James 1:4, “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
I am preparing a sermon for Sunday about men perfecting their spirituality, which ultimately can be applied to anyone. For this particular sermon I thought of 7 different areas that would help in learning to perfect our spirituality. As I was preparing one hit me particularly hard and flashed me back to four years earlier.
Erin and I were visiting our families in Ohio. We drove up from Charlotte, NC to visit everyone. I am not sure if it was a holiday or not, but I am sure it was cooler, as we had jackets on and the windows were up in the car. But, I will not forget the intersection or that day for the rest of my life.
We approached a four way intersection and traffic was to stop only on two sides of the road, across from each other. We approached one of the stop signs in my red Ford Contour. We were on the way to visit some of Erin’s family. Erin was in the passenger seat and Kayla was in the baby seat in the back of the car.
Another car was already on the opposite side of the car. He crossed over in his blue two door Ford F-150 pick-up truck. As he crossed the street he came very close to our car and it looked very purposeful. Instead of just ignoring it, remembering that I had two women in the car that I would give my life for, I said something while looking at him. I let my sinful nature get the best of me and became really impatient with the other man’s driving and his attitude. I wish this was the end. This day God would show me that I had an attitude of anger that stemmed from impatience.
I noticed that the car stopped in my rear view mirror and the man had his window rolled down and was yelling something. Again, instead of just driving away I let pride get in the way. Now my impatience led to anger and now pride. I rolled down my window and said something back about his driving, and from this point on I do not remember much, but Erin told me the rest of the story. I allowed my sinful nature to take over to a point that I did not know was there. I was a Seminary student and ministering to at-risk children in inner-city Charlotte. How could I struggle with this? I did not realize it was there as strong as it was. I have always struggled with anger throughout my life, but God demonstrated this day just how bad it was.
According to Erin, I became very irate and was yelling back and forth with the man. She was very frightened for her and Kayla. I cannot blame her. She said that I was trying to get my seatbelt off, but for some reason it would not release. We both know it was God now. The other man was already stepping out of the truck and starting to come to the car.
God knocked my sense back into me and I became fully aware again of my surroundings. Erin was very distraught and yelling at me to go. She was crying and bewildered. Before the man reached the window I turned onto the road and started driving away. Next thing we knew was the blue Ford truck was chasing us. He had turned around and was coming our way fast. Now that I was calming down I held up my cell phone so he would see me dialing and he then turned and left.
I have since asked forgiveness of my wife and more importantly repented before God, but the day will be burnt into my mind forever. God truly used that to show me that I had not yet overcome this sinful behavior. I sought diligently to be delivered through prayer, reading the Word and striving now to be like Christ in those situations.
Losing track that I needed to continually seek God and strive for perfection in Christ caused me to fall into a sinful pattern. God used it to bring me back to Him and to show me the next area of my life I needed to work on as I walk beside Him. Since then, through the grace of God, I have never come even close to being that angry. And I am conscious to continually grow in my relationship with Christ that it will not happen again. I never want to see Erin look at me that way again, and I especially never want feel that distant from God again.
Relaxing in our relationship with Christ can be costly to our lives. Impatience cost me my relationship with God and my wife for a time. It also showed me the importance of never thinking I “made it,” but to continually strive for perfection as Christ is perfect. This is how we stay in relationship with Him, as if we are striving to be like Him then we will continually be working on our relationship with Him. This will impact how we react to situations that would in the past have caused us to stumble.
I thank God nothing worse happened that day, and I also thanked Him for showing me where I fell short in my walk with Christ.
Are there areas that you need to work on, but think you can handle it on your own that need to be turned over to God?
Has God shown you areas through sinning that you need to work through? Have you done it?
Is your relationship with Christ close enough that when you are in situations that may cause you to sin, you will walk through it successfully? If not, then what are you going to do about it.
Matthew 5:48, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Politics and Religion do not Mix . . . . Really?
Have you ever heard that politics and religion do not mix? I am sure you have heard it one way or another in American Society. How did this happen and why? Maybe some of you can enlighten me, as I am curious to know, as it does not seem to conform to what the Bible tells us. It is just not logical either.
Religion is just personal and should be kept at home. What? How can something that affects every area of your life be kept at home? Your religion affects the way you look at life and how you interact within all its structures, from your neighbor to strangers, from home to the work place. If you cannot take your faith into politics then how do you follow the commandment to “pray without ceasing” in 1 Timothy 5:17, or 1 Peter 1:15 that says we should be holy in all our conduct, meaning in everything we do whether in political, personal, or in our everyday jobs. We are to incorporate our faith by praying and being Holy as according to the Bible.
