The Deceitfulness of Riches

This is the third part of message related to the previous few posts regarding issues raised by the Grassley Investigation, in particular, the "Prosperity Gospel" as it is preached by the ministries cited in that congressional probe. If you did not read, the previous posts, please do, in order to have the proper backdrop and foundation for the message in this post. Otherwise, you may draw erroneous conclusions from reading this post as a stand-alone article.

Keep deception and lies far from me,
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the food that is my portion. (Prv. 30:8)

As I have been indicating in some previous posts, in many Kingdom-related matters, the difference between truth and error is excesses and extremes. Those excesses and extremes can be at either end of the spectrum. Or, if you prefer, the allegory of "the road of Truth" could be used, with the Truth represented by the road, and the ditches along either side of the road representing the excesses and extremes of error.

Such is the case with the real truth regarding the matter of prosperity and success versus whatever is the diametric opposite of that, which I suppose is poverty and failure. The real truth, that is, the Truth of the mind of God that is both concealed and revealed in Christ through the Spirit of Truth, lies somewhere between these opposing messages. The extremes on both sides are error and deception. We must be careful not to swerve too far to either side so as to fall into a spiritual ditch of error. There are a great number of passages of Scripture telling us how much God indeed does want us to "prosper and be in (good) health even as our soul prospers" (3 Jn. 2). But, the last part of that Scripture is the weightier and balancing part. From God's perspective, true prosperity is commensurate with soul-prosperity, and not defined by the amount of mammon, or material things, we possess. Prosperity and success, and divine healing and health, taken to extremes and taken out of context of the rest of Scripture that speaks of counterbalancing matters can become an abomination to God: "A false balance is an abomination to the LORD; but a just weight is His delight" (Prv. 11:1).

Truth, in terms of human teaching, (please understand I'm not talking here about Truth itself that emanates from the Spirit of Truth), is virtually always found between opposing extremes, allegorically speaking. It's the extremes that are an abomination to God. From the beginning of time, humans have taken truth and twisted, distorted, and perverted it to make it say whatever they need it to say as support and justification for their evil desires and deeds.

What I see is that there is two sides of this coin regarding this matter of God's provision for us. The focus of the previous post was what the Word of God tells us about God's desire to prosper and abundantly bless His people. Like Abraham, he has promised to not only bless us, but also make us a blessing. In this and the next post, my focus will be the abundance of Scripture that counterbalance the "prosperity" side of the same coin.

The Parable of the Sower (see, Mark 4:1-20), according to what Jesus Himself said about it, could be aptly called "The Paramount Parable." When His disciples asked Him to explain it to them, He responded, as He did on several other occasions, with seeming frustration at their spiritual dullness, saying, "Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables?" Jesus also indicated that this parable contained the key to understanding the "Mystery of the Kingdom." That is the title of a book I wrote and published in 1984 in which I explained what the Lord showed me concerning the meaning of this Paramount Parable and the "secrets" it unveils of how to bear Kingdom Fruit as well as "hidden" principles of how the Kingdom of God operates here on Earth. The rest of this post is taken from that book. Click here to read more about the book, which is available in both e-book and print versions.

Mark 4:7,18,19
7 And other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 18 And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,
19 and the worries of the word, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Jesus identified in the Parable of the Sower four different categories of hearers, all of whom heard the Word, though only one responded properly and became doers of the Word, thereby producing Kingdom Fruit in their lives. As Jesus said, the Seed of the Word of God was sown on this category of hearers, which means they heard the Word, but there were also thorns growing in their lives along with the Word that eventually choked out the Seed, and thus it "yielded no crop" -- that is, it produced no Kingdom Fruit in the lives of these hearers. In His explanation to the disciples, Jesus indicated these thorns were "thorns of worldliness," and identified them as being, 1) the worries of the world, 2) the deceitfulness of riches, and 3) the desires for other things. He said these thorns of worldliness entered into these believers' lives, and choked out the Seed which was sown into their lives by the Sower (Fivefold Ministers) as the two grew together in the soil of their hearts, and prevented the Word from becoming fruitful. We examine here one of those thorns of worldliness -- "the deceitfulness of riches."

Deceitful Characteristic of Riches
Even the small sampling of passages I have mentioned here, well establishes the foundation that God does not require or even desire that believers live in poverty or financial lack, and provides us with more than ample Scriptural evidence to conclude without equivocation that it is not riches or wealth themselves that will prevent the Word of God from bearing fruit in a person’s life. Rather, as Jesus indicated in the Parable of the Sower, it is the deceptive characteristic of riches that can cause tremendous spiritual problems and prevent the bringing forth of Godly fruit in a person’s life, even those who have heard the Word of God. It is trusting in and coveting the riches that will choke the Word of God and prevent it from bearing the fruit it is intended to produce. As God says it,

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. (1 Tim. 6:10, KJV)

Riches can be so deceiving. Many a person has been deceived by riches. One of the worst parts of the deceptive nature of riches is a false sense of superiority. There is an arrogant and haughty spirit that can invade and pervade a person when wealth and the trappings of wealth are his quest and, in effect, his god. That haughty spirit is one of seven things that God absolutely loathes and considers abominations (Pr. 6:16,17); in fact, it is at the top of the list. Yet, sadly, many people are consumed with such a false sense of superiority predicated on their wealth.

Beyond that, many wealthy people are under the delusion they are somehow right with God simply because they are rich. The power, prestige, prominence, preeminence, and preferential treatment afforded the affluent in the world’s system often produces a blind self-righteousness and elitism which leads to the wholly false assumption that they must also be right with God.

However, monetary worth certainly does not impress God in the slightest, nor can it buy rightstanding with Him. Rightstanding with God can be gained by no other means than on the basis of grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:21-24). High-standing in the Kingdom of God is not based upon monetary worth, but on servitude to others: "whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be the slave of all" (Mk. 10:43,44). There is no partiality with God, for He is no respecter of persons. It is for certain that one’s financial status will be of no consequence on the Day of Judgment and one’s wealth will produce no advantage, for: "Riches do not profit in the day of wrath" (Pr. 11:4).

"How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter into the kingdom of God," Jesus said (Mk. 10:23). He did not say it would be impossible, but that it would be hard, or difficult, for the rich to enter into the Kingdom of God. He did not say that it would be hard for true believers who have riches or who are wealthy to enter, because all true believers enter into the Kingdom by grace through faith in Christ, regardless of their wealth or lack thereof. Jesus is not talking here about believers having money, rather He is talking about unbelievers who have not yet entered the Kingdom of God, and how hard it will be for them to do so.

The reason it will be difficult for them to enter the Kingdom of God is this arrogance and pride to which I have already alluded. There is only one way for anyone, whether rich or poor, to enter the Kingdom of God—by recognizing your utter spiritual poverty, that you are a totally lost and condemned sinner, and that you desperately need the saving of the Savior. Coming to that realization is often the stumbling block for the rich of the world, however. Pride prevents them from ever admitting the fact that, though they may have financial wealth and prestige in this world, when it comes to their spiritual condition, they are bankrupt and destitute. That is the essence of "the deceitfulness of riches," and many of the rich, unfortunately, have been deceived by it.

Jesus went on to say, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Mk. 10:25). Now Jesus’ allegory here really was not of a camel passing through the eye of a literal needle, for that in reality would not be merely difficult, as Jesus said it would be for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God, but rather that would be altogether impossible.

Very familiar to His listeners, was something known as "the eye of the needle," which was a very short and narrow passageway in the wall surrounding Jerusalem. It was the only way into the city at night when the main gates were closed as a deterrent against enemy attack. Merchants returning home at night from their business forays usually did not arrive back at Jerusalem until long after the main gates had been closed. When they did finally return, the only entrance into the city was through "the eye of the needle," through which both the merchant and his camels had to pass.

