Jesus Christ vs the Evangelical Tithe
Jesus Christ vs the Evangelical Tithe
# 42: Jesus: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” Do you agree that although Jesus was addressing Israelites He was also talking to all christians, including you? And do you agree that if Jesus wanted them to “beware of false prophets” He also wants you to beware? And to not “beware of false prophets” is disobedience to the One you call Lord?
False prophets are false teachers. False teachers do not frequent pews but pulpits. They control the mic. They are hard to recognize because they are practiced, impressive orators. Jesus taught us, “You will know them by their fruit…. a bad tree bears bad fruit.” So…. what is “bad fruit”?
Bad fruit is bad words. Bad words are words Jesus never taught. Bad words are the plus words of Bible-plus and the minus words of Bible-minus. Bad words are what the New Testament calls “commandments of men”, “tradition of men”, “destructive heresies”, “the wiles of the devil”, “fables”, “doctrines of demons”, “wisdom of men”, “deceit and all fraud”, “the trickery of men”, “deceitful plotting”, “corrupt words”, “flattering speech”, “a different gospel”. Bad words made the evangelical an evangelical.
The pharisees were “ravenous wolves” who “devour[ed] widows’ houses”. Today equally hungry wolves have devoured a chunk of the evangelical’s income.