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Fleecer’s Fleeced

By Gary Amirault

This year seems to be a harvest year, and the harvest was indeed plentiful. The leading Christian ministries headquartered in the United States were fleeced of hundreds of millions of, no not wool, but millions of your hard earned dollars. It seems their tickling ears just couldn’t resist a rumor floating around the Christian financial community that a Philanthropic organization headed by an Evangelical was offering a matching fund program which guaranteed them a doubling of their, (or should I say your) money. By being able to drop names like Rockefeller, Billy Graham, etc. as references, John G. Bennett was able to convince the financial officers of the leading Christian organizations to invest hundreds of millions of believers money into a fund called New Era.

New Era, an interesting name considering John Bennett had many connections Evangelicals would term “New Age.”

It seems Mr. Bennett had concocted what was known in the investment field as a “Ponzi scheme.” The idea is to take the money the latter investors give to pay off the earlier investors. Then the news goes out that this thing really works. Greedy people looking for a quick dollar are usually the only ones who fall for such a scheme.

An accountant from one of the Christian Colleges saw through this scheme and recommended his college not participate. They rejected his suggestion. He followed up on his hunch, reported his finding to the proper federal authorities and the hammer came down. It was a scam.

A partial list of those Christian ministries who were fleeced are:

  • James Dobson’s Focus on the Family
  • Pat Robertson’s 700 Club
  • Bill Bright’s Campus Crusade
  • Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship
  • World Vision
  • Youth For Christ, International
  • Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship
  • Salvation Army
  • Walk Through the Bible Ministries
  • Young Life
  • Moody Bible Institute
  • Christian Broadcasting Network
  • Wheaton College
  • Chapel of the Air

. . .and the list goes on and on and on. The government estimates as much as $550 million dollars were involved. Surely these ministries will throw the blame onto anything other than themselves.

The American church, as I mentioned on the audio tape entitled, the Church is a rich prostitute, owns over a trillion dollars of real estate, stocks, bonds, etc. It’s gathering and use of this money is on extremely unscriptural grounds.

In the last Dew I recommended some of you to ask for names of ministries in foreign countries that you can personally help without Tentmaker becoming a middleman. Can you now begin to see why I recommend this method rather than the ones being use by the above listed ministries? The god of Mammon rules in the American church, I don’t care what anyone says. It reigns supreme.

Handling finances is perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of the Christian walk. It is easy to get duped. This area is the area of ministry I hate the most. I know I am just as capable as falling into these pits as well as anyone else. I have shared some of that on a tape, Plates, Buckets, Bags, and Envelopes. I sure don’t have all the answers on the subject of the proper way to manage ministry money.

Many ministers do the best they can and still fall short just like the rest of us. Fortunately, we serve a God of mercy. Some ministers, unfortunately too many, are in ministry purely for self-gain. These stars will all eventually fall. At least one of the ministries involved in this “Ponze scheme” will be out of business next year due to their loss.

Please do not let these kinds of events stop you from giving. If you do, you will fall into the same pit. Rethink the whole concept of what is a ministry, how should it be supported, how can you be the best steward of what our Father has given you to invest.

One suggestion that might be helpful is this: Jesus said if you see someone hungry, feed him. He didn’t say send the money to a ministry headquartered in a nice posh office building on prime real estate that will only be able to send less than 10% of your dollar to the hungry one. (Because their salaries and expenses and profit-making schemes that fail have eaten up all the rest.) Give the dollar directly to the hungry one. Give him Christ the True Bread at the same time. Enter into your ministry, the ministry of reconciling the whole world … one at a time.

I encourage you once again to write for addresses of those overseas who desperately need you. Your dollars personally invested into the poorer countries of the world will reap a return far greater than “Ponze schemes.” A dollar plowed into Africa or Asia will do far more than what a dollar can do invested in many American ministries. Please pray about writing for those addresses.

——————————–

Giving to true, New Testament ministries is important. That is, ministries where Christ alone is magnified and all involved  simply see themselves as mere servants of His (2 Corinthians 1:9; 3:5; 4:5). And, where His pure Word, in His holy fear, nothing left out, is declared in His love (Ezekiel 3:4; Ephesians 4:11-15; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 4:2-5; 1 Peter 4:11, etc.). Also, the feeding, maturing, and tending to of Christ’s sheep is transpiring and the winning of lost souls – Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20; Luke 24:47; 1 Timothy 4:6, 16; 1 Peter 5:1-6, etc.).  Much More Fascinating information here Stewardship

De-Funding the WolvesLocal Church Revenues | Wise Kingdom Giving

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Abiding

“He Appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of Himself” [podcast]


Why did Jesus come?

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he
said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave
up the ghost.” John 19:30

This revelation in the above words of the Messiah— “It is
finished”—is consistent with the whole divine unveiling of
Holy Scripture—the redemption of mankind after the fall.

Jesus came to do something and that’s why while dying on
the cross for the sins of the world, He declared “It is
finished” (John 19:30). These are the three most powerful
words ever spoken! What exactly was “finished”?

