GO INTO THE WHOLE WORLD- AND TELL THE STORY- ALL OF YOU- YOU
DON’T NEED LOTS OF CASH TO DO IT!
When I was teaching in San Antonio a few weeks ago- I mentioned
how ‘anyone can do this’.
Do what?
Basically do the things Jesus taught us [go into the whole world
and preach the gospel- baptize- make disciples of all nations].
And do it- without your focus being on how much money it will
take to ‘reach the world’.
Look- even a homeless person can do what I do- the only
actual physical property I own- for ministry- is a laptop- that’s it.
‘John- what about the great finances needed to do all this’.
That’s what I’m saying- there are NO FINANCES.
Jesus- and the writers of the New Testament did talk about
this stuff- and often.
Jesus tells his men ‘when I send you out- don’t take 2 coats-
or a purse [wallet] - whatever city you enter- whoever lets you stay there-
stay until you leave’.
No ‘big cash faith’ here- as a matter of fact Jesus warned us
not to fall for the idea that you need ‘big cash’ to do this.
Then you read In the book of Acts- the same thing.
Paul and the other Apostles/missionaries did this same thing-
I quoted Acts 20 a few weeks ago- and Paul is talking to the church leaders-
and says ‘when I was with you guys- I worked- supported my self- to give YOU an
example’.
Peter actually warns that Pastors are NOT TO SHEPHERD the
flock- for ‘filthy money’.
Wow- Peter and Paul obviously weren’t aware of their ‘covenant
rights’ as ‘children of the king’
Now- look- the church went thru a stage [still to a degree]
where we have taught a whole generation of young people to ‘believe God for
lots of wealth- because you can’t reach the world without it’.
Actually- you can reach the world without it- but you need
‘faith’- faith to believe the answer is actually not ‘more cash’ but more
obedience- see?
Look at the verses below- how the desire to be rich- the
money mindset- is equated with idolatry- and in the list of those who will not
‘inherit the kingdom’ this is one of the sins that keeps people out.
Not given to
wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient,
not a brawler, not covetous;
For a bishop must be blameless,
as the steward of God; not self willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no
striker, not given to filthy lucre;
Whose mouths
must be stopped , who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought
not, for filthy lucre's sake.
Keep watch over the flock of God which is in
your care, using your authority, not as forced to do so, but gladly; and not
for unclean profit but with a ready mind;
And he said
unto them, Take heed , and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the
things which he possesseth .
But
fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
Mortify
therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness,
inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Let your
conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have : for he hath
said , I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee [note- the apostle says to ‘be
content with your present financial state’ [material goods]- he never teaches
the idea to believe for more wealth- which would create a ‘discontent’ with
their present material goods- It’s important to see this theme all thru out the
New Testament- this is not an exception to the rule- but Jesus and the writers
of the New Testament- when dealing with money- never teach a doctrine of an
‘abundant kingdom harvest of wealth’ that is not a biblical idea at all].
No man is able to be a servant to two masters:
for he will have hate for the one and love for the other, or he will keep to
one and have no respect for the other. You may not be servants of God and of
wealth.
If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous
mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Few notes- why is it important to see this?
Some of you- even those trained in ministry- might be surprised-
just reading thru these verses.
Many good men- trained Pastors- went to bible
schools/colleges that rose up in the 20th century- by good men.
But- these schools- though well meaning- in some ways have
made the mistake- that Jesus warned about- and taught their good students- a
sort of doctrine that focused on the ‘abundant harvest’ and built within these
men a belief that you do need lots of wealth to ‘complete the mission’.
Many of these good Pastors find themselves in financial
difficulty- often- because they see a big vision for what God wants them to do-
and then they fall into an unconscious snare of trying to preach to the people
to give more.
And they often unknowingly fall into the trap that these verses
warn us about- they begin to ‘desire to be rich’- or have more money- even for
a noble cause- but that wrong desire violates the scriptures that teach ‘don’t
seek to be rich’.
Ok- few more verses-
But those who have a desire for wealth are
falling into danger, and are taken as in a net by a number of foolish and
damaging desires, through which men are overtaken by death and destruction.
But people who are trying to get rich fall into
temptation. They are trapped by many stupid and harmful passions that plunge people
into ruin and destruction [note here- just ‘trying’ to get rich- in this bible verse-
is wrong. So- if your’ trying’ thru ‘sowing seed for a kingdom harvest’- or
thru ‘a positive money confession’ or thru any other religious method- it’s
still wrong- because your mindset is on wealth- and that violates the teaching
of these scriptures- see?]
But people who want to get rich keep falling
into temptation. They are trapped by many stupid and harmful desires which
drown them in destruction and ruin.
But those who are determined to be rich fall
into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown
men in ruin and destruction. [These are bible verses by the way].
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt , and where thieves break through and steal : 20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt , and where thieves do not break through nor steal : 21 For where your treasure is , there will your heart be also. 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and money.