Now the passageway by design was only large enough to allow a man to barely make it through down on his hand and knees, which design precluded en masse attacks by marauders. It was difficult enough for a man to negotiate the entryway, but the merchant’s camels also had to pass through the same portal. In order for the camels to be able to pass through "the eye of the needle," they would first have to be stripped bare of their cargo of wares which they had been carrying. Then, one at a time, with some firm prodding the merchant would coax the unwilling camels to bend down on their knees and to slowly crawl through the ever so short and narrow entrance.

Jesus said it was easier for those camels to pass through that tiny passageway, aptly dubbed "the eye of the needle," than for a rich person to enter into the Kingdom of God. For, you see, everyone must enter the Kingdom of God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, in the same manner the camel entered the Earthly Jerusalem, allegorically speaking, that is, stripped totally bare of all worldly possessions and merit, down on your knees in true humility, realizing you possess nothing with which to commend yourself to God and that you are entering only through the wholly unmerited acceptance afforded you only through faith in Jesus Christ, and with profuse, heartfelt, and eternal gratitude and thanksgiving.

Everyone must repent of their pride and false sense of superiority in order to enter the Kingdom of God, no longer glorifying and exalting their self, but glorifying and exalting the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ. As James said, "Let the rich man glory in his humiliation" (Jas. 1:10). How fitting also is the admonition in this passage directed to those who have attained unto wealth in this life:

Beware lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments and is ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; lest when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them...then your heart becomes PROUD, and you forget the Lord your God....Otherwise, you may say in your heart, "My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth." But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers as it is this day. (Deut. 8:11-18)

Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves 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 boastful pride of life, is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lust; but the one who does the will of God abides forever. (1 Jn. 2:15-17)

The church needs an en masse deliverance from the spirit of the world that has marched in through the open door of the love of the world. The number one leaven that is defiling the church today is not Islam, Hinduism, counterfeit sects and cults claiming to be a form of Christianity, New Age, or any of the many false religions we identify as such, but rather the false religion of materialism. And the number one idol to whom the church pays homage is the god of mammon. Both John in the above cited passage and Jesus in the below cited passage made it clear that doublemindedness or spiritual schizophrenia, wherein one is deceived by the belief that they have both the love of the world in them and the love of God at the same time, cannot be reconciled and will result in damnation of one's soul:

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. (Lk. 16:13)

Poverty vs. Prosperity Gospel (Part 2)

Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion. (Prv. 30:8)

This is the second of a three-part message related to the last few posts regarding issues raised by the Grassley Investigation. As I have been indicating in some previous messages, in many Kingdom-related matters, the difference between truth and error is extremes. Those extremes can be at either end of the spectrum. Satan is a master at taking truth and misapplying it or taking it to extremes and thereby transforming truth into error. We see that in Jesus' temptation in the wilderness after being baptized in the Spirit when the Holy Spirit rested upon Him in the form of a dove. Immediately thereafter, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Mat. 3,4). Each of the three temptations Satan tempted Jesus with were perversions of Truth. In each of them, the devil quoted Scripture, but his application of the Scriptures were an extremism. In each case, Jesus responded with other Scripture that countervailed the Scripture Satan quoted and misapplied.

The Word of God says, "A false balance is an abomination to the LORD; but a just weight is His delight" (Prv. 11:1). The Bible is full of countervailing concepts and paradoxes. Critics and cynics, atheists and agnostics, often seize upon these seemingly contradictory or antithetical statements, principles, and axioms in their attempt to refute and discredit Scripture. But, that is as much folly as are the thoughts of the agnostic or atheist who says in his heart, "There is no God" (Ps. 14:1). Truth is always found between opposing extremes. It's the extremes that are an abomination to God. From the beginning of time, humans have taken truth and twisted, distorted, and perverted it to make it say whatever they need it to say as support and justification for their evil desires and deeds. There is nothing new about that.

Such is the case with the real truth regarding the matter of prosperity and success versus whatever is the diametric opposite of that, which I suppose is poverty and failure. The real truth, that is, the truth in the mind of God, lies somewhere between these opposing messages.

In regard to the matter of God's provision for believers in particular, we must be careful not to swerve too far to either side so as to fall into a spiritual ditch of error. We must not "throw out the baby with the bathwater." There are a great number of passages of Scripture telling us how much God indeed does want us to "prosper and be in (good) health even as our soul prospers" (3 Jn. 2). But, the last part of that Scripture is the weightier and balancing part. Prosperity, success, and divine healing and health taken out of context of the rest of Scripture that speaks of seemingly antithetical and counterbalancing matters can become an abomination to God because that is precisely what God calls "a false balance."

What I see is that there is two sides of this coin regarding this matter of God's provision for us. In this and the next post, my intent is to bring a balanced message regarding this matter, and show both sides of the same coin, because there is indeed two sides to every coin, as the old saying goes.

The Parable of the Sower (see, Mark 4:1-20), according to what Jesus Himself said about it, could be aptly called "The Paramount Parable." When His disciples asked Him to explain it to them, He seemed to respond, as He did on several other occasions, with frustration at their spiritual dullness, saying, "Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all parables?" Jesus also indicated that this parable contained the key to understanding the "Mystery of the Kingdom." That is the title of a book I wrote and published in 1984 in which I explained what the Lord showed me concerning the meaning of this Paramount Parable and the "secrets" it unveils of how to bear Kingdom Fruit as well as "hidden" principles of how the Kingdom of God operates here on Earth.

(Click here, for more about the "Mystery of the Kingdom" book.)

In a nutshell, Jesus taught through this remarkable parable that there are four types of hearers of the Word of God, and each of them chooses his/her "quality of life" on the earth as well as his/her eternal destiny and even destination by which kind of hearer they elect to be. Each category of hearer heard the Word, but only one of the four bears forth Kingdom Fruit in their lives. The other three did not bear forth Kingdom Fruit because of something they failed to do in the process of gaining and maintaining rightstanding (relationship) with God.

The third category of hearer are "those with thorns" in their lives. They heard the word, Jesus explained, but they failed to remove the "thorns of worldliness" from their lives, which grew up along with the Word and eventually choked it out, and therefore they were "unfruitful" or barren.

The second "thorn of worldliness" which Jesus said would choke the Word of God and prevent it from bearing fruit in the life of its hearers is "the deceitfulness of riches." Of paramount importance, however, as we discuss this matter, is the fact that He did not say riches themselves were a thorn that would choke the Word of God and prevent it from bearing fruit, but rather "the DECEITFULNESS of riches." Indeed, before we delve into the deceitful characteristic of riches and how it will choke the Word, it is somewhat vital that we lay to rest a fairly common misconception among uninformed or misinformed religious people. The essence of this rather widespread myth is that God is somehow opposed to the idea of Christians having money, at least in any significant amount, that God does not want believers to prosper, and that somehow to be truly spiritual one must be poor or at least only barely have his needs met.

We hear of the requirement of ministers in some denominations to take "a vow of poverty." Moreover, the preaching of some ostensibly pious people makes it sound as if God wants to take everyone's money away from them, leaving them poor and destitute. As a result, some people, ignorant of what the Word of God really says regarding the matter of money and other practical matters, have been led to believe that in order to become a Christian they would have to sell their possessions and give all their money away to the poor. Erroneous teaching based on half truths has caused multitudes of sincere Christians to believe God wanted them to live in near abject poverty, and to fear ever having any money, "because, you know, money is the root of all evil."

Well, nothing could be further from the Truth. First of all, the Bible does not say money is the root of all evil. It says, "the LOVE OF MONEY is the root of all evil" (1 Tim. 6:10). God is by no means opposed to Christians having money, but He is totally opposed to covetousness. To put it another way, God is not opposed to believers possessing possessions, but He is entirely opposed to possessions possessing believers. The love of money and the pursuit of riches will prevent a person from loving and serving God, for:

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. (Lk. 16:13)

The Word of God is full of passages telling us just how much God desires for His children to prosper. In 3 John 2, He says, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper, and be in health even as thy soul prospers" (KJV). What an amazing statement this is! Think on that for a moment and allow it to sink in. God is saying that above everything else He desires for us, and the Bible is replete with all the wonderful things He desires for us and our well being, above all those things God wishes that we prosper financially.

