad thing like adultery! But
what you forget is that once you open that door to one
sin, you are in the fight of your life not to fall for
more! You were sealed up tight against the devil and
even the thought of adultery could find no foothold.
But now! You opened that door to greed, and in came
that evil spirit, and now you are fighting thoughts of
adultery every day, women in the congregation attracted
to you all the time, wanting to spend more and more time
being "counseled" by you. Then their attention
brings some pride in how you look and dress.
Showing off the new Merc...
It is just a
matter of time until the right temptress comes along and you fall to that next temptation.
All your dreams and hopes of working for the Lord
destroyed, your reputation ruined, your wife and kids
gone, and you're working at Walmart, all because of a
little greed.
Sell your big house and buy a small one; give your extra
salary back to the church and help the poor.
Live off the Gospel, but live frugally; the church is
not there to make you rich.
But more than all the sins that come from having money,
the fancy clothes that make the poor feel out of place
in your church, the wasted money on vehicles and fancy
dinners, the temptations that come from opening yourself
up, there is one sin more egregious than all the others.
Are you listening? Let me say that again:
There is one sin worse than all of these!
Grieving the Holy Spirit...
How are you doing that you ask? Very simply.
You got the big salary as the head pastor; you got the
nice house; you got the golf club membership; your wife
and kids are dressed well.
You can't say anything in your sermon that might drive
off those big donors that pay for all of this!
The Holy Spirit tells you to preach against sexual sins,
and you work on that sermon, but your biggest donor has
confessed that he is having an affair with his
secretary, You counseled him to quit, but you know
he still is...what do you do?
You can't lose that tithe...
You can't lose those things you enjoy...
So, you decide to focus on homosexuality and abortion.
How God hates homosexuality, and how promiscuity, when
left unchecked, can lead to abortions.
You feel good for preaching the truth, that big donor
feels good cause you made him feel that he ain't as bad
as those you preached against. The congregation
feels good as they are all straight and not having
abortions.
It feels like a win-win for all of you...
You just forgot one thing: it was a big loss for the Holy
Spirit. You ignored His leading, and walked off
the path He set for you, preacher.
You were supposed to bring the fear of God to the
adulterers.
You have grieved the Holy Spirit.
Straight is the way, and narrow is the gate, and FEW
there be that find it...
and you're not helping.
From God's Words to your eyes and ears: ruin and
destruction, many pangs (bad pains) are coming for you
who love your money.
As you work for the Lord, he may choose to reward you
with something. This is well and good, as He owns
everything. But your SEEKING these things will
bring nothing but pain, ruin, and destruction.
Reduce you salary. Got a big, fancy church
building? Sell it and meet in people's homes,
state parks, under some trees, or somewhere. Maybe
a simple church building with low expenses; scale it
down. Maybe
a tent. Pattern your church and your ministry
after the First Century Church. Maybe one of the
new Cowboy Churches that meet in an open, tin-roofed
structure. Create a Farmer's Church and meet in a
barn. Just quit being a "rich person's" church.
Mega Churches are the Devil's workshop! Keep it
simple, put the focus on the Gospel, not the building,
or the amount of collections, or the number of people
that showed up. Get rid of that bragging board!
The real Christians will still show up...probably be
happier with just the simple Gospel.
I know most of you won't listen; you are already forming your
rebuttal to what I have said, justifying the money you
make, the outrageous expenses for your church, the money
promised to various programs that net not much of
anything other than bragging rights.
Remember when you came out of Bible School, all on fire
to build a church, save the neighborhood, feed the poor,
and be a shining light of the Gospel? That's what
God wants...not what you are today.
You gave in to the devil; pastor, you and your money and
your big fancy church are no different than the guy
having an affair with his secretary; you both sold your
soul for the devil's coin.
Matthew 19:16-30 6 And behold, a man came up to
him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have
eternal life?” 17 And he said to him,
“Why do you ask me about what
is good? There is only one who is good. If you would
enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to
him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said,
“You shall not murder, You
shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You
shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and
mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept.
What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him,
“If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and
give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;
and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard
this he went away sorrowful, for he had great
possessions.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples,
“Truly, I say to you, only
with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of
heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to
go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to
enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples
heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who
then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and
said, “With man this is
impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left
everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28
Jesus said to them, “Truly, I
say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will
sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me
will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve
tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or
brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or
lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold
and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first
will be last, and the last first."
Repentance, following His Words, is the only way forward.
May God open your eyes...
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Bibliography Page
'snare' - παγισας - Apostolic Bible, 3803, 'snares''.
Also see 1 Timothy 3:7 {the snare of the devil}.
Strong's 3803 = παγις = a set trap, evil brought
upon oneself, as in Isreal, so that the truth of Christ
became a snare for those steeped in the traditions of
the Pharasees. From Strongs's 4078, πηγνυμι, meaning a
"peg" as in setting a snare, indicating stepping into a
deliberatly set trap.
'destruction' - απωλειας - Apostolic Bible, 684,
"destruction". Isaiah 47:11 uses this word destruction
for falling into a cesspool and not being able to ever
clean yourself; seems to indicate destruction through
corruption. Strong's 684 = απωλεια = ruin or loss;
Apoleia means "loss of well being, not loss of being
(Strong's). These desires can make you lose your
physical and mental health.
'evils' - κακα - Apostolic Bible, 2556, "evils".
Strong's 2556 = κακος = Used fifty-one times, and as
such is used much to speak of the evils in a person, not
evil in general. This is in line with the word
destruction above, as this is not an evil that is unto
death, but sins that may be repented and overcome be
relinquishing the desire for worldy gain - no longer
equating godliness with gain (1 Timothy 6:5).
'pangs' - οουης μου - Apostolic Bible, 3601, "grief".
Romans 9:2: Paul speaks of anguish (grief) and would
have cut himself off from Christ to save the Isrealites.
Strong's 3601 = οδυνη = pain, consuming grief, distress
of the heart. Again, the destruction of all that
is good brought on by the corruption and evil of chasing
worldly things. |
