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Text Box: January 28, 2012 More Hypocrisy A man was sitting in a new church, visiting for the first time. After the praise and worship service, the pastor announced that it was time to take up the tithes and offerings, and he started quoting the following Old Testament Bible scripture: "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.” Malachi 3:8 NKJV The pastor continued to explain that the tithe is 10% of the gross income and that that part belongs to God and should be given to the church. If anyone doesn’t heed this message, they will be robbing God. As the man was hearing all this, he thought to himself: “What??? Am I really supposed to pay God 10% of my income? If I don’t, am I really cheating or robbing God? If so, am I now as a follower of Jesus Christ in danger of going to hell since the Bible says that no thief will enter the kingdom of God?” Slightly panicking, the following scripture went through his mind: Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 1. Corinthians 6:9-10 NKJV By quoting the Malachi scripture, the pastor was actually telling the man that he would go to hell if he doesn’t tithe. The man started to feel guilty and condemned and wondered by himself, “What if the pastor is right about what he is saying?” Then suddenly, he felt like somebody tugged at him, telling him in his ear: “What a bunch of hypocritical nonsense!!! This not me! I do not condemn you like this and send you to hell for not tithing! This pastor is lying to you. Tithing was never money, and doesn’t apply to My New Covenant followers.” The voice spoke with strong authority and at the same time full of love and compassion, as it revealed the real truth to him through the Word of God: “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 NLT “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, "They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever." 2. Corinthians 9:7-9 NLT The man felt relief and was greatly encouraged by what he heard from Jesus Christ as he left the church and went his merry way. On the way home, he decided to tuck a hundred dollar bill into the vest jacket of a war veteran without legs, who was painstakingly wheeling his way down the street in his wheelchair. The vet looked up at the man with beaming eyes and thanked the man as a tear gently strolled its way down his bearded cheeks. January 24, 2012 Hypocrisy Many heretical churches and groups sound very Christian as they tell you that they believe in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. But upon further investigation, you often find that they add additional requirements for salvation, as well as additional rules, regulations, and traditions on how you are supposed to follow God, such as membership and favoritism in their special church, and obedience to certain Old Testament laws, like tithing and Sabbath. Here is a clear example from the Bible of the apostle Paul, who openly had to confront the apostle Pe-ter, who was hypocritically leading Gentile Christians astray by making them follow Jewish traditions. “When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, "Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?” Galatians 2:14 NLT It was out of fear of what others might say of him that Peter acted hypocritically by stopping eating with the Gentile believers. “When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter's hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.” Galatians 2:12-13 NLT God previously revealed to Peter through a vision of clean and unclean animals, that the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was intended for the Gentiles as well for the Jews. In doing so, God was removing the racial and spiritual barriers there existed in Peter’s mind, teaching him that God did not show favoritism to any one particular nation, but that God indeed is Lord of the entire world. In other words, there is nothing unclean in Jesus Christ! Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. Then a voice said to him, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat them." "No, Lord," Peter declared. "I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean." But the voice spoke again: "Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean." Acts 10:9-15 NLT Paul went further on to say to Peter, as he was confronting him: "You and I are Jews by birth, not 'sinners' like the Gentiles. Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law." Galatians 2:15-16 NLT Peter was motivated by fear and was consumed of what people would think and say about him. He would rather change the meaning of the Gospel than face persecution for Jesus Christ. Peter’s actions were clearly hypocritical, and needing of Paul’s rebuke and advice. Paul’s position was very clear, as he summed it up in his letter to the Galatians: “Notice What Large Letters I Use As I Write These Closing Words In My Own Handwriting. Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised (Meaning to follow the Law) want to look good to others. They don't want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. And even those who advocate circumcision don't keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples. As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Galatians 6:11-14 NLT January 12, 2012 How are you doing, minister? Over the past decades, the church has been rocked by numerous sexual scandals within the roles of its leadership. A great number of well-known ministers have fallen prey to the sin of adultery, homo-sexuality, and divorce. And I am not even talking about those ministers who completely strayed away from God by teaching deceptive and evil doctrines. These are people that many of us admired and praised for their anointing and achievements. Here are some of the names: Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Bakker, Ray McCauley, Earl Paulk, Roberts Liar-don, Arthur Blessitt, Charles Stanley, Paul Cain, Clarence McClendon, Ted Haggert, Benny Hinn, Eddie Long, Todd Bentley, Zachery Tims, Paula White, Randy White, Juanita Bynum and the list goes on. While it is true that the Satan is a master at setting believers up for temptation, just as true is it that many of these ministers that we look up to are wounded people or are lacking in character. Only God knows how sincerely repentant these ministers are toward Him and people, and how willing they are to allow Him to heal and restore them. Some of them testify about how God has restored them, but others kept on going in the ministry as if nothing happened. The Bible is very clear that anyone, including ministers living in a lifestyle that is characterize by sin, can be cleansed and made holy and right with God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1. Corinthians 6:11 NLT From the well-known to the least, we have to pray and intercede for these ministers in the body of Christ that God protect them and keep them instead of putting them on a pedestal, viewing them as something more special than others. I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 1. Timothy 2:1 NLT December 6, 2011 God Is Sounding The Alarm Bell! “They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.” Acts 17:11 NLT This passage from the Bible speaks about the open-minded people of the city of Berea, who thoroughly examined the Scriptures to verify whether the apostles Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. Isn’t that what we are all supposed to do? On one of our ministry trips this year as we were traveling back to New York, we made a stop in a city where a famous prophet/Bible teacher has his church, bible school and headquarters. We arrived right in time for the Sunday morning service and were delighted to find out that this well-known minister was scheduled to preach that morning. After the worship service and announcements, he came up and started talking about the subject of tithing, meaning giving 10% from your gross income to the church. As he was teaching, my wife and I looked at each other in amazement at how this man was twisting Old Testament Law scriptures meant for the Israelites, and deceptively applying it to the New Covenant believers. This minister was pressuring the congregation by saying that God demands from them to tithe their money into his ministry in order to receive God’s blessings in return. Basically, you are buying your blessing from God. Then, to top it off, this minister shamelessly continued with fear propaganda, saying that he will never allow anybody in his ministry who does not tithe!!! WOW!!! Nowhere in the New Testament of the Bible does it teach followers of Jesus Christ to tithe! Nowhere!!! Jesus did not teach the disciples to tithe, and the disciples did not teach anybody to tithe!!! As a matter of fact, this is what the apostles were teaching the believers: “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, "They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remem-bered forever."“ 2. Corinthians 9:7-9 NLT “On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned.” 1. Corinthians 16:2 NLT “Give in proportion to what you have. Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don't have. Of course, I don't mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal.” 2. Corinthians 8:11-15 NLT For a more in-depth teaching on the subject of tithing and who you should give your money to, you can read the study on our website entitled “Do I Have To Tithe?” Use this link: http://instituteoflove.net/index_files/Page6924.htm. After the service, we walked around the impressive ministry complex, that included among other things, a huge store selling all sorts of merchandise like books, CD’s, DVD’s, instruments and much more, and also a café/restaurant selling from a variety of menus. What a marketplace in the church, we thought to ourselves. This is exactly what Jesus had a problem with when the people were doing business in the Temple, which is supposed to be a house of prayer. “When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a market-place. He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves."“ Mark 11:15-17 NLT What happened to the scriptures; “Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!” Matthew 10:7-8 NLT “You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'“ Acts 20:35 NLT And, what happened to the scriptures about the example of the first church in the book of Acts, how they took care of the need of one another through their giving? “All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.” Acts 4:32-35 NLT Instead of preaching the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ and teaching sound doctrine, the church is busy pressuring the people to tithe and sow financial seeds in order to receive personal money harvests and healings. They’re talking about revelations of the so-called “angel of finance” and the coming “great wealth transfer,” giving formulas on how to prosper and get wealthy, prophesying over people who first give money in exchange, selling their so-called divinely received revelations from God through their books, CD’s and DVD’s to name a few. They tell you that everybody is supposed to get rich, and yet the Bible says that the apostle Paul, who wasn’t rich himself, taught Timothy to teach those who are rich in this world, (“those” means it was not everybody) the following: “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.” 