The dynamic of seeking money so you could do God’s will is
simply not found in the ministers we see in the New Testament.
The small finances that were given- both to the ministry of
Jesus [note- some teach that Jesus and the disciples had great wealth- actually
that’s not so- this too came out of a misguided teaching that I spoke about
above] and the Apostles- were primarily for basic needs- and for the poor [1st
Corinthians 16].
But woe unto
you that are rich! for
ye have received your consolation.
So is he that
layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward
God.
Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: 10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away . 11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and theflower thereof falleth , and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth : so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there,or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges ofevil thoughts? 5 Hearken , my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted , and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered ; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 Behold , the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud , crieth : and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. 5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton ; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
Few notes here- in these verses there is no distinction
between the ‘worlds wealth’ and ‘Christian wealth’- meaning- they are not
teaching a doctrine that Christians need to believe for great wealth- and that’s
ok.
This is important to see- because the good pastors/people who
were taught these things- have in many ways been held back- because they see
‘the answer’ as more money- then they begin to seek to ‘be rich’ and they fall
into the snare [desire to be rich].
I have been teaching this for years- and I have learned that
even good men- Pastors- when they see what I’m teaching here- for the ‘first
time’- they see it’s true.
But yet- many have been trained to see ‘faith for the
harvest’ as a money thing- and it actually is hard to break from the ‘wealth
mindset’- and some never do.
Some have been taught to never listen to this type of
‘re-proof’ because any ‘non wealth’ talk will ruin the harvest [of money].
Some actually use a verse from the epistle of James to teach
this ‘a double minded man shall not receive’- even though James hit’s the
hardest against this teaching.
Ok- some teaching from Jesus about money and the mission-
‘Nor scrip for your journey, neither
two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat’
meaning- when you get to the town were you will be preaching- the people in
that town will take care of you- in the book of Acts we see this process as
well. When the New Testament preachers were spreading the message- they were
supported by the Christians in the towns- minimally. In Paul’s case he
supported himself at times. The point is- they were not preaching to the people
to ‘sow financially into their ministries’ in a way that would make the
preachers rich- or the people].
And commanded them
that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
And he said
unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither
bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
And he said
unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes , lacked ye any thing? And they said nothing.
What I want
you to see in the above verses- is Jesus actually deals with how much ‘abundance’
of money we need for the mission- and in context- none! [Carry neither purse-
money].
He is saying
that the simplicity of carrying the message- which contains the power in itself
to transform lives- only requires that we GO.
Now- to be
fair- we do read bible verses where the Apostles and Pastors did receive
financial help from those they were preaching to- Paul himself teaches this.
The main point
I’m making- is these same preachers [Paul] actually wrote in their letters- to
these churches- about the danger of seeking to be rich [quoted some of these in
this post].
1Corinthians 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of
you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings
when I come.
1Corinthians 16:3 And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by
your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.
] and have
taught Christians to focus on wealth- which is a contradiction of the actual teaching
from these same men.
There might be
some good men- Pastors even- reading this- and maybe have never really SEEN
THIS.
If you have
been steeped in this movement- warning- it’s very hard to break from it- the
mindset.
Because it’s
hard to let go of a materialistic mind- that’s why the warnings that Jesus
gave- are there![ He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he
becometh unfruitful.].
Look here- the
‘deceitfulness’ of riches ‘chokes the word’- in this post I’m giving you THE
WORD- And as clear as it is- some of you will struggle with what I’m telling
you- because the materialistic mind is an obstacle to truth- see?
One more
point- I said the only actual material thing I need for what I do- is a laptop.
‘John- what about
church buildings- baptism pools- etc.’?
Now- I have
written/spoken on this a lot over the years.
But just a
brief re-cap
You have seen videos
I made this year- many by the bay- or beach- that’s my ‘baptism’ pool- cost to
use it?
Zero.
The meetings I’ve
done – for many years- well- you saw a few in the pic’s/videos- we met in
homes- or anywhere- and held meetings- cost?
Zero.
Now- I am not
against church buildings- or baptism pools- etc.
But Jesus and
the New Testament preachers had a radical ‘freedom’ in the carrying out of the
message- you can read about it in the book of Acts.
They lived the
teaching that Jesus gave them ‘when you enter a city- stay with whoever puts
you up- eat what they give you- preach- baptize- move on’.
I simply want
you guys [especially Pastors] to take another look at ministry- as defined by
the New Testament- and Jesus himself.
These guys
knew what they were talking about- it worked.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned . 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe ; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth , and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following . Amen.
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20
When I survey the
wondrous cross
on which the Prince of Glory died;
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.
2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
save in the death of Christ, my God;
all the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.
3. See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown.
4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
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- I have posted lots. visit- ccoutreach87.wordpress.com- my radio shows.
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