The widow’s mite: a lesson on religious abuse

Chest with coins by Eric Schuh (www.freedigitalphotos.net)

Anyone who has spent any amount of time in any Christian church is familiar with the story of Jesus’ commenting on a poor widow giving her last mite to the treasury of the Jewish temple.  Throughout the years of my attending church services, this story has always been one of the ways religious leaders have tried to prompt or guilt people into giving as much as they can to the church.  When I came to the realization several years ago that Christians are no longer obligated to follow any religious law about tithing and I had to rethink my views on giving to the church, this is one story that presented a problem for me.  Expressing my views to other believers about tithing always brought up a discussion about the widow giving her last mite and how Jesus commended her for it.

Those who had been teaching me for years about giving to the church, would always tell me that the tithe was really a minimum amount and since Christians were under a new covenant, we should be willing and ready to give even more if called upon to do so.  According to what I was taught, this was the true moral of the widow’s mite story.  Since I didn’t see any other way to interpret this scripture, it seemed somewhat contradictory to me that Jesus would commend this behavior in one instance while he condemned this type of behavior in other instances.  For example, why would he rebuke the scribes and Pharisees for teaching that it was okay to financially neglect their elderly parents if the money was for the temple, then turn around and commend the widow for giving away her whole savings to the temple?

Time and time again I was told that she had enough faith in God to supply all of her needs, even if she gave everything to the temple.  But if this were the case, why did Jesus rebuke Satan when Satan tempted him to throw himself off the top of the temple?  When Satan told Jesus that if he threw himself over the edge, God would rescue him, Jesus responded with “It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”  While Satan thought he could get to Jesus by making Jesus question his faith in God, it turned out to be a matter of Satan twisting God’s word to try to manipulate Christ into doing what Satan wanted.  If Jesus told Satan we should not tempt God by ignorantly placing ourselves in a dangerous position that is not commanded by God, why would he commend the widow for putting herself in harm’s way by giving her very last mite away when she needed it for her very survival?  And wasn’t it Jesus who said that God desires mercy over sacrifice?  A poor widow giving away all her money didn’t seem to fit in with that doctrine.

Years and years I wrestled with these questions until I heard a sermon from John MacArthur that aired several months ago.  The answer was in front of me the whole time, but I overlooked it because I didn’t allow myself to see past what I was always taught.  John MacArthur highlighted the context in which Jesus observed the widow, which I neglected to do.  If I had done so earlier, I would’ve had my answer sooner.  When I finally saw what was revealed, I had to smack myself on the forehead for having missed it for all those years.  The story of the widow’s mite appears in two of the four gospels–Mark 12:41-44 and Luke 21:1-4.  Here is how the story occurred in both scriptures:

And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.  And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.  And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. Mark 12:41-44

And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.  And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.  And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. Luke 21:1-4

At first glance, he seems to say that her concern for the things of God and her faith was greater than what the rich men had.  But just before these verses, Jesus paints us a picture of what was accepted in his day that he found to be unacceptable and here it is–

And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: Which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation. Mark 12:38-40

Jesus made this statement as a precursor to what was going on in the temple treasury.  He was upset that the religious leaders were taking advantage of widows by extorting from them.  By definition, extortion is not only forcibly taking something from someone for personal gain, it is also getting something from someone for personal gain using ingenuity or compelling argument.  Jewish leaders had for years been taking advantage of widows–taking their material possessions with the argument that if widows wouldn’t give up the goods, they were in violation of Mosaic law.  They were telling them lies under the guise of religion for their own personal gain.  It is at this point that we are presented with a real life example of what Jesus was upset about.  He points out to us how a poor widow, caught in the false teachings of an abusive religious system, was made to feel as if it was necessary for her to give her whole living to the temple treasury.

Instead of commending what was happening, Jesus was warning his disciples that this is how greed can be dressed up to look like good religion, when it, in fact, is false and abusive.  The Jews were so caught up in having a building for worship, they forgot about the things that truly matter like making sure one’s heart is right with God.  And because their focus was on maintaining a building, they established man-made doctrines to ensure that a building would always be around–even if it meant taking advantage of people.  However, Jesus’ focus was on the weightier matters of man’s spiritual state.  He even pointed out in the following verses how God was bringing to a halt the importance of a physical place of worship.  As they were leaving the temple the disciples commented on how beautiful the temple complex was.  Jesus’ response was that the day was approaching when every stone in the temple complex would be thrown down so that the temple complex would cease to exist.

The organized Christian church has fallen into the same rut as the Jews of Jesus’ day.  Our religious leaders have used their compelling religious arguments to extort money from us, even in some cases to the point of us neglecting to pay our monthly bills for our necessities, so we can prop up what they have determined for themselves to be God’s calling for their ministry.  I am not against churches having their own buildings for worship or against expanding necessary ministries and I am not saying Jesus was against it.  I am saying that in many cases Christian leaders want a pretty building or to establish a new program so badly that they will twist the scriptures to guilt people into giving.  If a church needs a building or needs to expand a ministry, my opinion is that they should go about it the correct way by being honest with people and by using church funds with godly wisdom so as not to enter into any agreement with any secular organization (including a bank) that would put them in a compromising position.

So the next time someone tries to compel you to give by throwing the story of the widow’s mite in your face, please keep in mind the true moral of the story is that Jesus doesn’t want anyone to take advantage of us.