1. Timothy 6:17-19 NLT The reason many of those preachers and televangelist are wealthy is because the people are giving money to them, and then end up struggling financially. They promise you that when you give your tithes and gifts, the windows of heaven will open up and pour out blessings upon you that you cannot contain. Why is it then that they don’t sow a financial seed in you, so they will be receiving a blessing from heaven for themselves? But instead, they keep on begging and pressuring you to give. We have to remember that their motive is all for them to get the security of a projected income. They put their trust in your giving, instead of in God, who says in His Word; “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.” 1. Timothy 6:6-9 NLT They tell you that the Gospel costs money, and yet Jesus instructed His twelve apostles when He sent them out: "Don't take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. Don't carry a traveler's bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed." Matthew 10:9-10 NLT They tell you that if don’t support them financially they cannot continue with the ministry, and yet the Bible says: “Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.” Psalm 127:1 NLT In other words, a ministry is not depended on whether people support it financially or not, it is whether God is the one who builds it. And if so, you can trust God that He will take care of His ministry! As we continued our trip back to New York, we heard a well known female televangelist on the car radio preaching about…well, you might have guessed it…tithing. But this time, it was with a different twist. She said that she knows that tithing is not taught in the New Testament of the Bible, but regardless, she still does it, and the crowd cheered and applauded her. And yet the Bible says: “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” James 4:17 NLT Recently, we returned from a two month ministry trip to the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Sweden and Norway where have been tremendously blessed and encouraged by the believers there. They demonstrated how to unselfishly and lovingly take care of traveling teachers as being portrayed in 3. John 5-8 NLT: “Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth.” God is sounding the alarm bell for the Church to wake up and repent from embracing wrong, evil doctrines instead of rising up to tell others the unadulterated Good News: “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.” 2. Timothy 4:3-5 NLT The apostle Paul said it really well: “You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ's authority, knowing that God is watching us.” 2. Corinthians 2:17 NLT October 31, 2011 The “New and Improved” Gospel I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 1. John 2:26 NLT For some years now, many have tried to revamp the Gospel in an attempt to deceive and mislead the people of the world - including and especially the Christian believers - and have in many cases successfully done so, with three major modifications of sound doctrine: 1. The Prosperity Gospel. According to those who preach this form of Gospel, God has promised every believer who sows into their ministry that they will become wealthy, rich, millionaires, yes even billionaires. But in reality, this is nothing but the Gospel of greed, preached by those who are lusting after your money to make personal profit! The apostle Paul and Peter spoke up against these false preachers. You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ's authority, knowing that God is watching us. 2. Corinthians 2:17 NLT In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed. 2. Peter 2:3 NLT 2. The Gospel of Inclusion, a modified Gospel that claims that God, who is love, would never send anybody to hell, and that is why, according to this false Gospel, everybody will go to heaven no matter their current lifestyles, including the homosexual lifestyle. But, the Bible clearly says something else, beginning with the words of Jesus Christ: But I'll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he's the one to fear. Luke 12:5 NLT Don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 1. Corinthians 6:9-10 NLT 3. Chrislam, the very latest improved version of the Gospel, which merges Christianity and the Islam religion, hence the merged name Christ/Islam. Many Christian leaders and pastors of (mega) churches all over the United States and the world have given their approval to this “One World Interfaith Religion” deception which is spiced up with many “New Age” ingredients. Their goal is to “re-define” Christianity, as they unabashed say. This latest ploy of the Devil is a set-up to reduce our Lord Jesus Christ to just a “good teacher,” and exclude Him from being the Only Way, the Truth, and the Life through whom we receive forgiveness for our sins, salvation, and eternal life! "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 NLT Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." John 14:8 NLT Jesus warns us not to be deceived by false messiah’s and prophet’s who perform great signs through the teachings of these false doctrines and performing wonders of bringing world religions together under the false banner of love and tolerance in these last days. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. Matthew 24:24-25 NLT October 11, 2011 October Blues It feels different from the September Blues. I know that a change is coming, and I am trying to keep up with the preparations in this time of transition. This October Blues feels so much different than the trying and testing September Blues, as I am moving through the changes, the cold, and the ever increasing darkness. It feels less speedy and more authentic. In fact, you could say that as long as we are alive, something is always growing, something is always dying, or you could also say, God is somehow always busy changing something! Just a week ago, I was walking through the streets of the extremely noisy and busy New York City, and now I am sitting in the kitchen of a home in a quiet Danish town staring outside the window, thinking about what Jesus Christ told me when I first became a believer in Him in the eighties. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own. Luke 14:33 NLT He went on to say; If you love me, obey my commandments. John 14:15 NLT I did what He asked of me, and after all these years of going through the many changes and testing’s that could have separated me from God’s love, I have come to the following conclusion; And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 NLT August 30, 2011 August Burns Red This is also the name of a Christian metal band who recently released a great new album called Leveler. The month of August has burned red from happenings like: A lake that inexplicably turned red in Texas, and a huge mysterious bubble cloud hovering over Beijing, China; an unusual 5.8 earthquake, and a destructive hurricane on the east coast hitting, among other places, Washington DC and New York City; an economy that is in a total freefall, as it continues to destroy the lives of countless households; Libya’s murderous dictator, Qaddafi, finally being ousted; Zachery Tims, a well known controversial pastor of a mega church in Florida that was found dead in a New York City hotel with a bag of a white substance in his pocket; and Christian governor Rick Perry from the State of Texas officially running for president of the United States. God is, in these last days, doing everything to bring sinners to salvation and backsliders to repent and come back to Him by speaking and reaching out to them through a variety of happenings like signs in the water and the sky, natural disasters, unemployment and financial lack, the overthrowing of governments, using God-fearing political leaders, or even through the death of backslidden preachers, and in doing so, causing fear for Him who has the power to kill and throw into hell. But I'll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he's the one to fear. Luke 12:5 NLT We see more and more mockers standing up in the media ridiculing Jesus Christ and the notion that He is coming back, as they try, in their carnal mind, to explain away every God-sent supernatural event. They openly and shamelessly attack those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and provider. But God, in His love, is patiently waiting for them to come to repentance and give their lives to Him. Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the \times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created." They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 2. Peter 3:3-9 NLT July 26, 2011 Don’t Mock The Justice Of God Don't be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. Galatians 6:7-8 NLT Anders Behring Breivik, the 32 year old Norwegian man who bombed the outside of the government's headquarters in Oslo, the capitol of Norway, and who opened gun fire on a political party retreat for young people on an island near Oslo last week killing 76 people, told the court yesterday that he wanted to save Europe from Muslim immigration, and warned that there are two other cells of his terror network, which he imagines as a new Knights Templar, the medieval cabal of crusaders who protected Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land. “The operation was not to kill as many people as possible but to give a strong signal that could not be misunderstood, that as long as the Labor Party keeps driving its ideological lie and keeps decon-structing Norwegian culture and mass importing Muslims, then they must assume responsibility for this treason,” said Breivik, calling for a revolution that would rid Europe of Muslims. Anders Behring Breivik was quickly labeled a Christian extremist and fundamentalist by the media although Breivik himself denies being a Christian. Even so, it is obvious that if someone calls himself a Christian but goes out and blows up buildings, shoot, and kill people, he is not a true Christian believer. The purpose and focus of the Christian ministry is always to reconcile people to God through Jesus Christ who gives eternal life, and not to incite violence in any way. As the Bible says, The Devil came to kill, steal, and destroy, but Jesus came to give life more abundantly. (John 10:10) But then, what is happening here? Norway is said to be a peace-loving Christian country. But is that really true? Only through a little amount of research, it’s clear to see that Norway is a very anti-Semitic nation, a strong supporter of the Palestinians’ claim for land in Israel along with its capitol Jerusalem, and with a media portraying the Jews, God’s people, in a bad light. Norway is one of the countries that regularly incite resentment and hatred against Israel, falsely blaming them for committing atrocities against the Palestinian children, among other things. This is a very important issue, because I believe there is a Godly pattern that takes place whenever a country exhibits anti-Jew behavior; sooner or later disaster will take place. The same goes for Norway – this country cannot mock the justice of God – by touching the apple of His eye, Israel - and think they will get away with it! Along with a strong urging for Norway to consider their stance on Israel