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“Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise.” -Sam Pascoe
“An enterprise. That’s a business.” After a few moments Martha, the youngest student in the class, raised her hand. I could not imagine what her question might be. I thought the little vignette was self-explanatory, and that I had performed it brilliantly. Nevertheless, I acknowledged Martha’s raised hand, “Yes, Martha.” She asked such a simple question, “A business? But isn’t it supposed to be a body?” I could not envision where this line of questioning was going, and the only response I could think of was, “Yes.” She continued, “But when a body becomes a business, isn’t that a prostitute?” as told by David Ryser
I’ve been fighting for a long time the prompting of my inner man to take on this subject. I have been a sellout. A pimp, if you will. Not on purpose.
It is easy to justify our lack of courage when confronted with difficult issues.
You see, I have pulled my punches. I have softened the blow. I have spanked with a newspaper when they deserved a belt. I have sold out on the Truth. I have not called a spade a spade. I have nibbled at the crust when I should have been hammering the pie. I have taken the be-nice approach and have listened to the “touch not God’s anointed” mentality. I have prostituted the Truth. For that I am sorry.
Oh, my intentions were good. I had hoped that as I exposed the “unfruitful works of darkness” that the churches would eventually awaken and begin to push back against the enemy. After ten years of trying to awaken “The Church” to the problem I have finally mustered the courage to say what I have known all along. “The Church” IS the problem.
It has become a pimp, selling the works of “the body” for personal satisfaction.
Most of the pulpits are filled by “hirelings”, men and women who stand in the pulpit without a calling, without an anointing, and without courage. They are man pleasers, living off of “the Body” as they sell it out for their own whims and pleasures. Greedy Dogs, Isaiah called them. Blind watchmen…loving to sleep…leading the flock astray.
You see, to him, the church is a business…an enterprise…a social club totally dependant on butts and bucks. It is a place to make business contacts, network with others in the community, and soothe one’s conscience through weekly attendance and philanthropy. It is no different from a whore house where a woman’s body is sold for the pleasure of another. Love-less intercourse is prostitution. Most church goers love the service that Jesus provides (membership has its privileges) but don’t really know the Jesus who provides it.
Instead of cleaning out Congress perhaps we should start by cleaning out the pulpit. Judgment begins first in the house of God. America is a reflection of the churches and the churches are a reflection of the pulpits. It is time to “throw the bums out”…even if they do hide behind the “touch not my anointed.”
Filed under: The Apostasy, The Church | Tagged: Hirelings, Judgment
I LOVED everything Dave said in his article except the part about tithing. The teaching of the tithe in the New Testament Church is the very thing that makes pastors and preachers dependant upon manipulation of the flock. Why? Pure and simple, the truth is they have not taught their flock the TRUTH about money by resorting to the traditional tithes teaching instead of teaching them the New Covenant principles of Stewardship that is manifested in FREE WILL offerings and gifts rather than the “10% due upon arrival” of their gross increase, payable post haste, asap, stat etc.
By not teaching the TRUTH about the tithe pastors and preachers are neither teaching the flock to live by faith nor are they setting an example for them – instead they hammer the tithes doctrines of the Old Covenant that were given to House of Israel for the purpose of providing sacrificial animals for the Levite Priests who performed Temple ceremonies. The tithe was never given to Gentiles. The tithe was never about coinage or money. The way the Church has dragged the tithe teaching from one covenant to another opting to use portions of the complete OT in a pick and choose fashion, ignoring many of the tenats of the doctrines God gave His chosen Tribes, then adding to the doctrine by virtue of the fact that Jesus came to fulfill the Law, that there is no longer need of a sacrifice of animal blood as He and His blood is the ultimate sacrifice for ALL of man’s sin, and sins, Jew or Gentile, and the fact there are no more Levite Priests nor an exsiting remnant of the Levite order as HE is the chief Priest, the Head of the Church, the Lamb of God and the coming Lion of Judah.
For New Testament believing pastors to deign to collect God’s tithe is sacrilige as they are NOT Levite Priests! It is abominable that pastors in the Body of Christ pass themselves off as ‘tithes collection representatives’ when in fact they DO NOT represent God in the collection of the tithe! It is further an abomination for pastors to make their churches into ‘tithe collection agencies’! The westernized Church has turned God’s house from a house of prayer to one filled with money changers and a den of iniquity.
Sadly it is the tithes doctrines that have opened the door for the Legalists to proclaim their skewed doctrines of ‘tithe, then give until it hurts, then God will be obligated to give to you’ clearly taking the passages in Malachai out of context. We cannot buy God! He is NOT for sale! This same Old Testament, Old Covenant, House of Israel tithing mandate imposed upon New Testament Christians, cut and pasted into the New Covenant has also opened the door for the “God wants to make you rich,” Prosperity ‘gospel’ (which is a NON-Gospel!) abomination that is leading untold numbers astray! It is heresy!