Now the surpassing wisdom of God is demonstrated in this statement, which is that it is absolutely essential that we prosper financially in order to prosper physically in our body (i.e., health wise) and spiritually in our soul (i.e., psychologically and emotionally). In other words, to be able to truly prosper in all the other aspects of our lives -- spiritual, psychological, emotional, and social -- it is imperative that we prosper financially. I do not mean we all must be wealthy to live happily, but what is inherent in this morsel of Divine Truth is the unequivocal fact that financial prosperity is a requisite for real happiness. Continuous financial lack is a severely oppressing force that absolutely precludes us from living full, fulfilled, and truly happy lives, not only because of the lack of "things" that without question do make life more pleasant, but also because of the lack of capacity to do the things, such as helping others who are in need, which bring us pleasure.

The inexorable oppression of never ending poverty has no rival, and to many is unbearable. Long term, enduring financial lack in the case of untold multitudes has led to extreme physiological, psychological, and emotional problems, as well as ultimately to premature death either by means of physical disorders or, in the case of those whose pain was overwhelming, even suicide. God knows all this concerning the importance of financial wellness to our overall well being, so it is His desire that we prosper financially, incredibly, "above all things."

Psalm 35:27 tells us to "CONTINUALLY" say, "The Lord be magnified, who DELIGHTS IN THE PROSPERITY OF HIS SERVANT," which is a far cry from what some people continually say. The truth is that God takes great delight in the prosperity of those who truly are His servants. When believers prosper through serving the Lord, God is glorified.

Another enlightening scripture says, "The Lord delighted over you to prosper you" (Deut. 28:63). Moreover, in this same chapter God repeatedly indicates that poverty is a part of the curse of disobedience, and that prosperity, not poverty, is a part of the blessings of obedience, which stands in stark contrast to the postulations of some pseudo spiritual people who preach just the opposite -- that prosperity is a curse and poverty is a blessing. Poverty is in no way a "blessing," as anyone who has suffered it can tell you, if they are honest about it and don't come up with some super-pseudo spiritual hogwash about how it "helped their faith" or something. According to the Word of God (and His Word is far more trustworthy than that of people like that), faith does not come by poverty, it comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). Anything to the contrary is poppycock. Poverty, when a person gets tired enough of it, may motivate him to do a little more hearing of the Word, which in turn will produce more faith, but poverty itself is not going to help, increase, or activate your faith one iota; never has, never will. Rather, unabated poverty will ultimately produce precisely the opposite of faith.

God says if we will obey His voice and commandments, He will elevate us "above all the nations of the earth. And all these BLESSINGS shall come upon you and overtake you...the Lord will make you abound in PROSPERITY" (Deut. 28:11). Again, we see here that prosperity is a blessing of obedience to God.

In the infamous case of Job, he started out very rich, and after a period of reproof from God with respect to his blatant fear and lack of faith and trust in God, God made Him even richer, twice as rich as a matter of fact. Careful and unbiased study of his story will prove that contrary to his now infamous exclamation, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away," it was not God who took away all his possessions and children, but rather Satan, who was able to do so because fear of loss had pervaded his life and eroded the protective hedge of faith in God (read Job 2). In retrospect, Job admitted, "For the thing which I greatly FEARED is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me."

But, after being reproved by God through a face to face encounter with His Majesty Himself, a chastened Job exulted, "I know thou canst do all things...I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees Thee; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes." The result was that "the Lord restored the fortunes of Job...twofold."

We can see from the story of Job that God is not in the business of chastening those who are serving Him by stripping them of their possessions and relegating them to poverty, as some people ignorantly allege. Rather, as Elihu, the only one of Job's counselors to speak truth to Job, declared, "If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity" (Job 36:11).

Psalm 37:11 says, "The humble (obedient) will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity." And, verse nineteen essentially promises that even in famine conditions and economic chaos, the righteous "will have an abundance"(italics added by author).

The bottom-line is that God does not want His children to be in want of anything that is a legitimate need. One passage so much as says that: "O fear the Lord, you His saints; for to those who fear Him, there is no want...they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing" (Ps. 34:9,10). Another favorite passage tells us because the Lord is our Shepherd, we "shall not want" (Ps. 23:1).

What kind of a father would take pleasure in seeing his children in constant want and need, especially of the essentials of life? Certainly our Heavenly Father does not want us to be in want. Jesus revealed the attitude of our Heavenly Father: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give what is good to those who ask Him" (Mat. 7:11).

The Apostle Paul succinctly summed up the whole matter in this one passage: "And my God shall supply ALL your NEEDS according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Plp. 4:19). God promises in this verse to provide ALL of our needs, not necessarily our greeds, but all our needs, and in so doing will not limit Himself to our puny Earthly resources, but will draw from His own limitless wealth of riches in glory. Wow! What a promise!

In the next post I will show the other sides of the same coin, for we need both sides of the coin, with neither side being defaced, for it to be legitimate tender, allegorically speaking, that is, Truth!

Poverty vs. Prosperity Gospel

Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion. (Prv. 30:8)

This is the first of a three-part message related to the last few messages I posted regarding issues raised by the Grassley Investigation. As I have been indicating in some previous messages, in many Kingdom-related matters, the difference between truth and error is extremes. Those extremes can be at either end of the spectrum. Satan is a master at taking truth and misapplying it or taking it to extremes and thereby transforming truth into error. We see that in Jesus' temptation in the wilderness after being baptized in the Spirit when the Holy Spirit rested upon Him in the form of a dove. Immediately thereafter, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Mat. 3,4). Each of the three temptations Satan tempted Jesus with were perversions of Truth. In each of them, the devil quoted Scripture, but his application of the Scriptures were an extremism. In each case, Jesus responded with other Scripture that countervailed the Scripture Satan quoted and misapplied.

The Word of God says, "A false balance is an abomination to the LORD; but a just weight is His delight" (Prv. 11:1). The Bible is full of countervailing concepts and paradoxes. Critics and cynics, atheists and agnostics, often seize upon these seemingly contradictory or antithetical statements, principles, and axioms in their attempt to refute and discredit Scripture. But, that is as much folly as are the thoughts of the agnostic or atheist who says in his heart, "There is no God" (Psa. 14:1). Truth is always found between opposing extremes. It's the extremes that are an abomination to God. From the beginning of time, humans have taken truth and twisted, distorted, and perverted it to make it say whatever they need it to say as support and justification for their evil desires and deeds. There is nothing new about that.

Such is the case with the real truth regarding the matter of prosperity and success versus whatever is the diametric opposite of that, which I suppose is poverty and failure. The real truth, that is, the truth in the mind of God, lies somewhere between these opposing messages.

I am not one of the mean-spirited, unChrist-like "heresy hunters" that exist today, who lurk around every corner, searching the Internet, and pouring over the writings, teachings, and recordings of prominent ministries looking for "gotcha" gnats, while they themselves are swallowing doctrinal and attitudinal camels. I do not condone or ally myself with such persons and organizations, who spend exorbitant amounts of time, effort, and resources on an ungodly agenda of identifying people who they contend are heretics preaching false doctrines and sometimes call false prophets, false teachers, heretics, and the like, primarily because those ministers are teaching doctrines they themselves don't like or espouse. While I do believe that the Bible gives us clear instruction on how to deal with those who are indeed preaching heresy and who are indeed false teachers and false prophets, I cannot subscribe to the vitriolic and hateful methodologies and agendas of the "heresy hunter" types. While I believe we are to heed the admonition to "keep your eye on (mark, KJV) those that cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them" (Rom. 16:17), there are a growing number of hardcore cynics who misuse such teachings of Scriptures to vehemently oppose and angrily denounce anyone who teaches doctrine contrary to their own personal doctrine or their denomination's doctrine.

