Hustle and Jive

Have you noticed it? Have you noticed how the big name, high profile wolves in sheep's clothing who are behind the emergent/seeker sensitive/purpose driven/word of faith Laodicean church movements relentlessly and desperately seek after their idol god, the Almighty Dollar? They fervently worship their god money, and dutifully do obeisance in exchange for the influence and prestige it affords them. They cozy up with the demonic powers and principalities of this fallen world in order to maintain their death grip on the sumptuous position which accompanies their temporal worldly "success" - so called. These duplicitous deceivers salt their language with Christianized terms and mix just enough truth with their error in order to deceive their shallow hangers-on and convince them to "sow a seed" in their ministry in order that they might "reap a harvest", or perhaps they seduce with the promise that if you send in your "love gift" you'll get one of their trashy newsletters or worthless books, or perhaps they'll promise that you'll become a "prayer partner" who'll be guaranteed to share in the "spiritual blessings" of their "anointed ministry".

Hogwash!

Certainly there are many lesser idols within their error ridden harlot churches, not the least of which is their carefully manicured and meticulously maintained cults of personality replete with media spin doctors and PR machinations that easily match - and in some cases supersede -those of many Fortune 500 corporations.

But oh how quickly their fawning media coverage would vaporize if they would but mention the eternal agonies of hell!

How instantly would their requests for interviews and favorable news reports evaporate if they would but mention God's indignant wrath against sin and the sure punishment that awaits His enemies at judgment!

How suddenly would their itching ears blind followers of the blind abandon them if they would but preach the high cost and infinite value of following Jesus Christ and humbly submitting to His hard demands!

How soon would the satanic spigot of their cash flow be shut off were they to stop dancing to the demonic piper's tune and preach the whole counsel of God instead of a watered down, candy coated, sugary sweet, pop culture brand of Nerf theology that's been specially designed, focus group tested, and proven not to offend!

But isn't this what they fear most, offending and turning away a potential source of income? In the end doesn't the sales pitch always get back around to the money? Why is this? Why do these who espouse another gospel duplicitously deceive, manipulate, and outright demand - in God's name no less! - the hard earned dollars of the sheep of their flock? In my opinion - and in keeping with Occam's razor - the simplest and most easily verifiable explanation for why these (false) professing church movements perform their holy-rolling "hustle and jive" act on their hapless congregants and deceived adherents is because they're head over heels in debt and they require a fresh supply of continued resources to maintain the lavish lifestyles to which they - and their well paid tight knit circle of family members, sycophants, and hangers-on...er...um...I mean their "pastoral staff"- have grown accustomed to enjoying.

Again you may ask why? Why are so many of the modern professing emergent/seeker sensitive/purpose driven/word of faith (false) churches so steeped in debt and so beholden to the Almighty Dollar? Why do they desperately seek after - and even obsess over - sustaining their steady stream of filthy lucre? Can their seemingly insatiable thirst for cold hard cash ever be slaked? Perhaps they need all that money to advance Christ's kingdom? Hmmm...let's see:

Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence (John 18:36)

And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:24-25)

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (Matthew 6:20)

Well, I guess advancing the kingdom can't be the reason, so maybe it's to do good works in the Lord's Name?

Is it to feed the hungry? Uh, no...they smell bad plus they're kinda scary.
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: (Matthew 25:42)

Is it to clothe the naked? Are you kidding me?!?
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. (Matthew 25:43)

Ah! Perhaps it's to spread the truth of the gospel? Not a chance! All that blood and gore, cross and atonement, and sin and hell nonsense just isn't relevant enough for today! That stuff just bums people out, man!
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:44-46)

If they're not advancing Christ's kingdom and they're not faithfully presenting His gospel then why do they need all that money?

I'm glad you asked! More often than not the reason the aforementioned churches are piling on debt like there's no tomorrow is in order for them to finance their worldly pursuits. They take on debt primarily to:

1. Build ever more impressive brick and mortar facilities.

2. Comfortably ensconce themselves and their "pastoral staff" (remember these "geese that lay the golden eggs" are required to maintain their cadre of hirelings, toadies, and stooges, a.k.a. their family members, sycophants, and hangers-on, in cushy housing in the "right parts of town").

3. Pay for their big screen, laser light, rock concert, circus church info-tainment man-centered, people-pleasing infrastructures. After all, Momma needs a new pair of Prada and Daddy needs a new Gulfstream G550!

As a rule these types of highfalutin churches are more concerned with nickels and noses - the temporal carnal things of this world - than they are about preaching the whole counsel of God and storing up their treasures in heaven. These are those who are more interested in having their bellies filled and their "felt needs" met by a plasticized Christ of their own making than they are in dying to self and taking up their crosses daily and following after the true Christ of scripture.

Apparently the more things change, the more they stay the same. Wood and stone, wood and stone, man still makes his idols from wood and stone.

Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. (John 6:26)

They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. (Daniel 5:4)