I think we need to look at every candidate’s faith through a microscope. How can we trust someone if they are not following what they believe? Take Bill Clinton, who obviously never followed any moral commandments. Maybe it was during working hours, so he really did not need to follow his religious beliefs, which according to him is Christian. I am still looking for the Christian faith that says adultery is alright. If he cheats on his wife, breaking the most sacred union before God, then how can we trust him not to cheat in other areas in political life? It is not that much bigger of a step.
There is a candidate that says he has been in the church for many years, Barack Obama, and he has made a point of saying so to constituencies he thought it would matter to. Regardless, there should be a comparison of their religious lives and how they will impact the position of President of the United States. If a candidate can rationalize one sinful behavior then he can rationalize many others if he/she thinks it will enhance their career.
Romans 1 talks about immorality that time and again Barack Obama has said was alright. Teach about abstinence, but just in case teach about safe-sex practices. The only safe sex practice the Bible talks about is between a man and a wife in the marriage bed. Not sure how sex outside of marriage became a norm and acceptable to Mr. Obama. What happened to facing the consequences of your actions? If you touch fire you can get burned, and if you have sex you can have a baby. That is the choice, have sex or not. Not kill the baby because of my immoral choice.
He has the “their going to do it anyway” mentality and that is dangerous, as it just allows room for sinful behavior. What if he did it with foreign neighbors? I am sure Iran would love that philosophy. What about government spending? I think China and a few other communist countries would love this attitude.
The sanctity of life is enough for any Christian not to vote for him. God loves everyone and desires for them to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4), and killing them in the wound is murdering a child that God created and loves (Psalm 139:13-16).
Electing a President should not be about Republican or Democrat, but about how they stand in their lives lived. Are they promoting sin? If yes then as believers we should not be voting for them. We all have to stand before God and have to give an account. Do you want to tell God you voted for an immoral abortionist; someone that cannot walk what he proclaims to believe?
I may be about to upset many Christians out there, but in my opinion there is no way a Biblically minded Christian could in full conscience, knowing what the Word of God says, vote for Barack Obama. His life does not line up with what he says he believes.
Job 27:5, “Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.”
Religion is just personal and should be kept at home. What? How can something that affects every area of your life be kept at home? Your religion affects the way you look at life and how you interact within all its structures, from your neighbor to strangers, from home to the work place. If you cannot take your faith into politics then how do you follow the commandment to “pray without ceasing” in 1 Timothy 5:17, or 1 Peter 1:15 that says we should be holy in all our conduct, meaning in everything we do whether in political, personal, or in our everyday jobs. We are to incorporate our faith by praying and being Holy as according to the Bible.
I think we need to look at every candidate’s faith through a microscope. How can we trust someone if they are not following what they believe? Take Bill Clinton, who obviously never followed any moral commandments. Maybe it was during working hours, so he really did not need to follow his religious beliefs, which according to him is Christian. I am still looking for the Christian faith that says adultery is alright. If he cheats on his wife, breaking the most sacred union before God, then how can we trust him not to cheat in other areas in political life? It is not that much bigger of a step.
There is a candidate that says he has been in the church for many years, Barack Obama, and he has made a point of saying so to constituencies he thought it would matter to. Regardless, there should be a comparison of their religious lives and how they will impact the position of President of the United States. If a candidate can rationalize one sinful behavior then he can rationalize many others if he/she thinks it will enhance their career.
Romans 1 talks about immorality that time and again Barack Obama has said was alright. Teach about abstinence, but just in case teach about safe-sex practices. The only safe sex practice the Bible talks about is between a man and a wife in the marriage bed. Not sure how sex outside of marriage became a norm and acceptable to Mr. Obama. What happened to facing the consequences of your actions? If you touch fire you can get burned, and if you have sex you can have a baby. That is the choice, have sex or not. Not kill the baby because of my immoral choice.
He has the “their going to do it anyway” mentality and that is dangerous, as it just allows room for sinful behavior. What if he did it with foreign neighbors? I am sure Iran would love that philosophy. What about government spending? I think China and a few other communist countries would love this attitude.
The sanctity of life is enough for any Christian not to vote for him. God loves everyone and desires for them to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4), and killing them in the wound is murdering a child that God created and loves (Psalm 139:13-16).
Electing a President should not be about Republican or Democrat, but about how they stand in their lives lived. Are they promoting sin? If yes then as believers we should not be voting for them. We all have to stand before God and have to give an account. Do you want to tell God you voted for an immoral abortionist; someone that cannot walk what he proclaims to believe?
I may be about to upset many Christians out there, but in my opinion there is no way a Biblically minded Christian could in full conscience, knowing what the Word of God says, vote for Barack Obama. His life does not line up with what he says he believes.
Job 27:5, “Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.”