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–

Newsweek beats steady drum against true Christianity

If you’ve been reading Newsweek throughout January ‘09, you’ve probably seen the articles on religion that they have been running.  The articles caught my eye because they all seemed to have an underlying, subtle theme to them.  There are three that captured my attention, which I will highlight and give my opinions on.  After reading the articles, I got the feeling that the writers and the editors at the magazine don’t really care for true, Bible-based Christianity all that much.  But I’ m not surprised since they are a secular organization that, like other secular organizations, desires a watered-down version of Christianity or the cessation of Christian views altogether in modern society.

The first article I came across was by Tony Dokoupil and had the title “The Lost Shepherd.”  It was an update on how Ted Haggard is doing these days and was published in anticipation of a follow-up documentary about him which will air on HBO January 29.  In the article, the fallen evangelist who had an ongoing affair with a male prostitute and bought meth from him, tells of the struggles he has gone through since his admission to his non-Christian actions.  Haggard talks about his anger toward himself and toward his church (New Life Church) that kicked him out, his severance package from the church, how he and his family had no real place to stay afterwards, how he had difficulty finding a job to support his family, and whether or not he will return to ministry at any time in the future. 

In the article, Haggard is quoted as saying, “In my [resignation] letter to the church I said I was a deceiver and a liar, but I hadn’t lied about anything except to keep quiet about what was going on inside me.”  So I guess to him, his showing up on the national news when the story broke to deny the affair and deny that he bought meth weren’t really lies.  Yeah, right.  It’s interesting how we as sinful humans can sometimes downplay our sins so that we come across as not being such a bad person.  Although Haggard in the article claims to have only had sodomitic relations with Jones (the male prostitute) during his adult life, word has now come out that Haggard was also involved with a twenty-something male volunteer at New Life Church.  This has both been confirmed by the church, who paid for the young man to get counseling, and also by the young man himself.  I wonder how Newsweek feels now that it has been revealed that Haggard has been lying to them.  Do they still have sympathy for him?

But I have to admit that there’s a part of me that felt sorry for him and his family, especially his two teen sons.  But after the article stated he got a six-figure severance, and he lied to Newsweek and its readers about being with only one man, my sympathy meter dropped for him and leaned more toward his kids.  Could the church have done things a little differently so his basic needs were met?  I think in this case, when he received the $140,000 severance, it should have been plenty to sustain him enough to get back on his feet financially.  I’ve known families who make less than this in a year and are rather comfortable.  Nevertheless, all too often when we as Christians are faced with disciplining people in the church we either don’t do it at all or we overdo it.  This reminds me of Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthian church to forgive and welcome back with love the man who had repented of having an affair with his stepmother (2 Corinthians 2:5-11).  Paul went so far as to say that when we don’t forgive and love a repentant brother or sister, they can be overcome by too much sorrow, which then leads to Satan having an advantage over the congregation and the individual.  In the Haggard case, the advantage that Satan got was the ability for a secular journalist to come along and portray Christians as unforgiving and unloving.

The second article is from the January 26, 2009 Newsweek.  It is by Eleanor Clift and is titled “The Quest for a Spiritual Home.”  It generally talks about how many religious Americans have switched either their denomination or religious affiliation.  Then it focuses on Father Albert Scariato, a gay Episcopal priest who was once a Jew.  The article goes on to give details about Scariato’s migration from being Jewish to being ordained in the Episopal church after his gay lover died from AIDS complications.  He gave up his job as a radiation oncologist to go full time into the ministry, but still considers himself homosexual.  He faced some opposition to his ordination because of this, but his ordination still went forward.  At the end of the article, Clift gushes about how the Episcopal priest is ” known for biblically based sermons that can be applied to daily life and that convey a message of social justice. He spends much of his time ministering to the sick and dying, and reaching out to the poor.” 

This sounds like liberation theology to me, which is not the true gospel.  Although Jesus Christ was concerned about the social state of mankind, his message and the message of his apostles was that if you first address what ails man spiritually, then man can reap everlasting benefits in this life as well as in the life to come.  Or, as Jesus put it plainly, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness: and all these [temporary earthly] things will be added unto you.” [Matthew 6:33].  If we truly want to promote social justice or minister to the sick and the poor, then we should let our actions and our words speak about the love of Jesus Christ–how he came to save us from our sins.  But, of course, this is not the gospel Eleanor Clift or Newsweek want to promote in the article.  They prefer the false gospel that says you can continue in your sinful lifestyle and God will continue to bless your ministry by giving you lots of people to follow you.

The third article catching my attention is titled “Faith Beyond His Father’s” by Tony Dokoupil and Lisa Miller.  We are introduced to such individuals as Doug Paul and D. J. Glisson who grew up in traditional Christian churches but have now embraced a more liberal theology.  It highlights the conflicts the younger generation of churchgoers has with the older generation of churchgoers.  The younger generation, by being exposed to what takes place outside the church, is questioning the values they were raised under.  Some of them, like Doug Paul, are leaving their churches because they are “tired of the narrow lens through which [their] pastors view[] the world.” 

Although many continue to be pro-life, they feel many churches are not practicing what should be the focus for Christianity–improving the lives of those who are less fortunate.  The article also highlights how the views of the “Joshua Generation” tend to be less judgmental toward gays and gay rights.  In spite of their evangelical, conservative upbringing, they tended to vote for Obama over McCain.  Doug Paul even expressed his anger with his parents when their church had a banner displayed by the road near the church urging Virginians to vote for the ban on gay marriage.  He was upset that this particular church felt “that gay people preyed on children,” especially since he and his wife were about to host a gay visitor that weekend.  But if Doug Paul really did his homework, he would find that many gays and lesbians became homosexual because they were molested as children by either gay perverts or straight perverts.  Those who are abused as children tend to be abusers.  Even if they don’t prey on children physically, they can sometimes prey on children mentally by presenting their lifestyle as fun and harmless.  This, in turn, will ensure the strength of their gay rights movement in the future since more people who have the right to vote  and shape public policy will be on their side.

