GREED IN THE CHURCH-
Just as Judas Iscariot betrayed Our Lord Jesus because of GREED,(Mat26:14-15) we ought to know now who are the one's who betrays our Lord Jesus today. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." Many so-called Christian churrches today are being corrupted by the erroneous & deceitful teachings or doctrines of their church leaders. In 2 Peter 2:1-3,18-22 (False Teachers and Their Destruction)” But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. MANY WILL FOLLOW their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by APPEALING to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they ENTICE people who are just escaping from those who live in error. THEY PROMISE THEM FREEDOM, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and OVERCOME, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud “/The apostle John wrote in 1 John 4:1,5-6( Test the Spirits) Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” These false teachers promises wealth, prosperity & abundance which are now the very obvious things they & most of their members and followers seek instead of God and His righteousness(mat6:33) They have twisted God’s words for their own personal gain or profit but Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.” while the Apostle Luke wrote what the Lord Jesus said in Luke 12:15, Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of GREED; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Apparently, most of the churches today have been focussing on the topic of GIVING & PROSPERITY in their worship services,correlating each other with the BLESSING that was promised in the book of Malachi 3:10 which they even claim to be, A TESTER OF ONE’S FAITH. That if one faithfully & regularly GIVES his TITHE to the Lord, God will give it back to him pressed down,shaken together and running over.(Luke6:38) That if a Christian do not prosper or remains to be poor in spite of being a long time Christian, then something must be wrong with that person (while quoting from Jer29:11) These teachings only PROMOTES GREED and the love of money among themselves by twisting the truthfulness of the Gospel as it is written in 1 Timothy 6:6-10 But godliness with CONTENTMENT is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who WANT TO GET RICH fall into TEMPTATION and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the LOVE OF MONEY is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have WANDERED FROM THE FAITH and pierced themselves with many griefs.” And in verse 18 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant NOT TO PUT THEIR HOPE IN WEALTH, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who RICHLY PROVIDES US with everything for our enjoyment.”while in Matthew 5:3-12 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Luke 6:24-26 “BUT WOE TO YOU WHO ARE RICH, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” And in 2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might BECOME RICH.“ 1 Timothy 6:18-19 Command them to do good, to be RICH IN GOOD DEEDS, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life..(1Pet2:20-21) But if you SUFFER FOR DOING GOOD and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this YOU WERE CALLED, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should FOLLOW IN HIS STEPS.” Therefore," keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”(heb13:5)
Doxology: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “WHO HAS EVER GIVEN TO GOD THAT GOD SHOULD REPAY HIM?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.(rom11:33-36)
Just as Judas Iscariot betrayed Our Lord Jesus because of GREED,(Mat26:14-15) we ought to know now who are the one's who betrays our Lord Jesus today. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." Many so-called Christian churrches today are being corrupted by the erroneous & deceitful teachings or doctrines of their church leaders. In 2 Peter 2:1-3,18-22 (False Teachers and Their Destruction)” But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. MANY WILL FOLLOW their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by APPEALING to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they ENTICE people who are just escaping from those who live in error. THEY PROMISE THEM FREEDOM, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and OVERCOME, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud “/The apostle John wrote in 1 John 4:1,5-6( Test the Spirits) Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” These false teachers promises wealth, prosperity & abundance which are now the very obvious things they & most of their members and followers seek instead of God and His righteousness(mat6:33) They have twisted God’s words for their own personal gain or profit but Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.” while the Apostle Luke wrote what the Lord Jesus said in Luke 12:15, Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of GREED; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Apparently, most of the churches today have been focussing on the topic of GIVING & PROSPERITY in their worship services,correlating each other with the BLESSING that was promised in the book of Malachi 3:10 which they even claim to be, A TESTER OF ONE’S FAITH. That if one faithfully & regularly GIVES his TITHE to the Lord, God will give it back to him pressed down,shaken together and running over.(Luke6:38) That if a Christian do not prosper or remains to be poor in spite of being a long time Christian, then something must be wrong with that person (while quoting from Jer29:11) These teachings only PROMOTES GREED and the love of money among themselves by twisting the truthfulness of the Gospel as it is written in 1 Timothy 6:6-10 But godliness with CONTENTMENT is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who WANT TO GET RICH fall into TEMPTATION and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the LOVE OF MONEY is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have WANDERED FROM THE FAITH and pierced themselves with many griefs.” And in verse 18 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant NOT TO PUT THEIR HOPE IN WEALTH, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who RICHLY PROVIDES US with everything for our enjoyment.”while in Matthew 5:3-12 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Luke 6:24-26 “BUT WOE TO YOU WHO ARE RICH, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” And in 2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might BECOME RICH.“ 1 Timothy 6:18-19 Command them to do good, to be RICH IN GOOD DEEDS, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life..(1Pet2:20-21) But if you SUFFER FOR DOING GOOD and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this YOU WERE CALLED, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should FOLLOW IN HIS STEPS.” Therefore," keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”(heb13:5)
Doxology: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “WHO HAS EVER GIVEN TO GOD THAT GOD SHOULD REPAY HIM?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.(rom11:33-36)