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Become an Annointed Healer
A friend sent me this parody below and I found it so enlightening, I thought I would share it with you. I actually find the lessons quite true in a funny way. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Please understand that this article is written to be a humorous way of exposing false teachings. Although it is written in a tongue-in-cheek style, the false teachings in it are very real. They are not connected to any one denomination, but are now permeating even mainstream churches. To find out more about these types of teachings, we suggest these articles on the Let Us Reason website.
http://www.oaim.org/fleecing.html
Official Handbook of How to Fleece the Flock for Fun and Profit©2002 OAIM
Rule number one: Before embarking upon this enterprise of fleecing the flock for fun and profit, one must establish oneself as a special “Anointed” spokesperson for God. This can be accomplished in several ways.
a) Learn the official “Anointed” Christian buzzwords. You can begin with repeating the word “anointed” in your conversations, making sure that people recognize that you have this special anointing. (See Rule 3 for a more complete list of buzzwords.) Setting up people in the audience to be “healed” is a good way of gaining the flock’s confidence. However, make certain the affliction they are healed of is something that is not visible or something that can be medically verified. Headaches and other aches and pains are good to capitalize on. Make certain that you choose the people beforehand so they will not give away what is happening.Persuading people that you are giving them a secret, hidden knowledge that others do not have will draw them in like flies to honey. This will encourage them to have an awe of your knowledge. Once people recognize you have this anointing, then you can begin to claim apostleship or establish yourself as a prophet of God. This works well as people would rather hear from a prophet than to hear from God through study of His word. Remember to keep them from discovering that you “anointed” yourself. This is vital. If they see that you started out as the only one who said you were anointed, you will never get a flock going and will miss out on all the fun and profit there is when you start fleecing your flock.
b) Establish yourself as a prophet from God by making a few predictions. It does not matter if they don’t come to pass because you can always claim it was their lack of faith as to why it did not come to pass. The secret to being successful is always to shift the blame back onto them when in a tight spot. Whatever you do, never ever accept responsibility for the lack of failed prophesies as this will taint your image and hinder the pursuit of fleecing the flock for fun and profit. You must also keep your flock from any passages in the Bible that say that a prophet must have 100% accuracy such as Deuteronomy 18. It will be necessary to steer them clear from such passages and remind them that all people are fallible. If you keep the focus on the fallible people, your flock will not notice that prophecies are supposed to come from God who is infallible.
c) If anyone challenges you as a prophet of God, remind them of the verse that says “touch not the anointed of God” and of the consequences of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Never mind that neither of these passages have anything to do with you or the situation. It will sound very spiritual if you say it to them with a very stern look on your face and a loud voice. It is essential that you use fear as often as possible to make sure the flock maintains its fear of you. Fear is a great tool to use that will enable you to continue to fleece the flock.
d) Discourage the flock from reading the Bible for themselves. Remind them often of how the Holy Spirit spoke to you and this reduces the need for study of the Bible because you have knowledge that supercedes the Bible. Don’t forget to inject a verse here and there so they will be convinced that this is from God. Choose obscure verses so the flock doesn’t realize that they have nothing to do with what you are saying. Always use the King James Version because most people nowadays don't understand it and you can use it to make verses say whatever you want them to. If challenged, invoke “divine revelation knowledge” and refer back to 1c. If any of the flock attempts to read the bible on their own, make sure you direct them to your interpretation of the scriptures by showing them what it “really” means. You can make a good profit on writing your own study Bible with your own notes in the margins. The leather versions can sell for more than $80 each and can give you a good source of income for many years.
e) The most annoying people are those who keep insisting on sound doctrine and one must guard against this attack at all cost. Your income and reputation are at stake on this one. However, this can be easily overcome through the buzzwords of “Can’t we all just get along? We all love the same Jesus”. Convince the flock that doctrine is divisive and that to love the Lord is all that matters. This works well because they then are the ones labeled as divisive and it questions their spirituality. When this is accomplished, it makes it easy to dismiss what they are saying.
f) Emotionalism is essential for a flock-fleecing ministry. Mimic the most successful fleecers and practice this often until you have it down pat. Aggressively prance back and forth across the stage while waving your arms wildly and be sure to talk fast and loud. For added emphasis, whisper at times to make them strain to hear you and then scream to make them jump out of their seats.Tears and a lot of mopping of sweat from the forehead and mouth while preaching happens a lot while under the “anointing” and this assures the flock that they are receiving an “anointed” message. Dance a lot and say “Whoooeeee, I feel the anointing comin’ upon me, ....GLORY.” Be certain to make odd noises at times and call them speaking in tongues from the Spirit. This is highly impressive and will ensure the flock’s awe of you.
Rule number two: Gimmicks are essential.