Pilate asked Jesus the question of the ages, "What is truth?" Jesus answered not a word, because the answer was that he was looking at Truth. Truth is not a teaching or doctrine. Truth is a Person. Truth is the Word of God, and Jesus was the Word of God made flesh. Jesus Himself is the embodiment of Truth. The fact is that all truth, that is the wisdom and knowledge of God, is hidden in Christ Himself (Col. 2:3). Truth dwells not in the doctrines of men, but in the innermost being, or human spirit, and it is there that God makes us to know Truth (Ps. 51:6). As Paul said, there is a "hidden wisdom" of which those speaking through the Spirit speak (1 Cor. 2:7), but it is indeed "hidden" -- hidden in the Spirit realm, and it is the Spirit Himself, "The Spirit of Truth," as Jesus called the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1 Jn. 4:6). Only He, the Spirit of Truth, can and will guide the believer into all Truth, for He Himself IS Truth (Jn. 16:13). I personally believe that there is no way we can ever be guided into Truth without experiencing both the infusion and the immersion of the Spirit, and I have observed what to me is the incontrovertible affirmation of that proposition in the vast mosaic of diversity that comprises Christendom today.

God's intention is that no one can know Truth apart from a living relationship with God Himself. His wisdom is deliberately both concealed and revealed in Christ Himself. While we are instructed to "study to show yourself approved, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15), nevertheless, no one can know Truth merely through cerebral study. Study is an exercise to educate your mind, which is part of your soul, but Truth is of the Spirit realm. And, the fact of the matter is, Truth consists of seemingly opposing matters or paradoxes. Give to receive, die to live, et cetera, are paradoxical Truths revealed in the Word of God. But, again, Truth is somewhere between the extremes of the swing of the pendulum.

Prior to the 1950s there was a "poverty mentality" that prevailed throughout the church. It was so prevalent because of hundreds of years of preaching of what could be called a "Poverty Gospel," vis-a-vis, the modern "Prosperity Gospel." As part of the restorational process God initiated in the early 1500s and continues today, in which God has been gradually restoring truths lost during the Church's 1,200 year long corporate apostasy, God began restoring the truth that He desired to provide the needs of believers and "that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers" (3 Jn. 3:1). One of the people God began using to preach this truth to the Church was Oral Roberts, who was castigated and virtually ostracized by his denomination for merely teaching that God was a good God. Soon, others began proclaiming similar teachings regarding God's desire to bless and prosper His people both financially and physically. There was much truth in what some of those neo-pentecostal preachers and healing evangelists, and later Charismatic preachers, preached in this regard. However, as time went on, especially during the subsequent Charismatic movement with its various sub-sects extremes and distortions emerged. Just as Satan always sows tares among the wheat, he also sowed error in and amongst the truth.

Fast-forward all the way up to 2008, and we find that there is unfortunate proliferation of counterfeit gospels transpiring throughout Christendom. One of the most prominent of those is a false "Prosperity Gospel" that is being preached over many pulpits and espoused and pursued by many in the figurative and literal pews today. My personal view is that the modern "Prosperity Gospel" is a counterfeit gospel that has brought immeasurable spiritual harm to the Body of Christ at-large on a global basis. In my mind it is an incontrovertible fact that the pendulum has swung too far to the extremes concerning prosperity and success in the preaching and teaching of some, especially among some camps. Unfortunately, when that happens the back swing of the pendulum is equidistant in the other direction as well.

I want to make it clear that I am by no means one of these "prosperity preachers," and am in no way allied or associated with any of the camps who espouse the extremes of the "Prosperity Gospel," which I believe is an abomination unto God because of it's false balance. In fact, I'm not part of any camp except God's. I have no denominational or protodenominational affiliations, alliances, or alignments. My desire is to be aligned with the Truth. Of course many would make the same claim, but any truth taken to extremes becomes error, yet the error of the extremists does not make the Truth any less true. I'm for the true or correct balance in all things; and I believe God is too.

The problem is that when writing about such matters where there is controversy, error, and excess on both ends of the spectrum it is difficult to speak the truth without sounding to those who favor one extreme of the pendulum swing that you are part of and aligned with those favoring the other extreme. What needs to be understood is that I am advocating for neither side of extremes, but strive to be an advocate for the Truth. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees for being spiritually blind leaders of the blind, and that both the blind leaders and the blind followers end up in a spiritual ditch as a result of their blindness. The path of righteousness and Truth is lined with ditches on both sides. In the process of refuting error, we must be careful not to fall into one ditch or the other; both is nonetheless a ditch. Rather, we must be careful to stay on the straight and narrow path of Truth and righteousness.

In regard to the matter of God's provision for believers in particular, we must be careful not to swerve too far to either side so as to fall into a spiritual ditch of error. We must not "throw out the baby with the bathwater." There are a great number of passages of Scripture telling us how much God indeed does want us to "prosper and be in (good) health even as our soul prospers" (3 Jn. 2). But, the last part of that Scripture is the weightier and balancing part. Prosperity, success, and divine healing and health taken out of context of the rest of Scripture that speaks of seemingly antithetical and counterbalancing matters can become an abomination to God because that is precisely what God calls "a false balance."

I really believe the only safeguard against error in matters of Truth is that we must have a contemporaneous co-existence of the Spirit with the Truth in order to come down on God's side with a correct, rather than false, balance. As the Spirit said through the Apostle Paul, matters of Truth are spiritually appraised or discerned. That's why Jesus called the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. May we all seek and possess the "Truth" of the Spirit in all these vital matters of the Kingdom. What I see is that there is two sides of this coin regarding this matter of God's provision for us. In the next two posts, my intent is to bring a balanced message regarding this matter.

A passage I believe gives us the key to understanding the Truth on this subject is Proverb 30:8: "Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion."

In the next post I will show both sides of the same coin, for there is indeed two sides of every coin, as the old saying goes. There is Truth on both sides, but we need both sides, with neither side being defaced, for it to be legitimate tender, allegorically speaking, that is, Truth!

Fiery Trials -- Why They Come!

The original post in this series posed the question, Grassley Investigation -- Demonic or Divine? (If you have not read the first two posts, I urge you to do so.) In the course of the two previous posts I have been indicating what I believe is the answer to that question, which is -- both. The Spirit made it clear who our adversary is, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. YOUR ADVERSARY, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Pet. 5:8).

In order to be able to understand many of the questions of life with definitiveness and complete confidence, a believer must settle the issue once and at the very core of their spirit. God is NOT the believer's adversary. The adversary is the one who authors and brings forth adversity. This is a huge question in life as we experience the many forms of adversity of which life consists. As long as you are alive on this planet, you will experience adversity. I know that is not a very comforting word, especially if you are going through some adversity right now, but it is nonetheless the truth.

No one is impervious to adversity--believer or unbeliever. It is unfortunate that sometimes in altar calls preachers seem to paint a picture that when you surrender your heart to Jesus, then all your troubles and life's difficulties will be over and you will experience heaven on earth. Lay-believers often follow that example and paint the same picture to people they are encouraging to give their life to the Lord, as well. But, that simply is not the true Gospel. The Bible never says that. It just is not in the contract, not even the fine print, though we may all wish it was.

In the previous post, on the backdrop of the Grassley Investigation wherein six major Charismatic ministries have come under scrutiny regarding questionable spending of donated funds, I talked about "fiery trials" authored by our adversary, Satan, that believers go through. The question is why do these trials, troubles, and tribulations come in to believer's lives?

