Most of you know the scriptures by heart but for those who don't mind a refresher, below we have shared the story of two rich people that had a lot in common but responded to Jesus differently:
Luke 18:18-23
Luke 18:18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Luke 18:19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
Luke 18:20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
Luke 18:21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
Luke 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
Luke 18:23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
We've all heard this story and the one that follows it:
Luke 19:1-9
Luke 19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
Luke 19:2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
Luke 19:3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
Luke 19:4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
Luke 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
Luke 19:6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
Luke 19:7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
Luke 19:8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
Luke 19:9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
When we examine these two rich men we find that both are fairly well off. The rich ruler asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life; and when Jesus mentioned some of the commandments the rich ruler justified himself by saying, "All these have I kept from my youth up". Jesus told the rich ruler that if he were to sell everything he had and distribute it to the poor, he would have treasure in heaven. Sadly this rich ruler went away sorrowful because he had many riches that he didn't want to depart from.
The second rich man, Zacchaeus, climbed a tree so he could see Jesus; and Jesus went over to his house. Zacchaeus didn't try to justify himself by saying how great he was and how he kept all of God's commandments; he just received Him joyfully. Jesus didn't tell him to do anything; but of his own will Zacchaeus told the Lord that he would give half of his goods to the poor; and that if he had taken anything by false accusation, he would restore it fourfold. Jesus said: "This day is salvation come to this house...."
Zacchaeus was CHIEF among the publicans; and he was rich. He knew he had wronged others; but he decided to make it right by paying them back four times the amount he had taken from them by false accusation. Zacchaeus didn't go away sorrowful; but he did that which he knew was pleasing to God.
Can any of you imagine what Davis' or Kekel's response would be if Jesus asked them to do what he asked of the other rich man or if He asked them to imitate Zacchaeus' repentance? Guess what? Kekel and Davis are con-artists that have made their millions by telling people like you and me that we will die and go to hell if we don't pay tithe to them. They preach on tithe more than anything else. They are nothing more than modern day religious Pharisees that walk around in suits brainwashing the masses into giving the majority of their money to them so they can live high on the hog.
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| Are you Shouting Amen or Oh Me? |
What if Jesus didn't really care about the outward appearance or how much money you give to some lazy hypocrite preacher that's able but doesn't care to work for a living? Well guess what? The only people Jesus ever rebuked for appearance were the Pharisees, dressing up like hypocrites, distinguishing themselves from all others by wearing long robes and such. Suits, ties, wingtips and white shirts are not going to get you into heaven. Jesus always emphasized giving to the poor and helping those who are without.
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| Tanya and Verna Look Down their Noses at Strong Backed, Weak Minded, Kook-store Clad, Sister Who has Been Slaving in the Kitchen |
People from all walks of life asked John the Baptist what they should do. He didn't say "Go knock on a hundred doors a day and seek me out some tithe payers to support my lavish lifestyle." He didn't say "Preach that they need to dress a certain way to get to heaven." He told them that if they had two coats to impart one to him that had none. (Can you imagine Tanya giving up one of her $400 Alpaca scarves to a homeless woman?) The publicans came unto John asking the same and he said: "Exact no more than that which is appointed unto you." (Can you imagine Davis or Kekel saying, "We already have enough clothes, cars, houses, buildings and real estate. From now on we are going to give to the poor in our community."?!?) The soldiers also demanded what they should do, and John said: "Do violence to no man, neither accuse anyone falsely and be content with your wages." (Can you imagine Davis and Kekel ever being content with their wages??? They have never stopped increasing their riches since they started slurping up all of your so-called donations, which are actually mandatory. Stop "donating" and see how quickly they accuse you of not being a Christian.)