For a ministry to thrive, money must regularly be fleeced from the flock. Don’t take all of the money at once because it would drain the well dry, and you must be careful to spread it out over a very long time in order to raise your own income. Keep holding out a little hope to them that your teachings work. This can be accomplished by showing how the Lord has blessed you when you drive up in your limo. Assure them that they too can become an anointed servant of God and be blessed in the same way. Some of the following gimmicks work well; they have been tried and tested. However, when the gimmicks begin to wane, one must use a little imagination to keep it fresh and exciting.
a) Anointed prayer cloths and trinkets. This one has been a big hit and a great success. This fleece does not work well with the older sheep but there are many new sheep who still find this to be exciting. You can have a variety of anointed cloths and trinkets that keep them going for quite awhile. Cloths and trinkets can be for healing, wealth, and power. The possibilities are almost limitless with a fertile imagination. The profit margin can be very large because the cloths and trinkets are cheap to buy and you can sell them for a good deal more than they are worth because of your special “anointing.”
b) Praying over letters. This is another great way to bring in the income since your monetary investment is virtually nothing. Have the flock send in prayer requests in letter form and you can set the price for praying over them. How much you charge depends upon how well you have convinced the sheep of your anointing. A good anointed prophet can receive a “donation” of 20 bucks or more per prayer if handled correctly. Remind them that they are furthering God’s kingdom while being blessed at the same time. Make sure you have a way of disposing of the letters so they don’t clutter up your personal office space.
c) If one chooses the deliverance ministry as their means of income and recognition, you can offer anointed trinkets to ward off the spirits and set the price according to the severity of the demon. I would not recommend the use of the term “dollars against demons” because this would not sound too spiritual. However, this ministry guarantees an income and recognition because the demons don’t stay bound very long and soon return. You will be called upon over and over to keep casting out the same demons from the same people. Fear works great in this gimmick because they soon become dependent upon you to keep the demons at bay. If they become divisive and question you, then is the time to dismiss them as dogs who keep returning to their own vomit. Remember, you do have an image that needs to be protected and never accept such non-sense questions as “why doesn’t it work?” The key for a successful ministry is to shift the blame back onto the sheep. Arrogance will be your best friend to keep yourself aloof from the flock.
d) The electronic age is wonderful and one must not neglect this means of income and recognition. You can convince the flock that God is ever present everywhere and this includes the internet. Have the demon-possessed or the sick place their hands or forehead on the screen and convince them that God is touching them through you through the monitor. Have your website designer post a picture of you that reaches out your hand to them. This will convince them that you are really reaching out to pray for them. State that the prayers will only come to pass if they send you money. Again, your reputation will determine how much you set the price at for these prayers. The power of suggestion works well; hypnotists have used this principle for many years. All that is needed is for the prospective customer to be convinced in their mind that the “anointing” is flowing through to them upon contact with the monitor screen. You can then request additional “donations” for further anointed touches.
Rule number three: Parrot the buzz words that only the “anointed” use, such words as “Plead the blood of Jesus”. It doesn’t matter that there is no precedence in the Bible for this phrase. It sounds spiritual so use this phrase often. Repeated often enough, this makes it sound like there is some magical ingredient in the blood of Jesus and puts it on the same level as holy water, incense, burning of candles and wearing the cross that protects the believing flock. (These previous items can also be sold for profit, if they are “anointed”.)
a) Learning the lingo of the anointed will push you up the ladder of recognition and place you in the position of fleecing the flock for fun and prophet at a much faster rate.Talking directly to Satan is very impressive, but you must keep them from seeing that it's not biblical. Suggested buzzwords and phrases to mimic are as the following and NEVER forget to “invoke” the “name of Jesus”. (Try to make Jesus as multisyllabled as you can -- Jeeeeeeeesssssuuuuuuuuuussss. The more syllables you can extract from it, the holier it sounds.)
· “Satan, I come against you in the name of Jesus.”· “Satan, I bind you in the name of Jesus.”
· “Satan, I cast you out in the name of Jesus.”
· “Satan, I command you back into the pit of hell in Jesus name.”
· “Satan, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”(Remember to emphasize the word “I”. This keeps the focus on you as the one who has the power to do these things. This also keeps the focus on Satan and be sure to ‘invoke” the name of Jesus for a religious touch that sounds “anointed”. If we can keep the focus off of Jesus, then this assures the flock of their need for us and of our position. To point to Jesus will hinder our standing and hinder our continued fleecing so exercise much caution in this area.)
b) More suggested buzz words and phrases:
· Claim, Confess, and Demand healing in the name of Jesus are good ones that draw attention to your anointing. Once again, the more arrogant you are, the more "anointed" you will appear to them.
· “Hallelujah, Praise the Lord , Glory and Amen”. (Repeat over and over and for added emphasis, a loud whistle at times is good. The louder the better to let them hear your anointing.)