It’s not surprising to me that the so-called Joshua Generation (the majority of whom are not really like Joshua at all) would hold to these views.  This type of thinking was bound to happen eventually with the way Christians have compromised the gospel both in church and in their home lives.  Having grown up in the age of the self-serving prosperity gospel and the lack of genuine love in mega churches, it’s no wonder the young people are disillusioned by what they’ve seen, especially since the economic downturn highlights how fleeting material things can be.  So since the foundations of the gospel were not sufficiently laid in the young people’s lives, the secular media has pounced on the opportunity to highlight the flaws of the Christian church.  On the other hand, young people are exposed to more false doctrines these days than in the past with all the different ways messages can be delivered–whether it’s electronic, broadcast, or printed media.  When messages that rebel against God’s truth are joined with young people’s tendency to rebel against their elders, the result will be a generation that sees God’s commandments as being subjective.

Overall, the underlying themes about Christianity that Newsweek is promoting are:

• Christians aren’t progressive enough.
• Christians should be more like us non-Christians who care more about people’s rights than they do.
• Christians should lighten up on their anti-gay positions since gays are harmless.

These themes will become more prevalent as the years progress since we are living in the age that is preparing little by little for the coming of the Antichrist and his one-world religion, to which true Christianity is a threat.

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–

A discussion on the seven spirits of God

In Revelation 1:4, we are told for the first time that there are seven spirits of God standing before his throne.  Two chapters later, in Revelation 3:1, the Lord Jesus Christ reveals that he is the one who possesses these seven spirits of God.  Who or what are these seven spirits?  Does the Bible ever say?

Careful study of God’s word helps us discover that what Revelation reveals to us about these spirits was foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament.  First of all, let’s look at what Revelation says about it–

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.  [Revelation 4:5]

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.  [Revelation 5:6]

John tells us that in his vision the seven spirits are like lamps of fire burning, that they are like seven horns and seven eyes on the Lamb, who of course is the Lord.  Why are there seven?  Because seven is God’s number of completeness and rest (see Genesis 2:2).  Lamps of fire are symbolic of  spiritual revelation (Psalm 119:105), spiritual discernment (Daniel 10:6), the Holy Spirit, and the word of God (Jeremiah 20:9).  Horns are symbolic of spiritual power and strength, and eyes are symbolic of spiritual vision and insight.  These spirits symbolized in the lamps, horns, and eyes are not only before God’s throne, but they are sent throughout the earth and have the power to cleanse the sins of mankind (see Zechariah 3:9, 4:10).

Jesus, of course, possesses everything these objects symbolize because he is God.  A study of the Old Testament tells us what these seven spirits are by naming them in Isaiah 11–

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.  [Isaiah 11:1-5]

This rod and branch coming out of Jesse’s family is Jesus Christ and he possesses the following seven spirits:

Spirit #1: The spirit of the Lord: When the Spirit of the Lord is with an individual, he gives them strength to overcome enemies (Judges 14:6; Isaiah 59:19), he gives them prophecies (1 Samuel 10:6), he gives them the ability to preach (2 Samuel 23:2; Isaiah 61:1), and he gives them visions (Ezekiel 37:1; Joel 2:28-29).

Spirit #2: The spirit of wisdom: Having the spirit of wisdom means that a person possesses the ability to apply knowledge in the correct manner to please God.  For instance, when Job’s wife told him to curse God and die, Job had the knowledge that God is a just God who had the power to deliver him if he prayed.  So he applied that knowledge by blessing God and he lived.  God even blessed him with more than he had lost.

Spirit #3: The spirit of understanding: A person reflects this type of spirit when they can foresee the results of their actions before they even act, in order to do God’s will.  They also have discernment into the intentions of other people’s actions or sayings.  This is why Solomon asked God to “[g]ive therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad…” [1 Kings 3:9, emphasis mine].

Spirit #4: The spirit of counsel: When someone has this spirit, they know how to give godly advice to those who need it, whether or not the person asks for that advice.  In order for them to give godly advice, they realize the importance of listening to God.  “The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations,” [Psalm 33:11].  Furthermore, “[e]very purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war,” [Proverbs 20:18].  How a person handles godly counsel can make or break one’s personal life and make or break a nation.

Spirit #5: The spirit of might:  Might refers to physical, mental, or spiritual strength supplied by God that is used to bring about impressive results.  This was displayed in Samson, David and his mighty men of valor,  and Jesus when he worked his miracles or rebuked hypocrisy in Israel.  It can still be displayed today when believers allow themselves to be used by the Holy Spirit by standing firm on God’s word.

Spirit #6: The spirit of knowledge: Real knowledge begins when one fears the Lord (Proverbs 1:7).  It is only then that God shares with those who seek him all of the awe-inspiring things he wants them to know.  Godly knowledge supplies a person with the information needed to determine what God likes or doesn’t like.  When a person uses this information wisely, then God can bless them by expanding that knowledge and sharing certain secrets with them.  Having this knowledge forms the basis for making a correct judgment at the correct time and acting, when necessary, based on that knowledge.

