I was just reading an article in the New York Times -- please see below --
called "Believers Invest in the Gospel of Getting Rich". These so-called
"prosperity preachers" really make me sick...and angry! They are no better
than -- if not worse than -- the greedy spiritual shepherds who fleeced
their flocks in ancient Israel. The Lord condemned those false spiritual
leaders in such chapters as Ezekiel 34. They were like ravening wolves who
preyed upon their flocks in order to enrich themselves, and they were still
doing it at the time of Christ, which is why Jesus went into the temple in
Jerusalem with a whip. Please read all of Ezekiel 34, and the Lord's anger
against those false shepherds will become very clear to you.

Exactly what does the Bible really say regarding becoming distracted by
wealth, materialism, worldliness and selfish personal gain -- or as the
Epistles refer to it, filthy lucre? Consider the following very clear
counsel and admonition:

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure
is, there will your heart be also . . . No man can serve two masters: for
either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the
one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
Matthew 6:19-21, 24, KJV

"Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth
unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him
hath God the Father sealed."
John 6:27, KJV

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose
his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Mark 8:36-37, KJV

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for 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, KJV

"Let your conversation 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, KJV

"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. For the love of money is the root of all
evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and
pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee
these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
patience, meekness."
1 Timothy 6:6-11, KJV

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man
love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the
world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of
life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away,
and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."
1 John 2:15-17, KJV

"Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not
a brawler, not covetous; . . . Likewise must the deacons be grave, not
doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;" 1
Timothy 3:3, 8, KJV

"For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not
soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; . . .
Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things
which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake."
Titus 1:7, 11, KJV

"Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not
by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;"
1 Peter 5:2, KJV

As I have pointed out so many times before, if we are truly seeking God's
Kingdom first in our lives, His Word promises that He will provide our every
need. The key word here is "need". He may not provide everything that we
want, but He will provide everything that we truly need, as we see here:

"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his
ear heavy, that it cannot hear:"
Isaiah 59:1, KJV

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of
thine heart . . . I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the
righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."
Psalms 37:4, 25, KJV

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine
house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not
open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there
shall not be room enough to receive it."
Malachi 3:10, KJV

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow:
for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto
the day is the evil thereof."
Matthew 6:33-34, KJV

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that
seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened . . . If ye
then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much
more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask
him?"
Matthew 7:7-8, 11, KJV

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall
receive."
Matthew 21:22, KJV

"Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is
forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows."
Luke 12:6-7, KJV

"And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought
for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put
on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider
the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor
barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And
which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye
then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for
the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not;
and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like
one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field,
and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye
of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink,
neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the
world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added
unto you."
Luke 12:22-31, KJV

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not with him also freely give us all things?"
Romans 8:32, KJV

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by
Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19, KJV

"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing
according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us,
whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of
him."
1 John 5:14-15, KJV

These rich "prosperity preachers" may be enjoying their worldly comfort and
wealth now, but consider what the Bible says about such misguided people who
erroneously seek after such things:

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where
Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above,
not on things on the earth."
Colossians 3:1-2, KJV

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the
world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world
is the enemy of God."
James 4:4, KJV

". . . Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the
kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom
of God."
Matthew 19:23-24, KJV

". . . Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into
the kingdom of God!"
Mark 10:24b, KJV


Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23
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