· “Glory bumps” and “Holy Ghost Giggles” are cute ones to throw in at times. This lets them see the “joy of the Lord” in you. If you ever are overcome with laughter at how easy it is to fleece your flock, just claim it is “holy laughter” and they will all join in with you (which can cause you to laugh even harder, but no worry, they will laugh harder with you all the way to the bank).
· Singing, Dancing, Speaking and Walking in the Spirit are sure fire “anointed” words that will be noticed.
c) Seed faith. This term indicates that they are planting a seed of faith and will reap a harvest of money because of it. Using this idea, you can get people to send you large amounts of money with the promise that they will receive a hundredfold back. People are greedy by nature and the lure of a promise of receiving thousands of dollars back is a powerful enticement. (But make certain you keep them from seeing Mark 10:29-30 because you don't want to give them any hint that persecutions might also come their way. Keep them from any idea that the lifestyle you are promoting might some day cause them any discomfort.) Also, this provides you with an excellent opportunity to use guilt and intimidation to coerce people into sending you these large "love offerings." Obviously, if they are not willing to send you this type of "love offering" then they do not have enough "faith" to plant. Accusing them of a lack of faith if they do not send you money in this way is highly effective and will assure you of a profitable ministry for many future years.
Summary:
Remember that the corrupt nature of man is to seek after fame and fortune for themselves at the exclusion of others. You can be assured of a following as long as you continue to offer them the possibility of riches and power. Keeping this in mind, continue to appeal to the corrupt nature of man and spiritualize it by suggesting that the things they desire are the same things that God desires for them. Often repeat the phrases such as: “God desires for you to be rich, healthy and happy above everything else.” Avoid people who claim that spiritual maturity is more important in God’s eyes than financial success. Keep your flock from these types. They can be very devastating to your ministry.
If the flock lacks in anything, use intimidation and fear to keep them intact. This tactic assures the continuation of your own financial well-being. Remind them that if they lack in any of these things, it is their lack of faith that is preventing these “blessings” from God coming to pass.
Remember, you must walk the talk to retain credibility. This means, never ever mention that you may have a cold, may not be happy or may be struggling with finances. To make this mistake would be a sure fire way of destroying the flock fleecing ministry. You are the example of all that God wants for them and to show any signs of human weakness would undermine all that you have hoped to accomplish. Illusion is everything.
If you have those who start feeling like they want to leave, make a quick move to use fear and guilt to keep them in your flock. One tactic that is very effective is to threaten them with loss of their salvation if they leave. Also, threaten their children by saying that if they leave, their children will pay for their lack of faith. This is a good way of keeping them in line since most of them love their children very much.
This handbook is offered for free, however, a love offering would be greatly appreciated. Sending a “love” offering of 100 dollars would put you well on the way because you know that your "seed faith" will force God will give you a hundred fold in return for doing so. (wink, wink)
Disclaimer: Please understand that this article is written to be a humorous way of exposing false teachings. Although it is written in a tongue-in-cheek style, the false teachings in it are very real. They are not connected to any one denomination, but are now permeating even mainstream churches. To find out more about these types of teachings, we suggest these articles on the Let Us Reason website.
http://www.oaim.org/fleecing.html
Official Handbook of How to Fleece the Flock for Fun and Profit©2002 OAIM
Rule number one: Before embarking upon this enterprise of fleecing the flock for fun and profit, one must establish oneself as a special “Anointed” spokesperson for God. This can be accomplished in several ways.
a) Learn the official “Anointed” Christian buzzwords. You can begin with repeating the word “anointed” in your conversations, making sure that people recognize that you have this special anointing. (See Rule 3 for a more complete list of buzzwords.) Setting up people in the audience to be “healed” is a good way of gaining the flock’s confidence. However, make certain the affliction they are healed of is something that is not visible or something that can be medically verified. Headaches and other aches and pains are good to capitalize on. Make certain that you choose the people beforehand so they will not give away what is happening.Persuading people that you are giving them a secret, hidden knowledge that others do not have will draw them in like flies to honey. This will encourage them to have an awe of your knowledge. Once people recognize you have this anointing, then you can begin to claim apostleship or establish yourself as a prophet of God. This works well as people would rather hear from a prophet than to hear from God through study of His word. Remember to keep them from discovering that you “anointed” yourself. This is vital. If they see that you started out as the only one who said you were anointed, you will never get a flock going and will miss out on all the fun and profit there is when you start fleecing your flock.
