Prosperity Preachers Lack Faith

Prosperity preachers make money so important that they use it to accuse brothers and sisters of lacking faith if they don't give their money. God doesn't need our money, He wants our love and devotion.

Psalms 51:16-17

"For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise."

Money is a useful tool, but over the years I have realized how often God provides something even without money. He provides things we don't even ask for just to bless us. I have also noticed that organized religion thinks it needs large buildings and fancy pews, but none of that is important. We do not need Venus for elaborate events or entertainment. Much of the money the prosperity preachers beg for goes to things God hates and produces arrogance instead of humility, not to mention the wealth it places on greed men who claim to be leaders in the gatherings. The are not leaders they are charlatans saying what people want to hear so the money continues to flow to them.

Luke 20:45-47 "45 In the hearing of all the people, Jesus said to His disciples, 46“Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”"

When we fixate on money regularly we are not appreciating what God has already given us and even walking fearfully about tomorrow that hasn't even arrived yet.

Matthew 6:25-34

The Cure for Anxiety

25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?

26 Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?

27 And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span?

28 And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth,

29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!

31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’

32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you."

Prosperity preachers who beg for money using manipulation to cause guilt in those they want to fleece are demonstrating the lack of faith they accuse others of having.

We are not called to monitor what others give or to even question them about it, we are called to be led by the Holy Spirit in our giving. We cannot go wrong when we simply obey Him. And, we will not have guilt when we just obey Christ.

Notice the verse Matthew 6:33, the most important matter of the entire admonition, "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be provided to you."

Begging for money for ministry is not Biblical and neither is being guilted by others to give when we are not being led by the Holy Spirit to do so.

God gave me a phrase many years ago to answer those who love to pressure us to do things they think they should do. That phrase is this: "God didn't call me to do that." It's simple but effective, if anyone questions our choices they can ask God and they should just mind their own business about things that are not sins but merely preferences,

God's instruction to all of us is this; "1 Thessalonians 4:11-12: "And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing".

I do believe in confronting those who are sinning and who say they are Christians, but not about things that are opinions and preferences that are not described as sin in the Bible.

Many people interpret the Bible in ways that fit their agenda, it is wise to ignore these people and obey God.

Hallelujah!

Unbiblical Ideas in the Last Days of Apostasy

Many things the church has been taught over the past 80 years have been wrong but they sound so right.

Forgiveness without confession of sin is unbiblical, God requires confession of offense before forgiveness is extended for the purpose of reconciling a relationship. We never do something for our own blessing, we do it because it honors God and it is His will for us to do what we need to for His glory, even if it is uncomfortable.

It is not true that just being friendly to an offender is going to cause them to repent, just the opposite. People do not repent without consequences. The more we ignore sin and refuse accountability the more that sin grows.

Luke 17:3-5 "If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying 'I repent,' you must forgive them".

Divorce for adultery is unbiblical, there is no exception clause for divorce based on spousal conduct.

Luke 16:18 "anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery,"

Remarriage after divorce is unbiblical, God clearly speaks against remarriage calling it adultery.

Luke 16:17-18 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. 18 Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

Tithing is unbiblical, there is no tithing for the church, we are to give as led by the Holy Spirit not according to a formula.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

The Cheerful Giver

"6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully[a] will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Never stop praying for the same thing, is unbiblical. God clearly says there are times when He wants us to stop begging Him for something He already said no to.

When God said "pray without ceasing He was telling us to take everything to Him in prayer as a friend would visit all day long with us. It did not mean to pray the same prayer for the same things continually until we get what we want.

1 John 5:16–17

"16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death."

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The Christian sabbath as being Sunday is unbiblical, there is no sabbath for the church, we choose which day we meet and with whom we meet. And, it doesn't have to be the same place every week with the same people.

1 Corinthians 14:26: "How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification".

The belief that we must be busy in the local church that we attend every week in a particular building is a man-made rule. We are all to be busy with God's Work that He gives us not what others expect of us. There is pressure within the gatherings to do things the way that is dictated by the pastor or by the attendees that God never told us to do.

1 Corinthians 12:15-26

"15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body.

16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body.

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired.

19 If they were all one part, where would the body be?

20 But now there are many parts, but one body.

21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again, the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”

22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;

23 and those parts of the body which we consider less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor, and our less presentable parts become much more presentable,

24 whereas our more presentable parts have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked,

25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another.

26 And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it."

The idea that only certain people who are educated and ordained by man, rule in the body is patently unbiblical. It elevates some people above others and negates those who do not appear as needed to be ignored and even suppressing the Holy Spirit in them.

Attending a large building with a paid pastor is unbiblical, God never commanded that we erect buildings to meet in, the early church met in homes. While it is not a sin to meet in a building, the idea that we need a "temple" has been fostered even if those who build those edifices don't realize they are causing people to think of the building as a "holy place", it never was and never will be any more holy than any other building.

Many people have felt that they cannot pray at home because they have to go to that "holy place" to be heard by God. The buildings have been viewed as "special places where God resides" which flies against God's word that says we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we have no need of a special place.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies".

Romans 14:4-6 "…4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master, he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.…"

There is no mention of the "place" we should gather because it is a choice when, where, and with whom we gather. This decision is led by the Holy Spirit, not man.

Youth groups within the gathering is unbiblical, separating children from families is not biblical. The early church gathered in a family setting, the parents were the examples for children and entire families were examples to the children of others in the community. Segregating children from their parents and placing them with children from unsaved families caused confusion in the hearts of those who had saved parents.

Worship leaders within the gathering are unbiblical. The Holy Spirit leads the worship, not people.

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John 4:23-24

"23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Worship is led by the Holy Spirit who lives in all born again believers, not by any human being standing up front. Those who stand up front are glorifying self not God.

Matthew 6:1 "1“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."

No human being needs the leading of another human being in their worship. Anyone who attempts to be our leading for us is usurping the Holy Spirit Who is the ultimate and final Authority in every born-again believer.

The reason the modern church has become so far from the biblical model is because down through the centuries men tried to make up their own rules to control the people instead of allowing the people to be led by the Holy Spirit.

Because the people were not seeking Christ but man to have a "decent culture" they followed the men instead of Christ. The fear of being rejected by the church community took over in the hearts of weak believers and in those who were professing Christianity but were never born again.

We have a very broken church system that is leading people away from seeking Christ to seeking men for approval. The only way back from this is for each one to ask God to show them the truth and be willing to discard anything He says is not true, removing from their lives all the traditions of men to embrace Christ fully!