Well, actually there are definitive answers in the Bible to that question, and I will be offering some of those answers in forthcoming posts. But, if you want, or more accurately need, to know those answers now, I would highly recommend you get your copy of my book, Mystery of the Kingdom, which is available both in print form and e-book form for immediate download to your computer or other reading device. Some of what I will be writing in the next few posts are excerpts from that book. In fact, there is one whole chapter dealing with the answers to that question. Now, I will say, though the critics and cynics won't believe anything I say, my reference to that book is really not at all a promo for my book. Rather, I know there are people reading these posts who really do desperately need answers to the burning questions of life such as this, many of whom are going through some sort of fiery trial right now. And, I know that what I wrote in that book can be extremely helpful in times of turmoil and tribulation such as that.

But, I will offer here the short answer to this crucial question as to why trials, troubles, and tribulations sometimes come in to believer's lives? In fact, Peter himself wrote succinct answer to that question in his first epistle:

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, WHICH COMES UPON YOU FOR YOUR TESTING, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of his glory, you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

I highly recommend that readers read the immediate context of this verse, i.e., verses 12 to 19. Then read the expanded context, which is the entire chapter four. Then, the full extent of what Peter is talking about is even better understood when connected with the full context of the entire epistle, especially the chapters that precede the cited verse.

Indeed, the entire epistle is addressed to believers who have been scattered abroad following what historians refer to as the Diaspora or Dispersion who are suffering greatly in the Great Persecution that drove most of the early church members out of Israel into the surrounding regions and countries. Peter wrote the letter to encourage the scattered and severely persecuted believers to remain faithful to God and Christ during this time of great persecution and distress they were going through. Masses of these early believers were facing death and extreme social oppression if they were able to escape death as a result of being a follower of Christ. By inspiration of the Spirit, Peter wrote to encourage the faithful to focus on the surpassing hope of the "inheritance" they would receive in heaven rather than the agonizing sufferings they were being made to endure on earth. What these believers suffered makes our present "sufferings" pale into virtual nothingness. Myriads of these ordinary humans just like you and me were martyred by unspeakable manners of death, yet remained faithful to the name of Christ to their last breath, refusing to recant their trust in that Name. In the opening portion of his letter Peter writes:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various TRIALS, THAT THE PROOF OF YOUR FAITH, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though TESTED BY FIRE, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and even though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith THE SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS.

This last part is what God is after through the "fiery trials" he allows Satan to bring into our lives--"the salvation of your souls." When a believer is born again through genuine repentance and faith in Christ and the salvation He purchased on the Cross of Calvary, his/her spirit is instantaneously regenerated and restored to the condition in which the human spirit existed before Adam sinned. That transpires through the spiritual transaction of the Holy Spirit coming to take up residence in that person's human spirit. Jesus made this clear when He said, "that which is born of the [Holy] Spirit is [the human] spirit" (Jn. 3:6; bracketed explanation added). The human spirit is redeemed, restored, and regenerated at the rebirth or new birth experience. But, the soul, comprised of our mind, will, and emotions, is not automatically, instantaneously, and fully "saved" or restored at the rebirth, but is in the process of being saved or sanctified throughout our life after we are Born Again (c.f., Jas. 1:21). The Word of God is implanted in our heart as the Seed (lit., "sperma"; Gr.) of God, in our human spirits, which is "ABLE" to "save" or "sanctify" our soul, but it is not automatic or instantaneous. Rather that sanctifying process occurs gradually as we yield ourselves to the sanctifying working of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Thus, when we are Born Again, our spirit is saved, but our soul is not, completely, instantaneously, but it is in the process of being saved throughout our life on earth. The trials that come in our lives, come to test and therefore prove, refine, and purify our faith and in turn us; i.e., our soul. That's the "tested by fire" part Peter referenced. Satan is the adversary of believers, but it is critical to understand that he cannot do anything that God disallows for him to do, because God is still sovereign. Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. Satan cannot do anything God does not permit him to do. The "fiery trials" come to test or purify our faith, and thereby purge us of ungodly elements in our lives that defile us. The value of silver and gold increases as it is tested in the refining fiery furnace and purified of it's impurities. God allows those who are part of the remnant church to be taken through the fire in order to "Refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested" (Zec. 13:9), which is by a refining process that consists of "six, yea, seven times through the fire" (Ps. 12:6). So, it is likely that true believers will go through multiple refining fires in their lives, the result of each is more purity.

There is a great example of how this all works in the incident not long before Jesus' crucifixion when Jesus prophesied to Peter about impending testing in his life. Jesus warned Peter, "Simon, Simon, Satan has demanded permission (from God) to sift you like wheat" (Lk. 22:31). I'm sure Peter had the same thought occur to him that does to us when we find ourselves in a "fiery trial" authored by the adversary--why didn't Jesus merely pray for him and foil the plot of Satan that He foresaw in the Spirit. But, the truth was that He couldn't, because as He stated to Peter, Satan had "demanded permission" from God to sift him. God's prosecuting attorney demanded to try Peter because there were some defiling sinfulness concealed in Peter's "hidden parts" or "innermost being" that gave "the accuser of the brethren" legal right to bring him up on charges and sift like wheat. Sifting is a purging process to separate the grain (the usable part) from the chaff (the unusable part). What Jesus foresaw was a "fiery trial" that was necessary for Peter's purging of the fear of man, faithlessness, treachery, and self-centeredness that lay hidden in his heart and was spiritually defiling him. But, Satan and all the fiery trials he authors in our lives, are only a tool in the hands of God. If we will respond properly to the purging process of the Spirit, which is by humbling ourselves, admitting our faults, and allowing godly sorrow to produce genuine repentance in us (1 Cor. 7:11), then we, like Peter, receive genuine pardon and exoneration of the Spirit.

Instead of praying to remove the trial that was coming, which would have only foiled the purposes of God, Jesus told Peter, "but I have prayed for you, and when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." Instead of praying for removal of the fiery trial that was coming for Peter's purging and purification, Jesus prayed for and prophesied something of far greater value--Peter's repentance--and then charged him to strengthen his fellows with the spiritual empowerment he attained as a result of the purging process. And, in the end, Peter did precisely what Jesus prayed and prophesied, for that very reason--because He prayed and prophesied it--which is precisely what especially prophetic believers must learn to do in their relationships with and attitudes toward their fellows. The Apostle Paul described what Jesus did and what we are supposed to do in following His example this way:

Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one shall bear his own load. (Gal. 6:1-5)

God is saying here that it is not spiritual to judge and condemn believers who trespass against God's Word, even when they are CAUGHT in their trespasses, but rather true spirituality is demonstrated in attitudes and deeds reflective of premise of restoration in which the manner of approach is a spirit of gentleness or meekness accompanied by self-examination and circumspection. Otherwise, we open ourselves up to likewise be tempted by Satan with the SAME sin, or another sin.

Years ago, I was sitting in a cafeteria that was in a mall, eating dinner with my wife and another Christian brother who was part of our ministry. Though the cafeteria was entirely inside the mall, it had several windows to the mall corridor leading to the outside exit/entrance to the mall. As I was eating and talking, the Spirit had me to focus on couple in their late forties who were standing out in the mall corridor by the exit, as if they were waiting on someone. I had never seen them in my life, but they were all dressed up in formal attire as if they were going to a special banquet or something. Suddenly the Spirit said to me, "That couple are both believers, but they are in sin right now. He is a well-known piano player, but he is married to someone else, and has children, who have not heard from him in months. This woman is an adulteress who has seduced him into leaving his wife and family and they have been living together here in (the small town I was living in at the time). They are both being controlled by deceiving spirits. They are not supposed to be together. The woman has visions of grandeur of a life married to this man through his musical talents. Tell those with you what I just told you." I said to the Lord in my spirit, "Well, that's pretty fantastical. How am I supposed to know if what I believe you just told me is so?" He replied, "I will confirm it to you."

I did tell them. I showed them the couple, and told them what the Lord told me about them. Of course, they were stunned, and almost in unison asked, "Well, what did the Lord tell you to do?" To which I replied, "Nothing; he didn't tell me to do anything. Hallelujah!" We all laughed rather awkwardly but were pretty shaken in our spirits by the event.

