12.5 Million Dollars

To Advance Whose Kingdom?

Mind if I speak freely?

Recently I visited a local church fellowship here in the north Dallas metroplex. The pastor’s message this Sunday was built around raising 12.5 million dollars to build a new, large and elaborate, state-of-the-art building complex on several acres, which that church organization already owns. There was a unique, 4-color brochure handed out to each attendee.

Questions We Should Ask:

1) Did Jesus ever build even one physical building to further His kingdom? No. Jesus was and is the Master Architect, but what is He building? His kingdom in the hearts of men, not physical buildings in the honor of men and temporary religious organizations of sinful men.

2) Does this writer believe church gatherings in a building are wrong? Not for a moment.

3) What could be done with 12.5 million dollars if it were used correctly – to launch full time ministers/ministries who are Heaven-bent on advancing the Word of the King’s kingdom? Untold eternal fruit!

4) What are we personally going to do about what we are seeing across the board with enterprising pastors who are not aligned with the mission of the One they claim to be serving? Keep funding their self-exalting enterprises?

5) Where did Jesus tell us the kingdom was? “The kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:21

6) Who did the LORD tell us was His “building”? “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” 1 Corinthians 3:9

7) How long will we fund these projects of men which do not align with the Word/wisdom of our precious LORD and Savior? Jesus came to do His Father’s business of building His body by teaching and edifying His people and winning the lost (Lk. 9:56; Jn. 3:17; 17, etc.) While they attempt to weave Scripture throughout their messages to legitimize their personal pursuits, most of the time, after careful examination and weighing all in the balance of Scripture – against the Holy Word, things just don’t align as the wisdom and mission of Christ.

8) Are you personally aware of truth-seeking disciples who minister daily and are perpetually about the Father’s business? There are several on this email devotional list friend. You and I could get in my car and take a little trip around Dallas/Ft Worth tomorrow, and I could introduce you to 5-10 men of God (and a few ladies) who are called and equipped to be in full-time ministry and burn with a divine passion inside their bosom to be released in this last hour! These men simply cannot do this most important, eternal work as they should be doing, solely based upon lack of funding. Yet, millions of dollars flow through local churches weekly all around us. When will this madness stop?! Unbelievable! I am never going to cease blowing this trumpet on the evil misuse of God’s money! I ask you to join me in sounding this alarm and begin asking questions and holding these leaders accountable for how they spend the monies given to advance the kingdom. We are all responsible and Judgment Day is on the way.

9) How many Gospel tracts could be distributed to precious lost souls with just a million dollars? Untold. Did you realize that there are dozens of disciples of Jesus here in DFW alone who pass out Gospel tracts every day, everywhere they go? Yet these same people earn a meager income and are forced to fund their own Gospel tract program which is part of the work of God’s kingdom. To my knowledge, none of their pastors have helped fund their Gospel literature crusade! Can you believe this!? I think I am getting more angry with every stroke on this key pad! God help us! We are deluded beyond belief and completely astray corporately! LORD Jesus grant us repentance before it is too late! “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” Revelation 3:19

The Almighty who is all-knowing and all-just, is going to bring to light the pain suffered by those He called to serve Him and yet were “destitute” (Heb. 11:37). Today some in our midst are without basic necessities and/or funds to operate their divinely-inspired and called ministries. This is directly due to the disobedience of those who possess the ability to give to help sustain their lifestyles so they can continue to further the eternal Gospel (all get rewarded for eternity). Saints, God is going to judge us according to how we spend every dollar and punish the disobedience. Much eternal treasures remains to be layed up in your account. See 2 Corinthians 9:6-10.

WHOSE HOUSE ARE YOU BUILDING?

“Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” Isaiah 66:1-2

Here we see that the LORD is looking for brokeness of heart, so we can truly see what is kingdom is and not waste our whole earthly lives building physical buildings which do not have eternal value nor glorify Him. This will also prevent the waste of our lives building the kingdoms of mere men who claim to be the LORD’s leaders. Jesus forewarned us all that there are leaders, in this very hour, who claim to be doing many wonderful works in His name, yet He said He doesn’t know them. See Matthew 7:19-23.

The LORD is asking us the same question that He asked His people Israel: “Where is the place of my rest?”
What is the answer? “Ye are God’s building…Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?… What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Cor. 3:9,16;6:19)

What building is the LORD building? Where is the LORD’s interest? Where is He vested?

“YE are God’s building.” (1 Cor. 3:9)

The English word “Church” comes from the Greek word EKKLESSIA which means “the called out ones.” Jesus came and died for people, the very souls of men. This is His unchanging priority and the priority of all those who truly know Him. Those who “mind earthly things” are “enemies of the cross of Christ.” Yet, for those truly saved, the Word says: “For our conversation (way of life and thinking) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:17-19 )

What God is doing cannot always be seen with the physical eyes. Jesus told us that “The kingdom of God is within you.” (Lk. 17:21) The Son of God told us that one cannot “see” the kingdom of God until he is born again (Jn. 3:3,7). To “see” means to perceive.

