ABUSES FOR GAIN OF THE FAITH AND TEACHINGS OF CHRIST

ABUSES FOR GAIN OF THE FAITH AND TEACHINGS OF CHRIST

Jesus Christ is outstanding and incomparable to any historical figure in all of the human race. Everything good was undoubtedly derived from his philosophy and teachings. Whilst Christ’s teachings are still unrivalled by any known human philosophy or teaching many people who are against him have risen and fallen throughout history.

                People who are against Christ are known as antichrists. Anti Christs are known for teaching or practicing ideas that are against Christ. They teach the complete opposite of what Christ taught. Their values and life standards are the exact contradiction of Christ’s values and ethics.  Where Christ conveys light they bring darkness.

                Christ’s primary purpose in life was to benefit all mankind even if that meant impoverishing himself, the bible actually says that although he had all the wealth, he voluntarily became poor so that through his poverty we would all become rich. In other words, Christ gave all that belonged to him so that the recipients would gain all that he owned.

                In exactly the opposite, antichrists steal all that man own in order to enrich themselves at the expense of man. In John 10:10 Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” This is the most glaring contrast between Christ and antichrists. What ever Christ does is for the benefit of his followers whereas antichrists sacrifice their followers for the selfish benefit of the antichrists.

                Christ goes on to say, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore, My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” John 10:11-18

                In 2 Corinthian 8:9 Paul wrote, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” In Philippians 2:6-8, Paul further describes Christ as, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”

                History is littered with people who behaved in the direct opposite of the above. Peter once wrote, “But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 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 2:1-3

                The first abuse that come to my mind is the sale of indulgence. There are two ideas involved in Roman Catholic teaching on indulgences:

• Christians receive "temporal punishment" for sin, even after its guilt and eternal punishment have been forgiven by God. That temporal punishment must be paid either here on earth or in a temporary, after-death holding place called purgatory.
• The Roman Catholic Church has a "treasury," composed of the "superabundant merits of Christ and the saints," which the Church, through the exercise of the "power of the keys," can transfer to the benefit of those who are due temporal punishment.

This idea completely contradicts 1 Timothy 2:5 which says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” It also contradicts Ephesians 2:8-9 which reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Indulgences were payments to the church used to purchase exemptions from punishment for certain kinds of sins. Examples of such sins were thinking lustful thoughts about someone who you were not married to.  Candidates for indulgences were mainly persons who feared that if any of their sins were left unnoticed or unconfessed, they would spend extra time in purgatory before reaching heaven or worse, end up in hell after failing to repent. In short, indulgences were "confession insurance" which provided cover against eternal damnation because, if you purchased an indulgence then you would not go to hell should you suddenly die before making confession.

The sale of indulgences gradually grew to include forgiveness for the sins of people who were already dead. In one of his sermons, Johann Tetzel, the monk who sold indulgences in Germany, preached “Don't you hear the voices of your dead parents and other relatives crying out, ‘Have mercy on us, for we suffer great punishment and pain. From this, you could release us with a few alms . . . We have created you, fed you, cared for you and left you our temporal goods. Why do you treat us so cruelly and leave us to suffer in the flames, when it takes only a little to save us? [Source: Die Reformation in Augenzeugen Berichten, edited by Helmar Junghaus (Dusseldorf: Karl Rauch Verlag, 1967), 44.]

In the early 16th century, proceeds from the sale of indulgences were being used by the Roman Catholic Church to fund the building of St. Peter's Basilica. Johann Tetzel was particularly proficient at raising funds in this manner. It is disheartening to note that it was mostly the poor and gullible whose money was being swindled by false teachers through feigned words.

The pioneers of our faith wrote in 1 Peter 1:17-19, “…… if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” The same pioneers also wrote in 1 John 1:7, “…. if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” Does this speak the opposite of the sale of indulgences? If the blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL SIN then which sins do indulgences clear? Had Luther not been brave enough to expose the scandal I am sure many us would have being indulgences thereby getting poorer without gaining any salvation at all.

Coming to our own day and age what abuses are prevailing? Some peoplr think that abuses of the above nature are confined to the dark and miedval ages of yesteryear when the majority were gullible and had very little education. Alas, that is not the case because the modern age has worse abuses. In my earlier post I wrote the following. A scandal has been going on within the Christian faith. One preacher was once quoted as having said, "If I give $1,000 dollars I deserve to get back $100,000 because I am just, that's not greed!" This effectively obligates God to honour his side of the bargain because it is God who promised to pay back one hundred fold all that we give to him.