I tried to just forget about the situation, for fear the Lord would put me to the test and tell me to go talk to the couple and tell them what the Lord showed me. I was hugely relieved when we left the cafeteria to discover that the couple were not longer standing there where I had seen them. So, I said to my wife, "Let's walk around a bit to walk off this dinner." I thought I was just walking randomly through the mall, but the first turn we made was in the direction of a piano and organ store that was in the mall. As we approached closer to the store, I suddenly began to hear someone absolutely "tearing up" some ivories, and I thought, "Wow, they've got a salesperson in that store that can really play the piano...WELL!" Which usually is not the case. But, then as I walked closer I realized it was Gospel music that was being played, and with that unmistakable Gospel music style, with grace notes and all. Whoever was playing was really GOOD! Then, it dawned on me....no, that can't be...not that guy the Lord spoke to me about. Sure enough, when I gingerly peered into the store to see who was playing, it WAS THE GUY! Oh My God! Now what? What the Lord said is really true...He DID just confirm what He told me. Quickly I grabbed my wife's hand and turned her around and said, "We have to get away from here," and started walking in the other direction. We eventually left the mall and returned home, and I tried to just forget about the incident.

That was on Sunday night. On Wednesday of that week, I was scheduled to take part in a television telethon at a Christian station, I had been helping with for a number of years. I was one of the first singers/speakers during the first part of the telethon as it went on air. While I was on camera singing my first song, the studio doors opened and in walked....yep, you guessed it...that couple...while I was singing my song. I almost messed up the next few lines of the song I was singing as I watched them walk into the studio and stand in the back of the standing room only crowd. When I finished the song, I made a beeline to the opposite side of the studio and propped myself up against a wall. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw this guy motion to the woman to stay there, and watched as he began walking in my direction. "Oh no! Surely he's not coming to talk to me, is he?" Sure enough, he came right over to me, and whispered, "Sir, I heard you singing that song when I was out in the lobby; there's was such a power anointing hit when you first started singing that I just had to come in to see who was singing." I thanked him in a whisper. Then he said, "I am here tonight to play the piano and sing with my wife, also, but God just told me that I need to speak to you, and you are going to minister to me." I gulped and almost choked, but gathered myself to respond in the calmest and most pleasant manner I could muster up, "Oh, okay, we can talk later then." Of course, he had just lied in identifying the woman who was his singing partner as his wife. The whole rest of the segment of the telethon I was scheduled for I was trying to figure out what the Lord wanted me to do and/or say. After it was over the guy came back over to talk to me again, and said, "Please forgive me for being so forward, but I believe the Lord told me that I am suppose to ask you if we can come to your house and have dinner with you and your wife Friday night." "Oh," I replied as cheerfully as I could sound, "then, I guess I'll see you Friday night; ya'll like spaghetti?" We both laughed; he said yes; and I gave him directions to our house.

When they came that Friday night, after some small talk, and while we were eating, he began to tell me the story of his life, and what brought him to the town we were in. He was a child prodigy musically and as a pianist, and began playing at the age of 14 for a number of well-known gospel music groups, first as a fill-in, then later full-time with various groups over the years. Over the current and previous week, he was away on a furlough or mini-vacation from traveling with a famous pentecostal evangelist as his pianist, though the evangelist fronted his own meetings singing and playing the piano as well in a self-taught Gospel-style. But, this man was the "real" piano-player in the background. He said he would be returning to the tour the next week. After telling his story, he then began asking me about my ministry, because he said he had discerned that I had some special anointing in some areas that he was not knowledgeable in and that was very different than all the ministries he had worked with over more than forty years in traveling music ministry, as well as the churches ministries in his denomination. I tried to explain as best I could about my prophetic and deliverance anointing and ministry. What made it even more difficult to explain was that this was back in the early 1980s when these types of ministry were virtually unheard of in most church circles, and anyone who did speak about them were considered heretics or lunatics or both. But, I was shocked when he started zeroing in on the deliverance part in particular, and asking me question after question. And, all during the meal, the woman kept kicking the guy under the table, trying to get him to stop talking about this deliverance stuff and to finish eating so they could leave.

One of the poignant moments in the conversation was when he told me that just before he left the tour, he asked the evangelist for some time to talk to him. During that conversation, he shared with the evangelist some personal battles he was having and actually had struggled with his entire life, though he had been saved when he was 13 years old. He told the evangelist that he felt God had been revealing to him recently that it was demons that were driving him to the compulsions he was experiencing and seemed to have little control over even thought he had confessed and repented over and over again, and was greatly convicted about and remorseful for his behavior. The evangelist replied in anger, and told him there was no way a Christian could possibly have a demon, and that if he had these problems, he would just have to either get help and get rid of the problem, or the evangelist would have to fire him. The evangelist told him to take a couple weeks off, and return to the tour, if he had dealt with the problem and essentially "fixed" it.

After we ate and retreated to the living room to talk a little more, he stayed on the subject, asking questions, until finally the woman said, "Well, honey, we need to be going, because we have to get up early in the morning." Finally, he acquiesed and they excused themselves politely, and left.

Over the next month, I received a number of phone calls from this man on my answering machine, but every time he called I wasn't there to receive the call, and he would never leave a number for me to call back (this was before caller ID). Then, one day, I was in prayer in my study in my home, when I thought I heard a car pull into the driveway, and then heard a car-door shut. Then, my doorbell rang. When I opened the door, this man was standing on the doorstep with his baggage and I saw a taxicab driving off. He said, Pastor Steven, I just got fired last night, and God told me to fly here today, and stay here until I am delivered. You are the only person I know who can help me. Will you?" Of course, I said I would and invited him in. After putting his things away in a guest room, we began talking. I told him the story of when I first saw him in the mall through the cafeteria window, and he verified that he was there that day and playing the piano in the store. Then I proceeded to tell his "real" story and what God had showed me about him, past, present, and future, and that God only reveals in order to heal, and that the only way he could be healed was through deliverance. The long and the short of it is that the guy stayed with us for the next three weeks while God miraculously and dramatically delivered him from the demons that were controlling him. Three weeks later, on Saturday morning, the first thing he said to me when I saw him in the morning was, "I have to call my wife and kids, and tell them where I am, where I've been, and hope that they still want me, so that God can restore our family." I told him, now I knew he was totally delivered. He called that morning and that family was powerfully reunited. I've seen him a number of times since over the years on various television programs...along with his wife. Praise the Lord! God is good!

But, my point in telling this story is that the man who camped out on my doorstep and repented, and cried out to God for deliverance, God delivered. But, the famous evangelist who was enraged by his piano-player's belief that God had showed him there were demons at work in his life, and fired him, was himself publicly exposed in a very publicized sin scandal as being demonized by the same kinds of demons the piano-player was troubled with and controlled by the SAME kind of sin. I've heard that evangelist's theology regarding demons and Christian's being troubled by them has drastically changed, indeed, reversed. I believe this public exposure happened because the evangelist did not treat the trespasser with a spirit of meekness, looking also to himself in self-examination, and that gave the evil spirits he had also been troubled with since childhood legal right to ramp up their activity in the evangelist's life until his sin could no longer be concealed. Sadly, the evangelist's ministry has never been the same. I venture to say that few people, if anyone, knows the real cause of his precipitous and unfortunate fall from grace.