and its Biblical implications, our hearts and prayers go out to the families of all the victims of this horrible massacre! We pray that God will comfort them in their grief. July 1, 2011 Stop The Madness With the way the economy is right now with many churches and ministries in serious financial trouble, we see more and more of the continuous madness of televangelists, preachers, pastors, and ministers begging and pressuring viewers and congregants to give them money. These preachers say that since the economy is in such a bad shape, we as Christians are actually supposed to give more money instead of less, with the promise that in return we will receive greater blessings of financial miracles and prosperity from God in these challenging days. They tell you to trust in God for your financial miracle provision, and yet they themselves do not trust God, but continue in their greed to beg and pressure you to give them more and more money. It is therefore no wonder that they make up all sorts of false promises and clever lies to get hold of your money: In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. 2. Peter 2:3 NLT The Bible also warns us never to give money under pressure: You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. 2. Corinthians 9:7 NLT Spiritual leaders are supposed to trust God for their provision and be givers instead of takers, just like the apostles in the first Christian Church in the Bible book of Acts did, setting the example as they trusted God to be able to help the poor and the needy with the money they received from the congregants. All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. Acts 4:32-35 NLT The modern Christian Church has made the church a marketplace where it sells all sorts of Christian merchandise like books, CD’s, and DVD’s with Bible teachings, studies, and revelations among other things, justifying it as ways to provide for the ministry. The Church also charges for conferences, seminars, concerts, and even for food and beverages. Did we ever think about the fact that Jesus Christ NEVER charged anybody for His teachings? As matter fact Jesus Christ said, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8 NKJV) and therefore He will cleanse the Church from those who involve themselves in these malpractices as He did in Temple in His days here on earth. Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves!" Matthew 21:12-13 NLT Jesus Christ always trusted the Father to provide for Him in order for Him to freely give it to the people. Just think about the time Jesus miraculously multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish for thousands of people. He trusted the Father for a miracle to give food free of charge to the people! Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat." But Jesus said, "You feed them." "With what?" they asked. "We'd have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!" "How much bread do you have?" he asked. "Go and find out." They came back and reported, "We have five loaves of bread and two fish." Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed from those loaves! Mark 6:34-44 NLT Why then do we as Christians not follow the example of Jesus Christ (He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. 1. Peter 2:21 NLT) and trust Him to give us the means in order for us to give it away free of charge? Or, are we like the disciples who in their natural unbelieving mind said: "We'd have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!" Wouldn’t God provide for what He has meant for you to do in obedience to His will and call regardless the economic woes? Isn’t everything possible for God, even when it seems humanly impossible, as Jesus stated in Matthew 19:26? "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible." Matthew 19:26 NLT God will never allow you to do something that He won’t support and provide for; otherwise you will be laboring in vain. It is time to STOP THE MADNESS, repent for doing it your own way and making a business out of the Gospel, obey God, and blessings will follow! Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Psalm 127:1 NKJV June 25, 2011 Chrislam? So much has already happened in this month of June 2011; New York just became the sixth and largest state to legalize same-sex marriage. This God insulting decision (See Romans 2) voted in by the state Senate prompted the eruption of a huge street party to celebrate this sinful act. Gay weddings are planned to begin soon. President Barack Obama is praising the New York law makers for legalizing gay marriage, as, as he says, democracies are supposed to do, and that marriage has traditionally been decided by the states. He also said that he believes that gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country. The Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner from New York finally resigned after the scandal over lewd photos the congressman sent of himself to various women. Then there was the false doomsday preacher Harold Camping who got a stroke that affected his speech, which has become slurred as a result. Family radio has decided to stop airing Harold Camp-ing’s Open Forum show. Bishop Eddie Long, pastor of Atlanta's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, reportedly settled for $25 million to silence the four young men who filed sexual misconduct lawsuits against him, AFTER he vowed to his congregation he would vigorously fight the allegations in court! The young men – now in their early 20s - were all former members of Long's church, and all claim the pastor used gifts, trips, and money to coerce them into engaging in sex acts with him. In response to Long’s settlement, Bishop