According to the Gospel written by Saint Luke in chapter 6, the modern preacher teaches that when you give to God’s work, that which you give will be measured back to you a hundred times after being pressed down and shaken together because God measures back to you using the same measure you use in giving him. This is a sure and trusted formula of becoming rich according to prominent teachers who have tried the formula as evidenced by empirical evidence at their disposal.

It is very interesting to note that leaders of the Pentecostal Movement in the early 20th century did not embrace prosperity theology. A distinguishable form of the doctrine began to take shape within the movement during the 1940s and 1950s, through the teachings of deliverance and healing evangelists. Linking prosperity teaching with revivalism and faith healing, these evangelists taught "the laws of faith ('ask and ye shall receive') and the laws of divine reciprocity ('give and it will be given back unto you')"

One prominent early character in prosperity theology was E. W. Kenyon, educated in the 1890s at Emerson College of Oratory, where he was exposed to the New Thought movement. He also was greatly influenced by teachings and beliefs of Christian Science. Kenyon later became connected with well-known Pentecostal leaders and wrote about supernatural revelation and positive assertions. His writing influenced leaders of the emerging prosperity movement during the post-war American healing revival. Kenyon and later leaders in the prosperity movement have denied that he was influenced by the New Thought movement or Christian Science. Anthropologist Simon Coleman argues that there are "obvious parallels" between Kenyon's teachings and the New Thought movement.

Could there be no danger or chance that laws of the prosperity theology could have not originated from scripture but from cultic sources? Is there no chance that scriptures are being twisted and forced to conform to cultic teachings? Could this be the reason why scripture such as Luke 16:25; 18:25; Matthew 19:23-24 and Mark 10:23-27 are rarely taught or are never taught at all in Prosperity theology. This truly is a captivating subject.

Oral Roberts began teaching prosperity theology in 1947. He explained the laws of faith as a "blessing pact" in which God would return donations "seven fold", promising that donors would receive back from unanticipated sources the money they donated to him. He promised to refund any donation that did not lead to a harvest. In the 1970s, He categorised his blessing pact teaching as the "seed faith" doctrine: offerings were a form of "seed" which would grow in value and be reaped by the donor. Roberts began enlisting "partners", wealthy donors who received special conference invitations and ministry access in exchange for their support.

In the 1960s, prosperity became a primary focus in healing revivals. T. L. Osborn began emphasizing prosperity in the 1960s and became known for his often flamboyant displays of personal wealth. During that decade, Oral Roberts and William Branham criticized other prosperity ministries, arguing that their fund-raising tactics unfairly pressured congregants. These tactics were prompted in part by the expense of developing nationwide radio networks and campaign schedules. At the same time, leaders of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God organization often criticized the focus on prosperity taken by independent healing evangelists.

It is clear that Roberts, Branham and leaders of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God were getting alarmed by excesses and abuses of the Prosperity Gospel. The teaching was fast becoming a get rich formula which promised rapid wealth to donors. Indeed the formula was performing wonders never before seen in he history of the church. Interestingly, the formula was rapidly enriching the preacher of the theology at the expense of the donor. This was the reason why the man who had coined the word “seed faith” was getting perturbed by the abuse of his coined word. A new crop of wealth seeker preachers had taken the church by storm. Churches with a reputation for manipulating and alienating the poor had suddenly come aboard.

Today new forms of offerings have been introduced in to the church. New forms such as deliverance and redemption offerings are now very common as if deliverance and redemption depend on offerings instead of the blood of Jesus Christ. Even answers to prayer now have to be unlocked by offerings'

Following the arrival of these treasure hunters numerous scandals were reported within the church.

Accompanying the money scandal were also sex scandals as the two always coexist. News of Tim Bakker’s fall from grace soon made headlines. Singapore’s City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee was sentenced to 8 years in November 2015. Numerous scandals of Prosperity Gospel theologians continue to make headlines the world over.

Such disturbing news reports confirm the necessity of books like Saints Made Merchandise which analyses tithes, aid and offerings. This book is a must read paperback which seeks to warn against unbiblical abuses. Not only does the book seek to warn against fraud but it also looks at exactly what the Bible teaches. It tries to trace the origin of tithes and offerings as presented by the Bible. I strongly encourage you to get yourself a copy and enjoy good reading.

As was the case with indulgences the modern man is now buying salvation using money rather than the blood of Christ. Sacrifices such as the Salvation offering have suddenly crept in to the church. Has the blood of Christ suddenly lost its saving power now that we need a few dollars to secure redemption? Sometimes we get so carried away with our own human perceptions and theories such that we end up abandoning the original faith. No wonder why Jude wrote, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Likewise, also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.