Spirit #7: The spirit of the fear of the Lord: Having the fear of the Lord is not only the beginning of knowledge, but is the beginning of wisdom, also [Proverbs 9:10].  This fear is essentially a reverence and respect for God, acknowledging that he has the power to build up and tear down, to plant or to pluck up, to bless or to curse, to reward righteousness and punish evil.  Perfect love may indeed cast out fear if that fear is a sense of dread, but when that fear is a perfect fear in reverence for God, it welcomes a love for God.  When a person truly fears the Lord, they are much more concerned about what pleases God than they are about what pleases people.

These seven spirits are basically one Spirit–the Holy Spirit.  He manifests himself in these seven general ways.  Since God’s Spirit goes throughout the whole Earth, he has made himself available to those who humble themselves before God and repent.  Although these seven spirits are displayed in believers all over the world, we believers only have a portion of these traits.  Only Christ has the full measure of all of them, “for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him,” [John 3:34].

England’s church insurers get advice from bouncers

In the wake of an increasing amount of violent attacks on church members in church buildings, insurance companies in the UK who cover churches have been seeking advice from security companies that employ bouncers.  One such insurance company, Congregational, has consulted with a security firm to help them establish some reliable guidelines for churches to help them deal with confrontational persons who may visit the churches they cover.

As reported by Anne Thomas at Christian Today, a manager for the insurer is quoted as saying, “Whilst we don’t want to be alarmist, it is important to be aware that occasionally incidents can occur in places of worship, putting people – often volunteers – in a compromising position. With little or no guidance provided for church volunteers, we wanted to highlight this by drawing on the experience of another organisation more familiar with dealing with such scenarios.”

The security firm made several suggestions, such as avoiding as much as possible the use of force when responding to confrontation, determining the threat level of the situation based on the person’s emotional state, using non-threatening and calm body movements, maintaining eye contact, letting the person know you understand their situation, keeping others aware of your location in the building, and knowing when it’s best to walk away from the confrontation or call police.

These guidelines sound helpful for most situations.  Given recent church attacks like the killings in Colorado Springs a year ago and the attack in Clifton, NJ last month, it’s clear that some people are hell-bent on destroying lives before they reach church property.  When you also take into account that there is a rising tide of anti-Christian hatred in the Western Hemisphere, would it be a good idea for congregations to hire armed security personnel or allow church members to carry guns to church alongside their Bibles?  It has been proven that violent attacks are less likely to happen in places where law-abiding citizens are known to be packing.  The attack in Colorado Springs could have rendered more victims if an armed guard at the church hadn’t stopped the gunman cold with her shot that took him down.

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–

Where the “Christian Right” went wrong

ABC News aired a story on November 6, 2008 about the Christian Right’s extreme disappointment with the outcome of our presidential election.  Dan Harris, who did the reporting, mentioned that Christian conservatives are worried about how their movement will be affected with so many Republicans losing their seats to Democrats and the election of a pro-choice president who doesn’t support a constitutional ban on gay marriage as Bush does.

Albert Mohler of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary was quoted as saying, “We’re going to have some setbacks here. …We’re going to find ourselves in a situation where our voice is not going to have the kind of resonance that it once had in Washington.”  He expressed concern that the Republican Party would decide to show the religious right the door so their political party can change directions.  Mohler went on to say, “It just ought to remind many Christians we have placed too much confidence in the political process in the first place.”  You can read the whole report at the ABC News website.

Trusting too much in politics is not the only place they went wrong.  Although I share the anti-abortion views of their movement and I am against gay rights, I think some of the tactics they used during the campaign season were hateful because they spread a lot of misinformation about Obama in worse ways than even John McCain and Sarah Palin did. 

I have covered some topics on my blog that have angered some readers enough to call me a hate-mongerer and liar when my purpose for writing posts against false religions and sin is because I love people enough to tell them the truth about God.  I also want to help Christians who may not be aware of certain things to be educated on particular topics so they can witness more effectively and open people’s eyes to the truth in God’s word.  There is a lot of misinformation in the world (and in churches) that people buy into without examining those ideas closely to come to the knowledge of the truth.  I know this because I’ve been taught many false things from both the world and the church during my life that had me duped until I examined God’s word closely for myself to tear down those things in my mind that had exalted themselves against the true knowledge of God.

During this campaign season, I have seen people who are supposedly reliable news analysts or reliable ministers of the word say many things about our President-Elect that had already been proven to be lies and unfounded internet rumors.  Or they just expressed hateful feelings toward Obama that were just out of line.  A lot of the hatred has been fomented by such news organizations as WorldNetDaily and Fox News–from Liz Trotta joking about the need to “take out” Obama whom she had “mistakenly” called Osama, to Sean Hannity making his unfounded claims (i.e. lies) that Obama’s Harvard education was financed by a wealthy Arab or that Obama was born in Kenya. 

Unfortunately, many of these debunked rumors spread over the internet and were picked up and broadcasted on Christian TV.  Imagine that!  Misinformation broadcast on Christian TV!  (So what else is new?)  I had the displeasure on a recent evening of flipping to David Cerrullo’s television show where he and his wife hosted a female author who proclaimed that she was proudly pro-life, then proceeded to try to tear Obama down by claiming America was in trouble if Obama were elected because his campaign was being funded by Hamas and Hezbollah.  When she said that, my jaw dropped in disbelief.  If she had done her research and was really concerned about the truth, she would have known that this rumor has already been proven to be a lie!  Unbelievable!  And the sad part is that there were thousands of viewers watching who probably believed what she said without questioning it just because it was on INSP, praise God!  I really get frustrated at how gullible we Christians can be sometimes or how hateful we can be.