Self-examination, godly sorrow, repentance of revealed sinful attitudes, and graciousness toward our human accusers is the only right response to accusations of wrongdoing that have some basis of truth to them at some level, whatever that level may be. On a personal basis, as long as we are trying to resist the accusations of the accuser of the brethren by defending ourselves and declaring our goodness, he has legal right to continue to accuse, prosecute, and judge us. Jesus admonished, "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison" (Mat. 5:25). Peter made it clear our ultimate adversary is the devil, Satan (1 Pet. 5:8). As long as we are denying the charges Satan makes against us, we are in a prison of one sort or another. If we agree with the charges of the adversary QUICKLY, confess our sins, seek forgiveness, and repent, then we will receive the full pardon Christ provided through His sacrifice and be released from the prison cell in which we've been confined.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 Jn. 1:9). The only kind of sin or wrongdoing that can be forgiven and pardoned is CONFESSED sin or wrongdoing. I would urge every minister and ministry in the days of Spirit-compelled circumspection that are now upon us, in which God is purifying the sons of Levi [church leaders] (Mal. 3:1-3) and testing the building materials of every ministry (1 Cor. 3:10-15), not to be so quick to resist and deny the accusations of the enemy out-of-hand without sincere self-examination to determine if there is any semblance of truth in the spirit realm to the prosecuting attorney's charges. If there is, consider it a merciful and gracious purging by the Spirit. If not, no harm, no foul.

Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God. (1 Cor. 4:1-5)

In the next posts, I will be addressing what I see as being the real causes and spiritual context behind such matters as the Grassley Investigation, and convey some prophetic revelations about other workings of the Spirit in the purification and perfecting of the Church.

Grassley Investigation -- Probed Ministries Respond

In the wake of the Grassley Investigation, which was the topic of my previous post, there are reports that the response of most of those ministries being probed is one of adamant denial and angry disputation. The investigation is focused on six prominent ministries: Benny Hinn, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, David and Joyce Meyer; Randy and Paula White; Creflo and Taffi Dollar; and Eddie Long. Several of them are now publicizing their view that such an investigation by a government body is illegal, unjustified, and improperly intrusive, along with their vow to therefore resist and in some cases stonewall the Congressional committee's inquiries.

I am neither judging nor condemning any of the persons or ministries named, such is not my purpose, and we are proscribed from doing so by Scripture. However, I do not believe that denial, disputation, and enmity in the public discourse is the right or the Biblical response for these high-profile ministries and ministers. As I indicated in the previous edition, along with elevation to the high-profile status comes high responsibility and accountability. To whom much is given, much is required, yea, even demanded, both by God and men.

As any parent knows, children commonly deny, lie, and obfuscate when they are caught in a blatant act of disobedience and deception. Though it may sound to some harsh to say, such a response is a characteristic of either immaturity or guilt.

I think it is telling that demons do the same thing. When they are first being discovered, identified, and called out, their first response is almost always denial and adamant defensiveness. That's why people with addictions, compulsions, and obsessions, often live in "denial," and are the last person to realize and recognize it is beyond their control -- because it is unclean spirits that are behind and driving the addiction, compulsion, or obsession. Demons always first deny they are there. Many times they have actually responded to my calling them out by saying, "No, we are not in (the person)!" I usually can't help busting up laughing when they do that. The host often first denies they are there as well.

Denial of this sort is a form of lying. Inherent in Jesus' calling Satan "the father of all lies" is that he is the chief denier. Lying is denying; denying is lying. All liars are deniers. Pathological liars, of whom Satan is the master and original, always deny that they are lying, in other words, they lie about lying. But what makes them pathological is that they actually BELIEVE their lies. for that reason, pathological liars can often pass a lie-detector test with flying colors. Pathological liars can sound and seem so convincing, and make you doubt your own discernment and sanity. They also are good at making you feel that your audacity in questioning their credibility is beyond all credibility, and attempt to put you on the defensive.

In no way am I saying that those questioned in the Grassley Investigation are pathological liars but I am saying that indignant denials of all wrongdoing, vociferous defending of themselves and their ministry operations, angry denunciation of their inquisitors, and pledges to stonewall, is not a response that is going to quell suspicion or be conducive to exoneration. The correct response to such a probe for those who have nothing to hide should be full cooperation and forthright answers. If no laws have been broken and no moral or ethical violations have been committed, then why should there be a concern about answering the inquiry truthfully and forthrightly? Makes one think of the quip of Queen Gertrude in Hamlet, "The lady doth protest too much, me thinks."

Years ago, a reporter called to ask if she could interview my wife and I concerning the business we had that had enjoyed some moderate success and as a result gained some notoriety in the relatively small we lived in. She said the theme of the story is how serving God can produce success in business. We agreed, and when she came she proceeded to tell her story about how she had recently been Born Again and renounced Satan's kingdom as an advanced witch, and been delivered from the kingdom of darkness. As a result of that she also left her job as a reporter with a secular paper, and she had recently been hired by a new upstart paper in the area. She had heard about our business "success story" and wanted to write about it. I assumed it would be a small blurb on the last page of some edition they needed filler for. Instead, to our utter shock, it was a six-week front page feature series in the next edition. That was great, we thought, and it was, but the next week's "letters to the editor" section was filled with negative naysaying from critics lambasting the reporter for writing the article, the editor for printing it, and us for our statements about the premise of Biblical prosperity and success. One grumbler commenting on our picture they published, calling us the "Christian Ken and Barbie." I howled laughing at that one! But, as PR agents say, "There's no such thing as bad press, as long as they spell your name right." New customers came in telling us they had read the articles.

What a "coincidence" it was that later that year we received a letter from the IRS saying our business was being audited based on some anonymous "tips." With my accounting and business administration background, I kept the business' books but worked with a CPA for validation and tax preparation. As a meticulous record-keeper I inundated the auditing agents with receipts and records for every transaction down to every pencil we bought. My initial response was indignation and outrage because I knew in my spirit it was a result of that series of articles. But, after praying and asking the Lord for guidance, I told the IRS agent, he had my full and complete cooperation, and I would do all I possibly could to provide every ounce of information available to me, because I knew I had absolutely nothing to hide. I also could not resist telling her that the Lord had assured me in prayer, that I would in the end be totally and completely vindicated, and she and the IRS would have to apologize for such a groundless and unnecessary investigation and invasion and into our lives. We lived with the cloud of aspersions over our heads that no one can generate like the IRS for FIVE long years! But, it ended with the IRS Magistrate saying with tears in her eyes, "Mr. Lambert, we apologize for what we have put you through over these last five years. The results of the audit are that not only do you not owe the IRS any money, but that we owe you money for deductions to which you were entitled but you did not take. I have here a check for the amount of refund you are entitled to, and please accept my apology on behalf of the IRS." The check was not a large amount, but the vindication after five years of suspicion and innuendo was invaluable! The Lord assured us that the audit was no "coincidence" and the anonymous tipsters were a few envious and devious agnostics as well as possible competitors.

Nevertheless, the point is, if you have nothing to hide and everything is on the up and up, an audit or probe such as the Congress' of a few high-profile ministries should be no problem at all, but merely an opportunity to demonstrate conclusively to the public that nothing improper is going on, and thereby clear their name and the collective reputation of the myriad of other ministries legitimately operating in this nation to fulfill the Great Commission and Jesus' charge to "occupy" or "do business" until He returns. Why the angry and defensive public reactions and responses? Is it intrusive? Yes, it is, somewhat; but it's also a great opportunity for the innocent to prove their innocence. Is there a line somewhere regarding the intrusiveness of government into the matters of the church in a free nation such as ours? Of course there is, but I don't see this investigation as approaching that line. Does this inquiry portend of an evil conspiracy by government to abate religious freedoms and negate privacy rights of religious organizations on a large scale. I don't think there's any credible evidence of that inherent in this probe. I believe Senator Grassley and his committee are simply following up on the legitimate concerns addressed to them from a number of Americans. I see nothing sinister here. Regardless, I don't see a response of angry public denouncements, obstinate refusals to cooperate, defensiveness, and obfuscation as being the "right response," nor the response of the Spirit. Christians, and especially Christian leaders, should be the standard-bearers of uprightness.

I'm also always further suspicious of those who have been accused of wrongdoing who defend themselves by citing a laundry list of all the "good" they and their organizations have done, inferring that somehow all the "good" they have done should negate or balance out any "bad" that may or may not be taking place. Some people apparently actually believe that God "grades on the curve" or "the average system." Will somebody please inform me where that is in the Bible?