Paul Morton, senior pastor of Changing A Generation Full Gospel Baptist Church, openly spoke out against Eddie Long, who became a bishop under Paul Morton, after trying to reach Long by phone to no avail. He called for Eddie Long to apologize and repent saying: “If the settlement has already been made they can't sue you again, but you can apologize,” he said. “Some people will stay with you, some people gonna leave you, but you've got to leave that up to God. Those are the consequences for the sins that we do.” Also this month was the first time I heard of the term “Chrislam,” a new religion based on Islamic and Eastern Religious philosophies that also include Christian worship and teaching elements. This “combination religion” which initially was founded in Lagos, Nigeria with the purpose of creating religious tolerance between the Christians and the Muslims in that region, is also part of the One World Religious ecumenical movement. Several prominent evangelical mega-church pastors are promoting and giving their support to this unholy alliance between Christian and Islamic leaders. This diabolic philosophy denies the orthodox Biblical doctrines in order to make peace with Islam and join the two largest world religions together. The goal is to eventually merge all other religions into a One World Religion, and persecute the believers of Biblical Judeo/Christianity in these last days. May 26, 2011 Is There A Correlation? For thus says the Lord of hosts: "He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me. Zechariah 2:8-9 NKJV Is there a correlation between President Barack Obama touching Israel and God’s wrath on America? President Obama announced on May 20, 2011 during a televised speech that any quest for peace between Israel and the Palestinians "must begin with a return to the 1967 borders." By calling for a Palestinian state with a border with Jordan, President Obama rules out an Israeli presence in the Jordan Valley. This valley is the eastern corridor through which Arab armies marched into Jerusalem in the wars of 1948 and 1967. Without control of this area and others, it would be almost impossible for Israel to defend its’ borders against its enemies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from Israel openly rejected this proposition before President Obama and also during a speech before the US Congress last week without Obama’s presence. By calling for a return to pre-1967 borders, Obama removed America’s guarantee of security. Obama now has demanded more of Israel than U.N. resolution 242, adopted after the 1967 war. Resolution 242 never mandated that Israel withdraw from the entire disputed territories, much less that Israel give away part of itself. At the same time as all the above mentioned was happening, severe storms including historic tornado outbreaks ripped through the central US leveling entire communities and killing hundreds of people. Homes and buildings hit by some of the storms - which included a series of mammoth tornadoes - just disappeared, and the devastation left behind looked like a war zone and is described as catastrophic. History has shown that whoever touches the apple of God’s eye, the land of Israel, can expect God to protect and defend it as He warns: "The land must never be sold on a permanent basis, for the land belongs to Me." Leviticus 25:23 NLT “For He will avenge the blood of His servants; He will take revenge against His enemies. He will repay those who hate Him and cleanse the land for His people." Deuteronomy 32:43 NLT President Barack Obama and his administration is making a big mistake by touching the land of Israel in the manner they are doing right now. The only way Obama and all of us ought to treat Israel is to pray and support her, and in doing so, we will prosper and not call the wrath of God upon our nation and our lives. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you." Psalm 122:6 NKJV May 24, 2011 The Ultimate Ridicule Harold Camping from Family Radio, who predicted that 200 million believers would be raptured into heaven on Saturday May 21, 2011 before global cataclysm strikes the planet, said Monday that he felt so terrible when his doomsday message did not come true that he left home and took refuge in a motel with his wife. But at a press conference on Monday, Harold Camping concluded that May 21, 2011 had instead been a "spiritual" Judgment Day, which places the entire world under Christ's judgment. He also said that because God's judgment and salvation were completed on Saturday, there's no point in continuing to warn people about it, so his network will now just play Christian music and programs until the final end on October 21, 2011, which will be Harold Camping’s third predicted end of the world day. Camping said it “dawned” on him that a “merciful and compassionate God” would spare humanity from “hell on Earth for five months” by compressing the physical apocalypse into a shorter time frame. Harold Camping insists that October 21, 2011 has always been the end-point of his own End Times chronology, or at least, his latest chronology. Satan, in these last days, is using false prophets like Harold Camping to confuse and deceive Christians and to set the world up, through the media, for the ultimate ridicule and mocking of the promise of the coming of Jesus Christ and the rapture of His believers, the Church. In the Bible, we can see this clearly being specified in the books of Peter and Matthew: “Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created." 