Some teach that Jesus made the down payment on our salvation with His precious blood but add to the message by insisting that we as the Body OWE God our tithe to pay Jesus back and to keep our salvation experience in place, in effect and valid. To think we can add one thing to what He has done on the Cross is heresy!
To think that the Church has accepted the tithes doctrines imposed on the New Covenant is simply unthinkable and inconceivable! The New Covenant is about living by faith, walking in the Spirit and living in the Love of God. We are to put the old things behind us including the Old Covenant which is superceded by the New Covenant. It is the Last Will and Testament of Jesus – a Living Will and a Testament of He who has defeated death and hell and has risen from the dead! He has sent us His Spirit to give us life to walk in His word. We fulfill ALL the Law and the Prophets in one word: Love (Greek: agape, KJV: charity) and that love enables us to live in Him and for Him to live in us.
For all of the harping on tithes by Christian pastors, preachers and teachers, nowhere can they show us that Jesus collected tithes nor did He instruct His disciples to pay them. Neither Peter nor Paul collected them, nor John or even Matthew the tax collector! In fact James wrote his epistle to the Church in Jerusalem of which he was the Pastor and never once did he mention the tithe! He had plenty to say about those who claim they have faith but no works to show for it. He also laid out the way real believers are to share their increase with those less fortunate than others around them. He spoke of those who lack concern for those in need as those who have faith in vain and he questioned the love one can have by turning a blind eye to the needy, claiming to have faith in the Lord. His message was clear: Faith without works is dead; faith without works is vain. What is the context of the works in James? It is not works OF salvation, or works that save because ONLY Jesus has performed THOSE works! James spoke of the works which are the result or coresponding action (by product) of those who claim to have faith. Those works included helping the widows in the church, the fatherless, orphans, those in bonds or prison, slaves and other needy people.
What was the early Church pattern? To take a collection for the needy in their midst, in church meetings held daily (not just on Sunday!), house to house (they had no church buildings!) and then to take was was left to the streets as they went out to share the Good News as they fulfilled the Great Commission sharing with the homeless of their bread, and giving as they had to the sick and infirm. In all of the epistle of James as pastor in Jerusalem, he never even took an offering! He never asked for money! He never even mentioned tithes!
Even Paul never mentioned them, but he agrees with James that faith without works is empty because he sums it up this way: “faith worketh by love” which is to say ‘faith without love is dead’ – why? Because Love is the WORKS of Faith! Why do we give? Because of God’s love in us! Why do we love Him? Because HE 1st loved us! What do we give to Him? 100% of of our love and adoration, our time and energy, our talents and resources as well as our increase! We should DO all as unto the Lord and for His glory! God is NOT interested in 10% of your paycheck! He is NOT impressed with your tithe nor is it owed to Him!
It is more blessed to give than to receive! This is NOT an escape message from giving to God by doing away with the tithe because HE has already done away with it! Now, we should get into the New Covenant with our beliefs and practices. Let us give as the Spirit of God leads without concern of that pesky 10 Percent equation hanging over our heads. The devil tries to heap guilt on unwary Christians heads by hissing in one ear “You can’t afford to tithe this month!” and smirking in the other ear, “You didn’t tithe this month. You’re a sinner and God is unhappy with you!” Let us all get far beyond this kind of thinking!
Let the Body of Christ get into the New Covenant and stop begging for money, cease and desist of imposing, demanding tithes and the other extreme teachings that these things foster which defy the Truth! Let us all begin to see the needs of our brothers and sisters and then move in the direction of meeting that need by being a loving conduit of God’s love which proves the faith we claim to possess. Let us be possessed of that faith that moves us to be so full of love that we give others hope along the way such as we have, as has been provided by the Lord. He meets our needs and has promised to do so. Let us prove Him that way instead of thinking a monthly payment plan on an out dated doctrine which is irrelevant to our Covenant is in any way a means to please Him. Let us reach out to our neighbor in God’s love and share HIS blessings to a dark world lost in sin, for which we have the antidote: Jesus!
BINGO!!!
WELL SAID, PJ!!!!
So, does this mean the American Church is the Great Prostitute of Revelation 17 or just the not-so-great prostitute?
Thanks justasailor!
Did you catch the, “you have a Jezebel spirit” ?
LOL!!!!
These kind of pastors have a list of reasons they pull out, if anyone dares question them.
Its like many of the false prophets and/or apostles today, who have been pulling out the ‘you have a spirit of religion’, when questioned.