b) Establish yourself as a prophet from God by making a few predictions. It does not matter if they don’t come to pass because you can always claim it was their lack of faith as to why it did not come to pass. The secret to being successful is always to shift the blame back onto them when in a tight spot. Whatever you do, never ever accept responsibility for the lack of failed prophesies as this will taint your image and hinder the pursuit of fleecing the flock for fun and profit. You must also keep your flock from any passages in the Bible that say that a prophet must have 100% accuracy such as Deuteronomy 18. It will be necessary to steer them clear from such passages and remind them that all people are fallible. If you keep the focus on the fallible people, your flock will not notice that prophecies are supposed to come from God who is infallible.
c) If anyone challenges you as a prophet of God, remind them of the verse that says “touch not the anointed of God” and of the consequences of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Never mind that neither of these passages have anything to do with you or the situation. It will sound very spiritual if you say it to them with a very stern look on your face and a loud voice. It is essential that you use fear as often as possible to make sure the flock maintains its fear of you. Fear is a great tool to use that will enable you to continue to fleece the flock.
d) Discourage the flock from reading the Bible for themselves. Remind them often of how the Holy Spirit spoke to you and this reduces the need for study of the Bible because you have knowledge that supercedes the Bible. Don’t forget to inject a verse here and there so they will be convinced that this is from God. Choose obscure verses so the flock doesn’t realize that they have nothing to do with what you are saying. Always use the King James Version because most people nowadays don't understand it and you can use it to make verses say whatever you want them to. If challenged, invoke “divine revelation knowledge” and refer back to 1c. If any of the flock attempts to read the bible on their own, make sure you direct them to your interpretation of the scriptures by showing them what it “really” means. You can make a good profit on writing your own study Bible with your own notes in the margins. The leather versions can sell for more than $80 each and can give you a good source of income for many years.
e) The most annoying people are those who keep insisting on sound doctrine and one must guard against this attack at all cost. Your income and reputation are at stake on this one. However, this can be easily overcome through the buzzwords of “Can’t we all just get along? We all love the same Jesus”. Convince the flock that doctrine is divisive and that to love the Lord is all that matters. This works well because they then are the ones labeled as divisive and it questions their spirituality. When this is accomplished, it makes it easy to dismiss what they are saying.
f) Emotionalism is essential for a flock-fleecing ministry. Mimic the most successful fleecers and practice this often until you have it down pat. Aggressively prance back and forth across the stage while waving your arms wildly and be sure to talk fast and loud. For added emphasis, whisper at times to make them strain to hear you and then scream to make them jump out of their seats.Tears and a lot of mopping of sweat from the forehead and mouth while preaching happens a lot while under the “anointing” and this assures the flock that they are receiving an “anointed” message. Dance a lot and say “Whoooeeee, I feel the anointing comin’ upon me, ....GLORY.” Be certain to make odd noises at times and call them speaking in tongues from the Spirit. This is highly impressive and will ensure the flock’s awe of you.
Rule number two: Gimmicks are essential.
For a ministry to thrive, money must regularly be fleeced from the flock. Don’t take all of the money at once because it would drain the well dry, and you must be careful to spread it out over a very long time in order to raise your own income. Keep holding out a little hope to them that your teachings work. This can be accomplished by showing how the Lord has blessed you when you drive up in your limo. Assure them that they too can become an anointed servant of God and be blessed in the same way. Some of the following gimmicks work well; they have been tried and tested. However, when the gimmicks begin to wane, one must use a little imagination to keep it fresh and exciting.
a) Anointed prayer cloths and trinkets. This one has been a big hit and a great success. This fleece does not work well with the older sheep but there are many new sheep who still find this to be exciting. You can have a variety of anointed cloths and trinkets that keep them going for quite awhile. Cloths and trinkets can be for healing, wealth, and power. The possibilities are almost limitless with a fertile imagination. The profit margin can be very large because the cloths and trinkets are cheap to buy and you can sell them for a good deal more than they are worth because of your special “anointing.”
b) Praying over letters. This is another great way to bring in the income since your monetary investment is virtually nothing. Have the flock send in prayer requests in letter form and you can set the price for praying over them. How much you charge depends upon how well you have convinced the sheep of your anointing. A good anointed prophet can receive a “donation” of 20 bucks or more per prayer if handled correctly. Remind them that they are furthering God’s kingdom while being blessed at the same time. Make sure you have a way of disposing of the letters so they don’t clutter up your personal office space.
c) If one chooses the deliverance ministry as their means of income and recognition, you can offer anointed trinkets to ward off the spirits and set the price according to the severity of the demon. I would not recommend the use of the term “dollars against demons” because this would not sound too spiritual. However, this ministry guarantees an income and recognition because the demons don’t stay bound very long and soon return. You will be called upon over and over to keep casting out the same demons from the same people. Fear works great in this gimmick because they soon become dependent upon you to keep the demons at bay. If they become divisive and question you, then is the time to dismiss them as dogs who keep returning to their own vomit. Remember, you do have an image that needs to be protected and never accept such non-sense questions as “why doesn’t it work?” The key for a successful ministry is to shift the blame back onto the sheep. Arrogance will be your best friend to keep yourself aloof from the flock.