“For then must he often have suffered since the
foundation of the world: but now once in the end of
the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself.” Hebrews 9:26

Jesus declared mercy and forgiveness over mankind while
He was dying to provide redemption on that cross: “It is
finished” (John 19:30). This simply means “paid in full.” The
price for sin has been fully paid. The claims of the Father’s
justice were perfectly satisfied, paid in full by the precious,
sinless blood of the Son of God. All men are now invited to
come to Him, repent and believe upon the LORD Jesus Christ
for redemption—mercy and forgiveness (Colossians 1:14).

On that cross, the LORD Jesus declared: “It is finished” and
“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”
(John 19:30; Luke 23:34).

Prayer: Father I rejoice in the precious blood of Jesus shed for
my sin—to bring me to You for an eternal relationship.

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Apostasy

8 Classes of Sinners Guaranteed to Spend Eternity in the Lake of Fire [podcast]


8 Classes of Sinners Guaranteed to Spend Eternity in Hell

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8

“The second death”

[which is the second death] The second death is the lake of fire, or the second separation from God in hell (Rev_2:11; Rev_20:14; Rev_21:8).

Of Revelation 21:8, Adam Clarke writes the following:

Revelation 21:8

But the fearful – Δειλοις· Those who, for fear of losing life or their property, either refused to receive the Christian religion, though convinced of its truth and importance; or, having received it, in times of persecution fell away, not being willing to risk their lives.

And unbelieving – Those who resist against full evidence. And sinners, και ἁμαρτωλοις, is added here by about thirty excellent MSS., and is found in the Syrian, Arabic, some of the Slavonic, and in Andreas and Arethas. On this evidence Griesbach has admitted it into the text.

The abominable – Εβδελυγμενοις· Those who are polluted with unnatural lust. (sodomites, lesbians Romans 1)

And murderers – Φονευσι· Those who take away the life of man for any cause but the murder of another, and those who hate a brother in their heart (.

And whoremongers – Πορνοις· Adulterers, fornicators, whores, prostitutes, and rakes of every description.

Sorcerers – Φαρμακοις· Persons who, by drugs, philtres, fumigations, etc., pretend to produce supernatural effects, chiefly by spiritual agency.

Idolaters – Ειδωλολατραις· Those who offer any kind of worship or religious reverence to any thing but God. All image worshippers are idolaters in every sense of the word.

And all liars – Και πασι τοις ψευδεσι· Every one who speaks contrary to the truth when he knows the truth, and even he who speaks the truth with the intention to deceive; i.e., to persuade a person that a thing is different from what it really is, by telling only a part of the truth, or suppressing some circumstance which would have led the hearer to a different end to the true conclusion. All these shall have their portion, το μερος, their share, what belongs to them, their right, in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. This is the second death, from which there is no recovery.

“21:8 But not all are overcomers. Some are cowardly, afraid to confess Christ; unbelieving, unwilling to trust the sinner’s Savior; sinners, all those who remain in their sins, whether guilty of the gross iniquities listed here or not; abominable, given over to disgusting immorality; murderers, malicious and savage killers; sexually immoral, practicing fornication and other forms of sexual sins; sorcerers, those who traffic with evil spirits; idolaters, insulting God by worshiping images; and all liars, compulsive deceivers. These will be assigned to the lake of fire as their final destiny.” Believer’s Bible Commentary

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. … 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:10, 14-15 

One source notes the following:

“Brimstone and fire” refers to the fiery imagery of divine judgment and eternal punishment found in the Bible. It symbolizes God’s wrath, often describing the fate of sinners in hell, and is a phrase used in religious sermons and literature. “Brimstone,” an old word for sulfur, is a key component of this imagery, evoking a smell and heat associated with inescapable, fiery destruction.

Biblical origins

Old Testament:

The phrase originates in the King James translation of the Old Testament, used to describe God’s destruction of enemies. A key example is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

New Testament:

The imagery is used to describe eternal damnation, a common theme in both the Old and New Testaments. In the book of Revelation, for example, it describes those who worship the beast being tormented in a lake of fire and brimstone.

Etymology:

The phrase is a calque of the Biblical Hebrew and Ancient Greek words for “sulfur and fire”.

Geological evidence:

Archaeological and geological evidence of sulfur deposits and charred formations in areas like the Dead Sea region have been noted as consistent with biblical descriptions of fire and sulfur-related events.”

“But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8:12

Hell Category

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Abiding

Overcoming Temptation [podcast]


The only way to come out on top of temptation, of successfully putting it under foot, is via the crucified life.

“For he that is dead is freed from sin.”  Romans 6:7

Reading Romans 6 each morning, prayerfully, will guarantee the resurrection life and power of Christ reigning in your life.

“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” Proverbs 24:16

What leads up to actually committing a sin?

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:13-15

FFK = Fight. Finish. Keep.

“The time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8

As an ambassador for Christ, Paul was nearing the end of his mission on earth and said he had “fought,” “finished” and “kept.”

IF YOU DON’T FIGHT YOU WILL FALL, YOU WILL FAIL! With God, failure is never final unless you don’t get back up.

“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41

Memory truth.

Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:11

Repenting afresh.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

You must choose daily to “FIGHT the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12).

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for theprize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.” Jude 1:20 

Prayer: LORD, imbue in my innermost being the resolve to know You, to walk with You, to love You supremely as the first loveof my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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