Want to know what else upsets me?  When we go out and proclaim how wicked abortion is or how evil sex education in public schools is or how shameful teen pregnancies are, then we don’t support ministries like Living Alternatives (formerly Crisis Pregnancy Centers) to help girls and women with unplanned pregnancies or teach our kids at home or in church what God would want them to know about sex, then wonder why our church teens make the same bad decisions as the unchurched teens.  Our God has always been about acquiring the correct knowledge to make informed decisions, but we don’t seem to get it and would rather keep our kids uninformed.  Then we get upset when the political or judicial scene doesn’t reflect our wishes when we’re really the ones who are guilty of evading our responsibility to do certain things.

Now that we have a liberal President-elect, it is our duty as Christians to show him respect as commanded in Romans 13, where Paul tells us that the “powers that be” are ordained by God, even if some of their policies are not in agreement with God.  Peter also tells us “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.  For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. …Fear God. Honour the king.” [1 Peter 2:13-17], and he lived under the rule of an immoral, murderous Caesar.

Yes, we are free to voice our objections to what we don’t agree with, but Obama is still to be honored since he as President will also have some policies that promote what God would want.

Maybe instead of sitting around moaning that Roe v. Wade hasn’t been overturned or may not be overturned, we should busy ourselves with reaching out with love to help pregnant teens with their material needs.  We can also work hard to educate people about the other evils in our society while at the same time reflecting love and not turning our nose up at sinners as if we’re better than them.

I imagine that even if Obama is successful at strengthening our nation and reversing some of Bush’s harmful policies, people like Sean Hannity will continue to spew misinformation (possibly to show everyone what a good Catholic he is and impress his bosses at Fox News).  It would be best for the Christian Right to steer clear of any information that hasn’t been verified with reliable sources when they will undoubtedly criticize Obama. Unfortunately, too many of us Christians are content with our ignorance when it’s our lack of knowledge that holds us back and makes us look real stupid to non-Christians.

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–

4 simple things churches can learn from a fragile economy

Although the news has been saturated lately with dark, dismal, depressing details about the present state of the world economy, there is much wisdom to be learned from what has been happening because of the covetousness and pride of the individuals and organizations who have brought this on.  The name-it-and-claim-it, blab-it-and-grab-it sermons of prosperity preachers will now be put to the test and my prayer is that those of us Christians who have embraced these covetous false doctrines will be humble enough to learn four simple things concerning our monetary resources, namely:

1.  Cut unnecessary spending.  Modern churches, especially megachurches, have in the past few decades been more like our tax-and-spend government.  The more taxes they get, the more taxes they want in order to expand government for wasteful programs or earmarks.  Only, the churches’ tax system is called “tithes and offerings.”  It is continually taught, because of man-made tradition, that the Lord requires us to pay 10% of our income to our local church, and if we don’t, God will withhold his blessings from us.  Then the more money the church receives, the more programs they want to establish or they want the latest state-of-the-art, high-tech equipment for their offices and sanctuary or the more they want to add to their building projects as if God is impressed with all of these things.

If church funds are used in the same manner they were in the first century church, people would be more willing to give and would probably receive a greater amount.  But we are proud to be like the rich man in Jesus’ parable in Luke 12:16-21.  When his farmland yielded a huge bumper crop, instead of trying to come up with a way to help out those who had less or glorify God with it, he was only concerned about how he could store it all away for his own selfish purposes and decided to build larger barns while in the meantime he ate, drank, and was merry without regard for anyone else.  Then, suddenly, it was time for him to meet his maker and all his grand plans for himself were scrapped.  His focus on laying up treasures for himself instead of being rich toward God highlighted the worthlessness of his plans.  This is clearly an application to how the modern day church operates.

2.  Spend more on helping people.  The main reason the first century church gathered offerings (not tithes) was to meet the basic needs–food, shelter, and clothing–of Christians who were less fortunate.  Acts 4:34-35 tells us that those who were wealthy sold their luxury possessions and brought the funds before the congregation so they could be distributed to the poor saints.  It was also used to cover the expenses of faithful workers in the ministry who spent the bulk of their time preaching or ministering, because they who preach the gospel should live of the gospel (see 1 Corinthians 9).  In Acts 6:1-2 we also see that elderly widows received something from the church for their needs every day.  I think James was right on point when he wrote,

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?  James 2:15-16

3.  Contentment with what we already have.  This is one of the underlying themes of the New Testament that is repeated several times.  It is when we cast aside the contentment we have for what God has already blessed us with that we allow greed to become our motivating force.  The idea that we should always want more than what we have because God wants to bless us with more is a self-centered concept if our focus is only on material possessions and it can cause us to overextend ourselves financially.  Anyone working from this motivation is assuming that material gain is godliness.  We tend to forget that to whom much is given, much is required.  The more that we get from God, the more we should give out to others.  Paul gives us three witnesses in the following verses on contentment:

I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  Philippians 4:11-13

But 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 raiment let us be therewith content.  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.  1 Timothy 6:6-9

Let your conversation [way of life] be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  Hebrews 13:5

4.  Helping family, especially the elderly, is more important than giving to prop up churches.  This statement would be considered sacrilege in today’s churches.  We are taught that we should give God (i.e. the church) his cut right off the top and then he will bless us with whatever we need later.  The “give God the first cut” doctrine is the opposite of what Jesus taught.  The religious leaders of his day taught something similar and he preached against it in Mark 7:9-13.  It is God’s commandment that a person honor their father and mother, which includes financial help, but the religious leaders taught that a person who dedicated their finances as a gift to the temple or synagogue was not obligated to help out their parents.  This tradition stood in the way of the fulfillment of God’s commandment.  So if a person needs the funds that they would give to the church to help their parents, their parents should be the priority.