Your tithes and offerings keep allowing them to upgrade their cars and their mansions. It's not about giving to the poor or caring for the widow or fatherless the way God intended those things to be used. But Davis and Kekel are never going to stop taking advantage of people. They view you as "strong backs with weak minds" to be exploited for their gain$. They will continue to let you think that you are "being a blessing to Gawd's program" with every dollar they take in under false pretenses. Year after year the joint offerings from multiple churches attending monthly fellowship meetings were collected, allegedly to help start up new works. Those monies from every single NTCC church were sent to Graham, Washington and were never seen again by those who gave the money. Not one pioneer preacher has ever given an account of receiving financial assistance from this NTCC fund. So what happened to those funds? Where did that money go? The only answer you'll get from Davis or Kekel is, "That's none of your business". For almost fifty years the NTCC has been running this scam; and nobody who gives the money knows where it goes or how it gets spent. That is theft by deceit. False Pretenses. And Fraud. It is illegal. Shouldn't you know where it goes? You wouldn't dare give any of your hard earned money to a homeless person without asking where he or she was going to spend it. Jesus said: "Give to everyman that asketh of thee" (Luke 6:30). Read the whole passage. Jesus is not talking about giving your money to some preacher that wants to condemn you for not paying tithe in accordance with the old testament. Jesus never told anyone to give their money to a man so that he can buy a church building or a new car. Come on now, you say you are a bible believing Christian. Start believing the bible. Don't just tear out the scriptures that are not convenient for you.
Come on people, what does Jesus really want from you? Do you really think that it's a nice fancy church edifice or a new house for your pastor? Do you think that Jesus was talking about giving to some preacher or someone who was poor and had nothing to give in return? You have isolated yourselves from everyone that Jesus wants you to help and have insulated yourselves from giving to the ones that Jesus died for. Do you really think that Jesus wants you to isolate yourselves from your friends, family and neighbors, so you can live on a cult compound like the one behind the fence in Graham? Do you think He only wants you to give to the church and not to your neighbors or those less fortunate? Let's see what Jesus says:
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| After Kekel and Davis Walk by with their bags of money, A Non-ntcc'r (a Sinful Samaritan), Stops to Render Aid |
Luke 10:25-37
Luke 10:25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Luke 10:26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
Luke 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
Luke 10:28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
Luke 10:29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
Luke 10:30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
Luke 10:31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
Luke 10:32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
Luke 10:33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
Luke 10:34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
Luke 10:35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
Luke 10:36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
Luke 10:37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
This Lawyer asked Jesus who his neighbor was. Jesus then related the Parable of the good Samaritan. It wasn't the Priest or the Levite who had mercy on the man that was beaten and left for dead; but it was the Samaritan. I've often seen this same Pharisaical attitude in the NTCC. They don't really care much at all for the poor or the afflicted. They will tell you not to bring the homeless to church or to do anything to help or relieve them. "You cant' build a church with homeless people", Davis snorted. When is the last time you ever heard of Davis doing anything for a homeless man or woman? When is the last time you ever heard of Kekel helping out someone that wasn't on his payroll? Their nature is to absorb so-called blessings like a big insatiable sponge. They don't give anything out; they just suck it all in and live off of the profits. If they ever do give anything to anyone it is for the NTCC benefit; and NTCC ends up receiving it all back, one way or another. This is all contrary to the words of Jesus. READ YOUR BIBLES.
What does Jesus really want us to do? It's not that hard. It's all in black and white or red if you have a red letter edition. Let's see what Jesus wants:
Luke 6:24-38
Luke 6:24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
Luke 6:25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
Luke 6:26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Luke 6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
Luke 6:28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
Luke 6:29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.
Luke 6:30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
Luke 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Luke 6:32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
Luke 6:33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
Luke 6:34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
Luke 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Luke 6:36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
I know this is a lot to read; and we've all read it numerous times. But it doesn't seem to sink in very well, especially with ntcc'rs who have been taught to override the gospel with the false doctrines of materialistic men who seek to profit off the church members' sacrifice. But this simple obedience to the scripture is what Jesus wants from everybody. He doesn't say to give your money to preachers or apostles or elders or to pay your tithe to some lazy Davis wanna-be. Jesus is talking about giving, not to those who give back in return, but to every man that asketh of you. OUCH!!!!!! How do you think that you are to show the love of God to others? They are going to follow your example if they think that you are for real. You are teaching others to give lazy preachers that want to be full-time "ministers"; (which is supposed to mean servants; but what they really are is full-time hypocrites and sponges that use the ministry for their own personal gain.) They are not the servants of all. All they really care about is your money and your obedience to them, not to God. Withhold either your money or your obedience to them, and their claws will come out.