Friend, ponder with me for a moment: What if that same leader (who was raising 12.5 million dollars for a fleeting physical orifice) had used the same amount of forethought, preparation, energy, literature, and exuberance to promote the launching of 20 or 40 or 100 new ministries/missionaries, first locally and then abroad? What would the impact be for the kingdom of Christ, eternal souls? Why did Jesus come? Did He come so that enterprising, self-serving spiritual moguls could capitalize upon the Gospel by setting up their church house businesses and becoming wealthy CEO’s? Or, did the Son of God come to shed His sinless blood to destroy the works of Satan and make men free through His truth, which would be communicated by His disciples of the whole New Testament era? See Matthew 28:18-20.

Perhaps charlatans prosper because they know that the masses they fill their church houses with are carnal and do not care about the things of the kingdom with are heavenly, eternal in nature. So many are earth bound and cannot see what Christ’s kingdom is really about, so they grasp for and align with what they can physically see and erroneously believe that giving to these projects translates into the building of God’s kingdom.

Who’s excited about people saved, healed in their hearts and bodies, filled with the Holy Spirit, walking in love, growing in grace and the knowledge of the LORD’s Word, being fruitful disciples, looking for the soon return of our LORD, and blessed according to the Gospel of Jesus and by Jesus? Are you? These days, I guess if you don’t have a gimmick to roll out to get people excited, like building something physical that will entertain them and their families, you just don’t receive funds to do ministry. How sad. For example, this ministry has experienced this since 1987. Just a few faithful people have poured out our own earned wages into it to see lives changed and transformed as Jesus came to do (Lk. 4:18). We have produced approximately 2 million tracts alone, among many other fruitful blessings. Yet, we will not ever and have never sought to just raise money to build something that has no eternal value. So, in not having a physical building project, or putting on a pitch to get people to give, we have had to endure excruciating lack of funding. Our mission is to build the kingdom of God in the hearts of men. “Ye are God’s building.” (1 Cor. 3:9) Thousands of hours have been expended in direct ministry, writings, developing, designing and distributing Gospel literature, prayers, Church meetings, evangelistic outreaches, discipleship, etc. Numerous Word-based projects, divinely ordained, lie un-published (incomplete) due to lack of funds. This is not a complaint, only speaking the truth. We receive no money from any local church or organization – because in most cases, they view us as their competition, instead of brothers of our LORD, doing His work (Lk. 9:49-50). Self-serving leaders do not want glory and revenues diverted from their personal cause, so they dare not promote other ministries in their midst.

To build God’s house, we feed His sheep and communicate the eternal Gospel to lost souls. Otherwise, we are building the kingdoms of sinful men and will give account on the Great Day. Changed lives that become fruitiful in God’s kingdom is the building of God’s house – “fruit that remains.” (Jn. 15:16)

Please know that I didn’t set out to make this a commercial, yet something is pressing me as I write this, so I must share a specific need with you. Feel no coercion because there is none, only the stating of some facts. This ministry outreach has been supplying Gospel laborers with potent Gospel tracts since 1987. Many precious souls have been saved as a result to the glory of Jesus Christ. We have an arrangement worked out with a local Christian man who owns a print shop and has been very gracious to print these Gospel tracts as and when we needed them to meet the demands upon us to supply them to Gospel laborers. Well, the supply has been far greater than those who have contributed funds for these Gospel messengers. We owe this print shop. If you wish to help us financially, please go to the BOOKSTORE on the site and make a love offering. Or, mail checks or money orders to: SGYS, po box 556, Allen, TX 75013

Every dollar counts to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ and we are all blessed to share in the rewards both now and forever (1 Sam. 30:24; Jn. 4:36; 2 Cor. 9:6-10).

Let me ask you to personally consider starting to give your finances where they are really and truly going to be utilized to make a direct impact on eternity and not squandered upon the comforts of church buildings (for you or the pastor) which are temporal. Some believe the coming antichrist system will be confiscating these very buildings. Where will we be then? Where will our investments be? Let us cease being so gullible as to get behind and financially support the dream and vision of every CEO fund-raising leader who wants to enlarge his own little kingdom instead of advancing THE kingdom of our soon coming KING of all kings. Let’s start asking some penetrating questions and weighing these stewardship issues against the Word of God. Jesus is coming. Allelieuia Forever!

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

Beloved, we must immediately stop the madness of funding unfruitful ministries! The financial flow in the modern industry of church business is not pretty nor is it fulfilling the Great Commission our LORD gave us to teach ALL things HE commanded. His eternal kingdom is not being advanced in the hearts of men and in the earth through church services that are designed to entertain and further lull to sleep those already at ease in Zion (Amos 6:1). Yet nothing is going to change until the true remnant of the LORD ceases to fund false ministries (unfruitful according to New Testament standards) and begins to financially fund the true Gospel through full-counsel, God-fearing servants who labor for the glory of Jesus Christ alone – whereever they find themselves and not just behind a pulpit or in a church building. Friend of Jesus, cause every dollar you give to make an eternal difference in the hearts of men. Jesus is Coming!