Paul backed up this concept in 1 Timothy 5 when he said that a believer who doesn’t care for an elderly widow in their family (and by default any other elderly family member) is worse than an infidel, or unbeliever.  By caring for their Christian family member with their own funds, they would alleviate the church from having to use their funds.

Conclusion

With this economic downturn, I’ve been wondering to myself if the radio evangelists and televangelists will continue to preach the prosperity gospel.  I can hear them now–”My fellow believer, don’t you worry about this economic situation.  Our God is bigger than the U.S. or world economies and he’ll continue to meet your needs.  You just keep on giving to this ministry even if things look bleak and I guarantee that God will pour you out a blessing you won’t have room enough to receive!”  I also wonder how many Christians who bought into the prosperity gospel overextended themselves with a larger house than they could afford or with huge credit card debt and are now facing dire financial straits.  Would megachurches with million-dollar accounts help bail them out?

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–

Truth comes out about Lakeland evangelist

The Christian Post reported this afternoon that Todd Bentley, the Lakeland, FL evangelist, has separated from his wife and has resigned from leadership in Fresh Fire Ministries after it was discovered he was involved in an extramarital relationship with a female staff member.

Bentley’s so-called revivals were recently televised 24 hours for several weeks on GodTV where the focus was on his unorthodox methods of distributing signs and wonders such as violently pushing people down while using sound effects.  Music was often used to work the people up to an emotional frenzy and to lower their inhibitions.  He was also known to misuse scripture or avoid its use altogether in an effort to promote what he was doing.  GodTV was more than his willing partner in the promotion of his false doctrines by giving him unprecedented access to their viewers.

Fresh Fire Ministries offered an apology on its website for what had occurred.  What’s really sad about this whole ordeal is how many people who were supposedly “Christian” were willing to be deceived by Bentley’s false teachings.  Rory and Wendy of GodTV should be ashamed of themselves for not reining Bentley in when they had the chance.  Instead of testing the spirits as commanded for Christians in 1 John, they seemingly saw an opportunity to up their viewership by jumping on the bandwagon of the latest “Christian” fad, which turned out to obviously NOT be Christian, but an attempt by a religious egomaniac to glorify himself using the name of God.

The website of Fresh Fire Ministries, in an effort to head off questions about funds they’ve received, explains some of the good works accomplished with their gifts.  Some of the things they’ve mentioned sound good, but if the ministry is based on what Todd Bentley hoped to accomplish, and he promoted false doctrine, then one has to question the validity of what may be taught through those ministries.  Jim Jones did plenty of good works also, but then turned out to be one of the most evil people to walk the planet.  One also has to wonder what was Bentley doing with his portion of the moneys received from those who allowed themselves to be duped.  Was he using it to meet secretly with the other woman somewhere like a hotel, or to buy her gifts?  It’s possible that more will be revealed in coming days about this whole situation.

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–

Six wrongs of the Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation, which happened in the 1500s, has been praised by many in today’s churches as a momentous occasion where Christians took a stand against the false doctrines and abuses instituted under the Roman Catholic Church by leaving the church.  Seminarians and church members of the various denominations often speak of the eloquence, courage, and sound theology of reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox.

Martin Luther, courtesy of Clipart, etc. at etc.usf.edu/clipart

However, a closer look at history paints a more honest picture of such men by revealing not only their positives, but their negatives also.  These men did not emerge unscathed and completely pure from the Roman Catholic system that they were born into and grew up in.  In some instances, they were just as deceived and corrupt as their Roman Catholic counterparts.  Here are a few areas where they lacked godly knowledge:

1.  Infant baptism: Even after exiting the Roman Catholic church, some Protestants such as John Calvin held to the false doctrine that an infant receives salvation through baptism.  There are also Protestants today who see nothing wrong with baptizing babies even if they understand that this baptism does not bring salvation.  The Bible states that baptism is reserved for those who have faith to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord and who understand that baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God [Acts 8:35-38; 1 Peter 3:21].  Infants don’t have this capacity and don’t have the capability to repent, confess, or believe in Christ.  If an infant or young child were to die without being baptized, God would receive them into heaven since they cannot understand what sin is or that they are in need of salvation from it.  Therefore, God is gracious enough not to sentence them to hell for dying in their sinful state.

2.  Dominion theology:  This is the belief that Christ will reign over the whole Earth through the church, making it necessary for every citizen in the whole world to become a Christian, even by force.  In some instances, dominionists believe Christ can only return to rule the Earth after everyone on Earth becomes a Christian.  Embracing this theology stems from the denial that all true believers will one day be caught up to meet Christ before God punishes the earth with his indignation and also leads church members to be preoccupied with earthly things when Christ commanded us to store up our treasures in heaven.  The apostle Paul also stated that Christians should focus on the things that are above, in heaven [Colossians 3:2], because the earthly things we see are temporary while the spiritual things we don’t see are eternal [2 Corinthians 4:17-18].  Dominion theology leads to the next false belief–

3.  Church and state should be married to each other:  Although the reformers of the 1500s decried the abuses heaped on the citizenry by Roman Catholic rulers, Luther and other reformers were in favor of expanding powers of Protestant politicians and rulers to meddle in church affairs when they chose Protestants to run their governments.  Protestant rulers often abused their political authority in the same way the Roman Catholics did, with the blessing of their church leaders.  By using the State to further their goals, Protestant reformers sought to make the kingdom of Christ an earthly kingdom, when Christ himself told Pilate that his kingdom was not of this world.  They were often strongly encouraged and sometimes shamed into choosing only rulers that were satisfactory to church leaders.  This has continued even up to today when it is implied that Christians are displeasing to God if they don’t vote for candidates who most closely match Christian beliefs.  Yes, Christians should desire godly leadership in government to help preserve morals to strengthen society, but we should not completely rely on the government to do the things that we are commanded to do such as look after the less fortunate (the poor, widows, elderly, and foreigners) in our midst or educate our children or help us spread the gospel.

