MONEY-MAKING BIBLE HUCKSTERS AND MAMMON : PART 1

Copyright 1994 - 2009 Endtime Prophecy Net

Published On : December 3, 1997

Last Updated : May 22, 2009

Online Money-Making Bible Hucksters, Freely Ye Have Received,
Jesus' Example Of Freely Sharing God's Truth, Not Infallible,
Casting The Bait, Secret Societies, Lure Of Esoteric Wisdom,
Worldly Commercial Spirit And What Is In It For Me, Helping
Others Because It Is The Right Thing To Do, Jesus' Anger In
The Temple, Simon The Sorcerer Tries To Purchase Holy Spirit,
Peter Heals Lame Man, Biblical Meaning Of The Word "Publish",
A Free Written Record, What If The Original Manuscripts Had
Been Sold?, Modern Friends Of Mammon, Abundant Life Doctrine,
Lay Not Up Treasures On Earth, We Cannot Serve Two Masters,
Dilemma Of Wealthy People, Example Of Moses & Other Examples,
Bob Dylan - You Gotta Serve Somebody, Parable Of The Sower,
Freely Preach The Gospel, Danger Of Filthy Lucre, Practicing
Humility In Our Preaching, Modern Self-Proclaimed Prophets



Some time ago, while scanning various Internet newsgroups,
I happened upon one of many messages in which the writer
offered some interesting information related to Endtime
prophecy. Following the instructions that were provided in
the message post, I sent him a reply to obtain additional
information. This person responded with an email message
which was even more tantalizing than his first newsgroup
post. It provided some additional comments on the knowledge
which this person claimed to possess, but it didn't contain
the actual information. At this point I was beginning to get
a better idea of what this man was all about. Following the
instructions in the email message, I went to the URL that he
had included. You can imagine the deep disappointment that I
experienced upon discovering that the message posted in the
newsgroup, as well as the private email message, were only
bait to lure me, and other spiritually hungry folks, to what
amounted to nothing more than a commercial web site, where
God's Word, or at least what this person claimed was the
proper interpretation of God's Word, was being sold for a
profit.

Quite frankly, I find it rather objectionable, and in fact,
it really upsets me, that modern Christianity has become so
overrun by Bible hucksters who feel that they have the right
to convert the sharing of God's truth into nothing more than
another worldly business venture. Being a prolific writer
myself, I can understand and appreciate that many Christian
writers invest a considerable amount of time, energy, thought
and money into their writing and research endeavors. However,
this is no excuse for anyone to sell the truth, or at least
what we believe to be the truth, concerning the Scriptures.
Like this person who posted a message in the newsgroup, I've
been dedicated to sharing Biblical truth with those who are
willing to hear it for many years. However, I do not sell it.
I firmly believe in what the Lord taught us in the Gospels
when He said:

". . . freely ye have received, freely give."
Matthew 10:8b, KJV

In my view, to put a price on Biblical truth is to indirectly
suggest that the only people who are worthy of hearing it, or
reading it, are those who are willing to pay for it. This, of
course, is in direct contradiction to the whole Spirit of the
Bible. This is most definitely not the method which Jesus and
His followers practiced. Jesus didn't go around on book tours
or speaking engagements in which He charged hefty fees before
He would even be willing to speak. He shared God's truth in
the open air, for all to hear, freely. Furthermore, being as
the ideas of any Christian writer are not infallible, anyone
who is foolish enough to pay money for their books, videos or
whatever it is that they are selling, is taking a big gamble.

Let us be honest about this. The truth of the matter is that
we may truly and sincerely believe in what we are writing and
teaching, but to promote such beliefs as some absolute truth
which supersedes the writings of all other Christian writers
and teachers -- as some of these fast-talking Bible hucksters
do -- is simply a product of vanity and pride, and an attempt
to enrich oneself by relying upon the gullibility of others.
As I said, I often receive emails from some of these crafty
characters, and I will sometimes visit their websites. When
they make the claim that they are going to reveal something
new, some shocking revelation that they have just discovered
which has never been heard before, -- for a modest price, of
course -- that is when they lose me. I wonder how many people
send in money to some of these money-making Bible hucksters,
only to be disappointed later when they find out exactly what
it is the writers espouse. Perhaps you are one who has been
"burned" by some of these scam artists.

You see, this is precisely the gimmick that some writers use
in order to attract gullible souls to their lairs. They will
tease you and purposely pique your curiosity with some hidden
"truth" which they have purportedly discovered; but until you
bite the bait and send in your money, they won't let you know
exactly what it is. This is the same technique that is used
by some individuals who are involved with certain so-called
"secret societies", such as the Kabbalists, Freemasons, and
other such groups. Even the Roman Catholic Church just loves
to surround things in mystery, such as the so-called secrets
of Fatima. Certain cults will employ this very same method in
order to attract new recruits. They all claim to possess some
secret knowledge, or some esoteric wisdom, or some mystical
power which is only meant for the "chosen few". You have to
go through certain initiation rites and advance one level at
a time, until they feel that you are worthy of the "ultimate
truth", and the powers which they supposedly possess. This
issue is something which I likewise discuss in some of my
Endtime and New Age articles.

Well, I am sorry folks -- no, not really -- but it is rather
difficult for me personally to believe in the sincerity of
some of these money-making Bible hucksters. If their hearts
were really right with the Lord, and if they were sincerely
interested in enlightening people, instead of in just making
money, they would freely share what the Lord has supposedly
revealed to them, and not hoard it, and only share it with
those people who are willing to pay them money for it. In my
view, such "Christian" writers are guilty of yielding to the
very same commercial spirit which has polluted the world. It
is so sad to see that everything today is based on money and
profit. There was a time when good-hearted people did things
simply because it helped someone else and because it was the
right thing to do. Now, however, everything has a price; and
so many people want to know what is in it for them first,
before they are willing to extend a helpful hand to someone.

Many of you reading this will be familiar with the story of
how Jesus became upset with the moneychangers and sellers in
the courts of the temple in Jerusalem. Those merchants were
profiting from the devotion to God of the common people, and
Jesus didn't like it one bit, as we see here:

"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all
them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the
tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold
doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be
called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of
thieves."
Matthew 21:12-13, KJV

"And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and
sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when
he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out
of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out
the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto
them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my
Father's house an house of merchandise."
John 2:13-16, KJV

In another example, which is found in the Book of the Acts,
there was an evil sorcerer in Samaria by the name of Simon,
who actually thought that he could purchase the power of the
Holy Spirit from the Apostles. Consider the following verses:

"But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime
in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of
Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom
they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying,
This man is the great power of God. And to him they had
regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with
sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the
things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus
Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon
himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he
continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles
and signs which were done. Now when the apostles which were
at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of
God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were
come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy
Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid
they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles'
hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay
hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto
him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought
that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast
neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not
right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy
wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine
heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in
the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Then
answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that
none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. And
they, when they had testified and preached the word of the
Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many
villages of the Samaritans."
Acts 8:9-25, KJV


Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your Download Center 4 Mac BBS Software & Christian Files.  We Use Hermes II


--- Hermes Web Tosser 1.1