2. Peter 3:3-4 NLT “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Matthew 24:24 NKJV Once again, it has become very clear after Harold Camping’s failed May 21, 2011 prophecy of Christ’s return that no one can predict by Scripture or science the exact day of Jesus return. Jesus is teaching that preparation, not calculation is needed! "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. And since you don't know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!” Mark 13:32-33 NLT "Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected." Luke 12:39-40 NLT “For you know quite well that the day of the Lord's return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.” 1. Thessalonians 5:2 NLT May 15, 2011 Day of Judgment Saturday, May 21st, 2011? You have probably seen the billboards across the country saying that the end is near, or heard the monotone voice of an elder gentleman taking Bible questions from listeners and viewers on the radio and television? Harold Camping, an 89-year-old preacher from Oakland, California and founder of Family Radio, is making headlines predicting and claiming that the Bible says that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and day of judgment for Planet Earth will be on this Saturday, May 21st, 2011, at 6.00 PM, whereby two percent of the global population will be instantly taken into Heaven in The Rapture, and the remaining 98 percent will die within the next five months of judgment, culminating in the final end of the world on October 21st 2011.. Camping’s radio network creates religious programs in 48 languages and has tens of thousands of followers around the world, with radio stations in such places as Russia, Turkey and South Africa. With assets exceeding $100 million, his religious broadcasting network now owns 66 radio stations in the USA alone. Harold Camping, a retired Civil Engineer, bases his prediction on 70 years of studying the Bible and mathematics. He believes that, based on the Bible, Jesus Christ died on April 1st, in 33 AD. He then discovered that if you multiply three holy numbers of 5, 10 and 17 together twice you come up with the figure of 722, 500. "When I found this out, it blew my mind," Camping claims. It turns out that May 21, 2011, is exactly 722, 500 days from April 1, 33 AD. Therefore, Camping is certain it will be the Day of Judgment. This isn't the first time Camping has made the same prediction. Years ago, he predicted the Second Coming would take place on September 6, 1994. "At that time there was a lot of Bible I had not researched really carefully," was his explanation recently. But he now insists, after further Bible study, that "God has given us outstanding proofs that it really is going to happen." The only problem with Harold Camping’s prediction is that it still and absolutely contradicts what the Bible says about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in Mark 13:32-37: “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. And since you don't know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert! The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. You, too, must keep watch! For you don't know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. Don't let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!" Mark 13:32-37 NLT And in Matthew 24:42 it conclusively says the following: “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming.” Matthew 24:42 NLT I believe that Harold Camping falls in this category of deceivers: “So if someone tells you, 'Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,' don't bother to go and look. Or, 'Look, he is hiding here,' don't believe it!” Matthew 24:26 NLT April 8, 2011 The Prophet and the Birth Certificate “I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf.” Deuteronomy 18:18-19 NLT In the midst of the turmoil in the Middle East, the devastating earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, and the looming government shutdown in our country, I believe God is raising up a prophet that will tell the people of America everything God has commanded him. The name of the man God is using to speak to the nation on His behalf is Donald Trump, known as the business magnate, socialite, author, and television personality from New York City, who now is seriously considering a 2012 presidential run. In recent weeks, Donald Trump has addressed the numerous failed policies and bad leadership of President Barack Obama in several TV interviews. He also addressed the issue of President Barack Obama’s birth certificate and the issue of whether he really was born in Hawaii. He said of the birth certificate, "I’m not convinced that he has one…I’d like to have him show his birth certificate…And to be honest with you, I hope he can." Trump said that three weeks ago, he thought Obama was probably born in this country – but that he now has serious doubts. Trump revealed he now has people in Hawaii looking into the issue, and that his people "can’t believe what they are finding." "He spent $2 million in legal fees on trying to get away from this issue, and if it weren't an issue, why wouldn't he just solve it?" Trump said. "I wish he would because if he doesn't, it's one of the greatest scams in the history of politics and in the history, period. You are not allowed to be a president if you're not born in this country. Right now, I have real doubts." President Barack Obama’s own step-grandmother stated on record that Obama was born in Kenya since she herself was present in Kenya during his birth in the delivery room. The media, and especially the liberal Democrats, have tried to conceal and discard Barack Obama’s birth certificate issue, but God has other ideas and will ultimately expose it for what it truly is, as He said: "I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf." Deuteronomy 18:19 NLT