What is often overlooked in arguing for only voting for “Christian” candidates is that God can also use unbelievers to fulfill his purposes.  Whether a government ruler is Christian or not, we are given the freedom to make them accountable for their actions when necessary.

4.  Church leaders placed on pedestals:  Roman Catholicism created a priestly class to rule over their church and when Protestant reformers left Catholicism or were excommunicated from it, they continued this tradition.  Creating a priestly class to rule over believers was an adoption of the gnostic doctrine of Nicolaitanism.  It is the idea that those who have attended a religious school (seminary) are endued by God with special knowledge, giving them the sole right and authority to rule over the laity and to share the knowledge they have acquired as they see fit.  This special knowledge with its authority are accompanied by special titles like Reverend, Pastor, Bishop, Elder, Deacon, Apostle, etc.  Reformers like John Calvin were known to argue vehemently against a person if they even hinted that church leaders were not above the common people of the church.

Such reformers overlooked what Christ and his apostles said to his followers, such as shunning religious titles [Matthew 23:8-10], rejecting the exercise of lordship over fellow believers [Mark 10:42-44], and setting a godly example for the flock as a leader but not lording over it [1 Peter 5:2-3].

5.  A distorted view of the Lord’s Supper: Martin Luther was quick to deny the teaching that during communion the priest has the power to turn the bread into the physical flesh of Christ and the wine into the physical blood of Christ (transubstantiation), but he embraced a similar doctrine, believing that Christ’s actual body and blood accompanied the bread and wine during communion (consubstantiation).  The apostle Paul states in the Bible that Jesus told his disciples to take communion in remembrance of him [1 Corinthians 11:24-25].  In other words, it is a sacred symbolic memorial and nothing more.  Jesus’ physical body and blood appear nowhere in the communion since it would be like crucifying the Lord over again.  It was only necessary for Jesus to die once for all mankind [Hebrews 10:10].  Claiming that Christ in any way needs to be crucified over and over again is to diminish his sacrifice as being the same as the Old Testament sacrifices, which denies the power of his lordship.

6.  Anti-Jewish sentiments: Martin Luther stated some of the most vile, vitriolic words against the Jews.  When he left the Catholic church, he held onto their anti-Semitic doctrines, teaching that the Jews were worthy of hatred because they were responsible for crucifying Christ.  He also believed God would have no more dealings whatsoever with the Jews.  They were forever rejected and the Israel in the New Testament only referred to Gentile believers.  This type of hatred ignores the fact that Christ himself was a Jew, that his 12 disciples were Jews, and that most of the Bible was written by Jews.  When Christ suffered at the hand of the Jews, he asked God to forgive them.  Although Paul suffered at the hand of his fellow Jews for accepting Christ, he still had love for them and desired their salvation [Romans 10:1].  Luther’s anti-Jewish leanings have been passed down for centuries to some modern-day congregations who believe that Israel’s rejection of the Messiah has sealed their fate and that God has rejected them forever.

These false doctrines that the reformers clung to that they learned from Catholicism shows they were not as reformed as they thought.  Their doctrines have been passed down from generation to generation of the various Protestant churches and have only served to weaken the church, leaving the door open for more false doctrines to creep into churches and seminaries.  All too often, today’s churches have looked to them and their traditions for guidance instead of leaning on the revelation of the Holy Spirit to teach them.  This is why it has been rather easy for ecumenism to sweep through so many churches and why so many prominent evangelicals are caught up in the Evangelical and Catholics Together movement.

But he [Jesus] answered and said unto them [the Pharisees], Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? … ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Matthew 15:3, 6

Sources:

Columbia Encyclopedia,  6th ed. 2001.

Hunt, Dave.  What Love is This? Loyal Publishing, 2002.

Vella, John M. Matters of church and state, Book review of Owen Chadwick’s The Early Reformation on the Continent, Modern Age, June 22, 2005.

How accurate is the 2008 Pew poll on religion?

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released their poll on “Religion in America” last week and it has been a major topic in the secular and religious world since its release.  The statistics reveal that a majority of religious people in America are less dogmatic than previously thought.  Here are some of the highlights of the statistics where 35,556 American adults were polled (in case you haven’t seen them yet):

• 70% of Americans with religious affiliations believe their religion is not the only way to eternal life.
• 68% of religious Americans believe there are several ways to interpret the truths in their religious teachings.
• 57% of evangelical churchgoers think there is more than one way to eternal life.
• 92% of Americans believe in God.
• 21% of atheists believe in God or a “universal spirit.”
• 83% of “mainline” Protestants believe there are many roads to God.
• 59% of members of historic black congregations believe there are many roads to God.
• 79% of Roman Catholics believe there are many roads to God.
• 82% of Jews believe there are many roads to God.
• 56% of Muslims believe there are many roads to God.
• 74% of Americans believe in life after death.