d) The electronic age is wonderful and one must not neglect this means of income and recognition. You can convince the flock that God is ever present everywhere and this includes the internet. Have the demon-possessed or the sick place their hands or forehead on the screen and convince them that God is touching them through you through the monitor. Have your website designer post a picture of you that reaches out your hand to them. This will convince them that you are really reaching out to pray for them. State that the prayers will only come to pass if they send you money. Again, your reputation will determine how much you set the price at for these prayers. The power of suggestion works well; hypnotists have used this principle for many years. All that is needed is for the prospective customer to be convinced in their mind that the “anointing” is flowing through to them upon contact with the monitor screen. You can then request additional “donations” for further anointed touches.
Rule number three: Parrot the buzz words that only the “anointed” use, such words as “Plead the blood of Jesus”. It doesn’t matter that there is no precedence in the Bible for this phrase. It sounds spiritual so use this phrase often. Repeated often enough, this makes it sound like there is some magical ingredient in the blood of Jesus and puts it on the same level as holy water, incense, burning of candles and wearing the cross that protects the believing flock. (These previous items can also be sold for profit, if they are “anointed”.)
a) Learning the lingo of the anointed will push you up the ladder of recognition and place you in the position of fleecing the flock for fun and prophet at a much faster rate.Talking directly to Satan is very impressive, but you must keep them from seeing that it's not biblical. Suggested buzzwords and phrases to mimic are as the following and NEVER forget to “invoke” the “name of Jesus”. (Try to make Jesus as multisyllabled as you can -- Jeeeeeeeesssssuuuuuuuuuussss. The more syllables you can extract from it, the holier it sounds.)
· “Satan, I come against you in the name of Jesus.”· “Satan, I bind you in the name of Jesus.”
· “Satan, I cast you out in the name of Jesus.”
· “Satan, I command you back into the pit of hell in Jesus name.”
· “Satan, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”(Remember to emphasize the word “I”. This keeps the focus on you as the one who has the power to do these things. This also keeps the focus on Satan and be sure to ‘invoke” the name of Jesus for a religious touch that sounds “anointed”. If we can keep the focus off of Jesus, then this assures the flock of their need for us and of our position. To point to Jesus will hinder our standing and hinder our continued fleecing so exercise much caution in this area.)
b) More suggested buzz words and phrases:
· Claim, Confess, and Demand healing in the name of Jesus are good ones that draw attention to your anointing. Once again, the more arrogant you are, the more "anointed" you will appear to them.
· “Hallelujah, Praise the Lord , Glory and Amen”. (Repeat over and over and for added emphasis, a loud whistle at times is good. The louder the better to let them hear your anointing.)
· “Glory bumps” and “Holy Ghost Giggles” are cute ones to throw in at times. This lets them see the “joy of the Lord” in you. If you ever are overcome with laughter at how easy it is to fleece your flock, just claim it is “holy laughter” and they will all join in with you (which can cause you to laugh even harder, but no worry, they will laugh harder with you all the way to the bank).
· Singing, Dancing, Speaking and Walking in the Spirit are sure fire “anointed” words that will be noticed.
c) Seed faith. This term indicates that they are planting a seed of faith and will reap a harvest of money because of it. Using this idea, you can get people to send you large amounts of money with the promise that they will receive a hundredfold back. People are greedy by nature and the lure of a promise of receiving thousands of dollars back is a powerful enticement. (But make certain you keep them from seeing Mark 10:29-30 because you don't want to give them any hint that persecutions might also come their way. Keep them from any idea that the lifestyle you are promoting might some day cause them any discomfort.) Also, this provides you with an excellent opportunity to use guilt and intimidation to coerce people into sending you these large "love offerings." Obviously, if they are not willing to send you this type of "love offering" then they do not have enough "faith" to plant. Accusing them of a lack of faith if they do not send you money in this way is highly effective and will assure you of a profitable ministry for many future years.
Summary:
Remember that the corrupt nature of man is to seek after fame and fortune for themselves at the exclusion of others. You can be assured of a following as long as you continue to offer them the possibility of riches and power. Keeping this in mind, continue to appeal to the corrupt nature of man and spiritualize it by suggesting that the things they desire are the same things that God desires for them. Often repeat the phrases such as: “God desires for you to be rich, healthy and happy above everything else.” Avoid people who claim that spiritual maturity is more important in God’s eyes than financial success. Keep your flock from these types. They can be very devastating to your ministry.