So, all of you NTCC'rs out there. Which one of these rich men do you want to be like? Which of these two rich men does your leader resemble? Does your pastor use the pattern that Jesus has established in His own words and actions? Are you following Christ or materialistic money-grubbing hypocrites?
2 comments:
While reading the book of John this morning it became apparent that Jesus would never be welcome in the NTCC. First he went to a wedding and turned water into wine. Many arguments are made in the NTCC that the wine that was spoken of was non-alcoholic, so we won't even go there. The point is that Jesus went to a wedding. We were discouraged from going to any function that kept us away from the NTCC. Going home on leave was discouraged. Going to weddings or funerals was discouraged. Many X-NTCC'rs share how that they were discouraged from taking part in any family functions that would take them away from the NTCC.
Shortly after this passage, I read about Jesus taking time out of His busy schedule to talk to the Samaritan woman at the well. The fact that Jesus stopped to talk with this woman was one thing, but what he said to her was another. He didn't rebuke her for having 5 husbands or living in adultery, he simply stated that she had 5 husbands and the one she was now with was not her husband. You don't have to humiliate people for them to know they are doing wrong. They already know it. In the NTCC the woman would have been called out for her sin and in many cases humiliated in front of many others. Jesus loved this woman and didn't have to humiliate her to minister to her. When she left him, she was changed and her people saw this change and asked Jesus to stay for a couple days. Jesus didn't say, I've got to get back to my church building so I can beat up my congregation for some more tithe money, but he stayed for two days and ministered to these sinful Samaritans.
Then he went to the pool of Bethesda and found a man that was waiting for the angel to trouble the water so he could be healed. The man had an infirmity for 38 years and too sick to claim his miracle, because others would step down before him. When he explained this to Jesus, what happened? Jesus didn't tell him that he was an idiot for believing that the pool would heal him. Jesus just healed the dude instantly. He didn't pray over him loudly and go through a bunch of Gyrations; He just said rise, take up thy bed and walk. My point is that Jesus went out looking for people to help. He didn't set up camp in a store front building and pump a bunch of people for tithe and offerings and say, "Oh, by the way if you are sick, I'll pray for you and if you have enough faith God will heal you".
In the Gospels we find that when people ask Jesus what they should do to be saved, it's always through faith and believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that he can forgive them of their sins that is emphasized. The evidence of this salvation is always the love that they have one for another and for their neighbor. Love for God is never measured by obedience to a bunch of legalistic laws and ordinances. If the NTCC would focus on showing love to one another and to their neighbors and the lost, they would be doing a lot more for God's kingdom than they are doing by preaching for money. There are commandments to keep and rules, but the emphasis is always placed on Loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself. If you do these two, the rest will fall into place.
In the NTCC it's opposite. They use outward appearance as a litmus test to determine if you are a Christian. The rules are control measures to keep you obedient and in subjection to them. You can keep all of their rules and not love God or your brother and you will get by just fine in the NTCC. I've seen it many times, especially in the leadership. Jesus wouldn't have made it through one day in the NTCC.
In the post - there was a comic strip of the Goodwill shopper and then this: Tanya and Verna Look Down their Noses at Strong Backed, Weak Minded, Kook-store Clad, Sister Who has Been Slaving in the Kitchen. . . .
Kat Says. . . . I remember when I received "Charity" from Verna! I'll NEVER forget it! She knew we were struggling. She knew I was having problems with my phony, hypocrit husband, Dan. So she wanted to "Bless us". She went deep into her freezer, deep into her pantry and gave us all the stuff she hadn't used and wouldn't use! She even said she had too much stuff and she'd never use it all and so she gave it to us to "Bless us". SUCH a blessing I'm telling you!!! . . . . . NOT!!!
OH and by the way. . . . those of you all that gave the Davis' your hard work and money of canning items - yeah that was a lot of the items we got! Too many people blessed them and she didn't want it all so it got dumped on us! Keep giving to them though - they really don't care I promise!!!
The icing on the cake . . . . it was all thrown into a black garbage back. I wasn't even worthy of having it all nicely packed into a box. She just grabbed a trash bag, stuffed it with her unwanted junk, had someone load it in her royal car and dumped her royal trash on me.
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