 

Members of the liberal press were so ecstatic about reporting these results because in their eyes, this means the brand of strict Christianity that proclaims Jesus is the only way to God is losing its foothold in American society.  I watched the ABC Evening News when the report came out and the bias against Christianity was obvious in how it was reported.  There was such excitement in George Stephanopoulos’ voice when he ran down the stats revealing that most Christians thought Jesus was not the only way to God.  Then his voice dropped down to a “shame on you” tone of voice when he reported that there were still a good number of Christians who still hold to the doctrine that Jesus is the only way to God. 

But I personally question how this poll was done.  I took a look at Pew’s survey methodology at this link to see who was polled and how the poll was conducted.  A total of 429,726 phone calls were made for this poll.  Ultimately, only 35,556 people ended up taking the poll for various reasons such as no one answering at the number dialed or people who answered that were not interested in being polled.  The response rate for those who were contacted was a measly 24%.

So I have to ask myself several questions that never were asked in the news reports that I saw, and here are my questions:

• Is 35,556 an accurate number of people to make such broad conclusions about Americans’ opinions on religion?
• If only 24% of people contacted were polled, can we really take the results of this poll seriously?
• How many people from each state were contacted?  Results can be skewed depending on what part of the country is polled.  For instance, if a large number from the West Coast and New England were polled, then it is no surprise that such a large percentage don’t believe that Jesus is the only way, since these regions are very liberal.

 

My third question above is my main concern and I searched Pew’s website about this poll to find the state-by-state data, but it wasn’t there.  It seems to me that they would make such data easy to find if they wanted the public to know as much as possible on how their survey was done.  This leads me to wonder if they’re hiding something.  Could it be that there is an ulterior motive for their poll, such as an attempt to pressure those of us who hold fast to the truth that Jesus is the only way to salvation and who believe in the 100% accuracy of the scriptures to join the “mainstream” way of thinking?

But let me break down the math of the poll for a minute.  If the U.S. population is roughly 300 million people and approximately 24.6% of them are under 18, then 75.4% of that 300 million are adults.  That means the U.S. adult population is about 226,200,000.  If 35,556 adults were polled, then less than 1% of our population were polled.  In my opinion, that’s somewhat pathetic to base the beliefs of over 200 million people on less than 1% of our population. 

If the Pew poll is accurate, I believe it verifies that America is really not a “Christian” nation.  We are merely a country that has a significant number of Christians in it.  It also shows how deceived “religious” people can be.  If the Pew poll is inaccurate, my opinion is that it is another attempt to try to sway people’s minds toward a one-world religion, which is a reflection of an antichrist spirit, to prepare people for the coming of the Antichrist.

Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?  Luke 18:8

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–

John Hagee: a prophet for profit?

We’ve all heard by now how John Hagee has apologized for his anti-Catholic remarks.  His statement to the Catholic league expressed his “deep regret for any comments Catholics found hurtful.”  He acknowledged that calling the Roman Catholic church “the great whore” and other such terms have often been used in anti-Catholic literature.

Hagee has been preaching against the Catholic church for many years, so what exactly brought on his recent “revelation”?  I’ve watched his sermons for several years and although I don’t always agree with what he says, his sermons have always been well-researched.  Within the last year or two he has periodically preached on the book of Revelation and the information he shared was very accurate and truthful.  Now all of a sudden, he wants to recant.  Something smells really rotten here.

Was he blackmailed or threatened into making his statements of apology?  I think it’s obvious that due to his backing Republican John McCain for President, that he’s been under political pressure to take back what he said.  He doesn’t want to be a hindrance to his political pal making it to the White House.  Who knows–if Hagee plays his cards correctly and McCain gets elected, maybe he will be accepted into the halls of power as an advisor to McCain since he has apologized.  But is this what a man of God should do when the pressure is on?

Hagee’s past teaching that the Roman Catholic is the great whore and Babylon the Great is true, according to Revelation.  Rome sits on seven hills, as it says in Revelation, and it is that great city that reigned over the kings of the earth when Revelation was written (Revelation 17:18).  As a matter of fact, Rome (i.e. the Vatican) still reigns over the kings of the earth and has had its hands involved in political maneuvering all over the globe.  Have you ever noticed that whenever the news media talks about the Pope, they sing his praises as if he’s some type of demigod?  It’s not just a coincidence.  On the other hand if someone speaks against Roman Catholicism, unless it concerns their perverted priests, they are labeled as hatemongers.

When you preach the truth, as Hagee did against the Vatican, there’s never any need to apologize for it.  Hagee, like so many other preachers, has lost sight of who he was supposed to be working for–the Lord Jesus Christ.  Instead of standing firm on fearing God, he has caved in to his fear of men.  Did he forget that the scriptures say “We must obey God rather than men”?  Maybe he has become like the chief rulers of the Jews in John 12:42-43 who loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.  It seems he has given himself over to “filthy lucre”, i.e. he is greedy for his own personal gain which in this case is political gain–the type of gain that directly violates what the leader of a church should be, according to 1 Timothy 3.

Has Hagee’s god become his belly where he is afraid a reprisal from someone in power will threaten his ability to have the full-course meals he obviously enjoys if contributions dry up for his ministry?  Is compromising the truth really worth it?

He is the perfect example of why religious leaders should not be placed on pedestals.  Apparently, Hagee claims that he now has a better understanding of Catholic history, which is one reason why he apologized.  But if he really had a true understanding of its history, there’s no way he would be apologizing, especially when its history is filled with the bloodshed of millions.  It’s really sad that the one world, one religion system he so vehemently preached against in his series on Revelation is now the system he has bought into.

–posted by Harry A. Gaylord–