If the flock lacks in anything, use intimidation and fear to keep them intact. This tactic assures the continuation of your own financial well-being. Remind them that if they lack in any of these things, it is their lack of faith that is preventing these “blessings” from God coming to pass.
Remember, you must walk the talk to retain credibility. This means, never ever mention that you may have a cold, may not be happy or may be struggling with finances. To make this mistake would be a sure fire way of destroying the flock fleecing ministry. You are the example of all that God wants for them and to show any signs of human weakness would undermine all that you have hoped to accomplish. Illusion is everything.
If you have those who start feeling like they want to leave, make a quick move to use fear and guilt to keep them in your flock. One tactic that is very effective is to threaten them with loss of their salvation if they leave. Also, threaten their children by saying that if they leave, their children will pay for their lack of faith. This is a good way of keeping them in line since most of them love their children very much.
This handbook is offered for free, however, a love offering would be greatly appreciated. Sending a “love” offering of 100 dollars would put you well on the way because you know that your "seed faith" will force God will give you a hundred fold in return for doing so. (wink, wink)
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Real Faith vs. Fake Faith
Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
As we are preparing to move to India in the next week, I have been reading a book about a Pakistan woman who received Christ through a dream. The book is entitled I Dared To Call Him Father by Bilquis Sheikh. She takes you through her journey to accepting Christ as Savior and then living by faith in a hostile environment.
What amazed me about this woman was that she did not make any major decisions, and very few minor ones, without going to prayer. When she found that she did not wait on God she ended up regretting it and had to repent and seek God's forgiveness. It amazed me to see how God worked through her and in her as she sought to be in God's graces.
Bilquis Sheikh said that her desire was to honor her God and nothing else mattered, because that would bring her into a closer relationship with Him, because she would be putting Him first in all she did. God worked through her in amazing ways and used her to bring many people to Christ.
What also impressed me was her thorough knowledge of the Bible and taking everything captive to the Scriptures. Whenever she had a dream or thought God was speaking to her then she would go to the Bible and confirm that it was something Christ would say or do. If the Bible confirmed it she would move on what she heard or dreamt, but if not she would not listen to whatever was said.
This is very unlike today, as people think they hear something and they just believe it is from God and do not go to Scripture to see if it was something God would truly say. Take Todd Bentley (considered the new “revivalist” out of Lakeland, Florida) for instance: he says that the Spirit tells him to kick old ladies in the face so the Spirit will move, or kneeing someone in the gut who has colon cancer because God told him to. Unbelievable!! Where does God say in the Bible that these actions would be something He would say? I cannot find it.
If you want to read about how God speaks then I would read this book by Bilquis Sheikh and stay away from people like Todd Bentley. We must live by faith and listen for the voice of God, but we are also to test everything by the Scriptures. Do not just act on everything you hear or dream, but make sure it is something the Inerrant Word of God would confirm.
1 John 4:1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
2 Corinthians 13:5, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?”
As we are preparing to move to India in the next week, I have been reading a book about a Pakistan woman who received Christ through a dream. The book is entitled I Dared To Call Him Father by Bilquis Sheikh. She takes you through her journey to accepting Christ as Savior and then living by faith in a hostile environment.
What amazed me about this woman was that she did not make any major decisions, and very few minor ones, without going to prayer. When she found that she did not wait on God she ended up regretting it and had to repent and seek God's forgiveness. It amazed me to see how God worked through her and in her as she sought to be in God's graces.
Bilquis Sheikh said that her desire was to honor her God and nothing else mattered, because that would bring her into a closer relationship with Him, because she would be putting Him first in all she did. God worked through her in amazing ways and used her to bring many people to Christ.
What also impressed me was her thorough knowledge of the Bible and taking everything captive to the Scriptures. Whenever she had a dream or thought God was speaking to her then she would go to the Bible and confirm that it was something Christ would say or do. If the Bible confirmed it she would move on what she heard or dreamt, but if not she would not listen to whatever was said.
This is very unlike today, as people think they hear something and they just believe it is from God and do not go to Scripture to see if it was something God would truly say. Take Todd Bentley (considered the new “revivalist” out of Lakeland, Florida) for instance: he says that the Spirit tells him to kick old ladies in the face so the Spirit will move, or kneeing someone in the gut who has colon cancer because God told him to. Unbelievable!! Where does God say in the Bible that these actions would be something He would say? I cannot find it.
If you want to read about how God speaks then I would read this book by Bilquis Sheikh and stay away from people like Todd Bentley. We must live by faith and listen for the voice of God, but we are also to test everything by the Scriptures. Do not just act on everything you hear or dream, but make sure it is something the Inerrant Word of God would confirm.
1 John 4:1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
2 Corinthians 13:5, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?”
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