On the contrary, what IS in the Bible is a poignant and sobering premise such as that expressed through one of God's most powerfully anointed no-nonsense prophets of all the so-called "Major Prophets" of old, Ezekiel, in which He made it clear that someone's "good" deeds do not negate or balance out that person's sinful deeds:

"Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, AND HIS RIGHTEOUS DEEDS WHICH HE HAS DONE SHALL NOT BE REMEMBERED; but his blood I will require at your hand." (Ezk. 3:20).

The prophecy is recited almost verbatim later in the same book, with this addition: "All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his TREACHERY which he has committed and his SIN which he has committed; for THEM he shall die" (Ezk. 18:20).

Isaiah said it about as straightforwardly and unequivocally as it could be said when he said that all our righteousness or so-called "good works" are as "filthy rags" unto the Lord (Isa. 64:6). Satan is identified as "the accuser of (the) brethren" (Rev. 12:10). He is God's prosecuting attorney. The fact is, whenever the accuser starts accusing us of wrongdoing, there is almost always some semblance of truth to the charges, if nothing more than in our flesh. Even Satan is not so stupid as the prosecuting attorney to levy charges against us that he knows have no foundation in fact whatsoever. Anyone who has the unmitigated audacity to start enumerating all their good works before God in the face of charges of wrongdoing has only exponentially increased his/her wrongdoing and definitely is on the wrong track.

Indignant and defensive denial of the charges the accuser of the brethren levies against us is not the right path to justification. The only way to receive the justification Jesus, the Christ, purchased on the Cross, and have our debt stamped "Paid In Full," is to admit it, own up to it, then not seek pardon on the basis of our own righteousness, but on the basis of His and the propitiatory sacrifice He died to provide. For, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21). It's not our righteousness that justifies us, but Jesus' righteousness. In fact, we have none of our own: "There is NONE righteous, not even ONE" (Rom. 3:10).

Indignant denial is the wrong response when the accuser of the brethren accuses us. Jesus was the only human who ever lived who was completely innocent down to the very core of His being of all charges made against Him, and during His trial, He was the Lamb led to the slaughter who answered not a word in His defense, even though Scripture says lying false witnesses rose up against Him. He did not respond with indignant defensiveness, but rather let God be both His Defense Attorney and Judge.

Why does God sometimes allow us to be put on trial by accusations from Satan? Because, as David learned, "Behold, You (God) desire truth in the INNERMOST BEING, And in the HIDDEN PART You will make me know wisdom" (Psa. 51:6). "The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the INNERMOST PARTS OF HIS BEING" (Prv. 20:7). God is after far more in His sanctifying dealings with us than only external appearances of piety. He DESIRES TRUTH IN THE INNERMOST BEING. As a man thinketh in his heart, so IS he -- especially to God. God knows every thought of our hearts. God wants to purify us down to the very core of our being -- our attitudes. An outward appearance of piety that is not a reflection of genuine inward holiness is the very definition of HYPOCRISY.

God absolutely despises hypocrisy. Jesus' vehement righteous indignation, castigation, and denunciation of the Pharisees and the Sadduccees who were utterly possessed with hypocrisy reflected God's utter contempt for hypocrisy and hypocrites. Behind all hypocrisy is a defiling and diabolical religious spirit that emanates from Satan himself. Satan is the master-religionist. Nothing is more defiling and diabolical than religious spirits because religiosity, i.e., false outward piety, is the very nature of Satan himself. Religious spirits are counterfeits of the Holy Spirit. Religious spirits are murdering spirits. They are the real hidden culprits behind all the hatred of false religion that makes people murder people or commit spiritual murder, that is hatred or contempt of your brother: "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" (1 Jn. 3:15). The false face of religion, of which Satan himself is the author, is the ultimate source of all hatred, contention, strife, divisiveness, and murder that exists in the world today.

How all this relates to the scrutiny into which the Grassley Investigation is bringing a few prominent Charismatic ministries is reflected in the contextual verses of the First John passages just quoted:

Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is
His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. (1 Jn. 3:13-24)

Jesus warned Peter, "Simon, Simon, Satan has demanded permission (from God) to sift you like wheat" (Lk. 22:31). I' m sure Peter had the same thought occur to him that does to us when we find ourselves in a "fiery trial" authored by the Adversary -- why didn't Jesus merely pray for him and foil the plot of Satan that He foresaw in the Spirit. But, the truth was that He couldn't, because as He stated to Peter, Satan had "demanded permission" from God to sift him. God's prosecuting attorney demanded to try Peter because there were some defiling things hidden in Peter's "hidden parts" or "innermost being" that gave "the accuser of the brethren" legal right to bring him up on charges and sift like wheat. Sifting is a purging process to separate the grain (the usable part) from the chaff (the unusable part). What Jesus foresaw was a "fiery trial" that was necessary for Peter's purging of the fear, faithlessness, treachery, and self-centeredness that was hidden in his heart and was spiritually defiling him. But, Satan and all the fiery trials he authors in our lives, are only tool in the hands of God. If we will respond properly to the purging process of the Spirit, which is by humbling ourselves, admitting our faults, and allow godly sorrow to produce genuine repentance in us (1 Cor. 7:11), then we, like Peter, receive genuine pardon and exoneration of the Spirit. Instead of praying to remove the trial that was coming, which would have only foiled the purposes of God, Jesus told Peter, "but I have prayed for you, and when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

Instead of praying for removal of the fiery trial, Jesus prayed for and prophesied something of far greater value -- Peter's repentance -- and then charged him to strengthen fellow believers with the empowerment he gained as a result of the purging process. And, in the end, Peter did precisely what Jesus prayed and prophesied, for that very reason -- because He prayed and prophesied it -- which is precisely what especially prophetic believers must learn to do with their fellows.

Self-examination, godly sorrow, repentance of revealed sinful attitudes, and graciousness toward our human accusers is the only right response to accusations of wrongdoing that have some basis of truth to them at some level, whatever that level may be. On a personal basis, as long as we are trying to resist the accusations of the accuser of the brethren by defending ourselves and declaring our goodness, he has legal right to continue to accuse, prosecute, and judge us. Jesus admonished, "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison" (Mat. 5:25). Peter made it clear our ultimate adversary is the devil, Satan (1 Pet. 5:8). As long as we are denying the charges Satan makes against us, we are in a prison of one sort or another. If we agree with the charges of the adversary QUICKLY, confess our sins, seek forgiveness, and repent, then we will receive the full pardon Christ provided through His sacrifice and be released from the prison cell in which we've been confined.

But, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 Jn. 1:9). The only kind of sin or wrongdoing that can be forgiven and pardoned is CONFESSED sin or wrongdoing. I would urge every minister and ministry in the days of Spirit-compelled circumspection that are now upon us, in which God is purifying the sons of Levi [church leaders] (Mal. 3:1-3) and testing the building materials of every ministry (1 Cor. 3:10-15), not to be so quick to resist and deny the accusations of the enemy out-of-hand without sincere self-examination to determine if there is any semblance of truth in the spirit realm to the prosecuting attorney's charges. If there is, consider it a merciful and gracious purging by the Spirit. If not, no harm, no foul.

Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God. (1 Cor. 4:1-5)

The Lord is coming to the Church these days and bringing to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclosing the motives of men's hearts. The sad and unfortunate indictment against the Church is that He is having to use worldly means and mediums such as public probes like the Grassley investigation to bring forth His judgment that must begin with the household of God, i.e., the Church. Instead of cursing the accusers, the proper response is to "in all things give thanks," and "Rejoice, and again I say rejoice, and let your forbearing spirit be known to all men." And,

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved (or, passed the test, margin), he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (Jas. 1:2-4; 12)

In the next posts, I will be addressing what I see as being the real causes and spiritual context behind such matters as the Grassley Investigation, and convey some prophetic revelations about other workings of the Spirit in the purification and perfecting of the Church.