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Church of the Bling Bling
Doesn’t it seem as if some churches have become churches of
the “$Bling Bling$? The “Almighty Dollar” has replaced
the “Almighty God” of many congregations. Church members
who attend these greedy spirited churches claim they are attending
each service to hear from God, but in actuality they are hoping
to receive another blessing to satisfy their flesh and lustful desires.
It is very hard to find a pastor or minister that doesn’t preach
a sermon where they don’t praise and worship the God of the
“Bling Bling”. Their messages are tainted with dreams
of monetary gains, enormous houses and luxury cars that are envied
even by world standards.
It is recorded in Matthew 10:81 and Corinthians 11:7 that the Gospel
is freely received and freely given. So what happened? Many churches
have huge bookstores that sell everything at an inflated price.
The cost to produce many of these products is minimal. Precious
members pay a lot more for the free word of God than the wholesale
cost the church institution did. The Church continues to rob and
drain the members of their financial resources. The Church has become
the biggest thief in the lives of God’s precious children.
Proverbs 6:31 tells us that, “if the thief be found, he shall
restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.”
This is a rebuke to those pastors guilty of robbing God’s children
blind. Give your members the word of God they deserve and what God
said is theirs free.
Think about it! Nothing is ever given away especially to those who
need help but don’t have the money to buy a sermon tape to
set them free. No! They have to go through their trouble without
any help until they bring some Bling Bling. Churches are charging
too much for something that could be given freely or at a lower
cost. Shouldn’t we be trying to get the word of God to the
members to help build them up and set them free?
The Church organization is a laughing stock. The unsaved world full
of unbelievers doesn’t take us seriously because we look and
sound like them when it comes to money matters. They see us as being
“money hungry” and not a people thirsty for the true things
of God. Being consumed with seeking and acquiring Bling Bling will
never satisfy your spirit man. Your flesh will always demand you
chase after more and more no matter how much you have.
The Church has also become a stumbling block to sinners trying to
receive God’s free grace. Many sinners have no understanding
that God’s salvation is free. If they receive His grace, they
think it is going to cost them too much to live as a Christian.
They believe they will have to pay a local church everything they
have just to be accepted as a member. Many never come to Jesus because
the church separates the lost from God’s saving grace. (Corinthians
8:9)
Many Christian can’t come and worship God because of all the
distractions and offering buckets begging for their hard earned
money. They don’t get a chance to serve and worship God in
the liberty and freedom that Jesus died for. The church has put
too much burden on the members to fulfill the sinful and fruitless
plans for a building and name recognition. The church building prospers
and the members who are the real church of God suffer and live in
lack. Does this describe your church?
If Jesus showed up at your church what would He say or do? Think
about it! You know in your heart the experience would be embarrassing.
In most churches it would be like when Jesus visited the Jerusalem
temple in Matthew 21:12-14. At that time He turned over the moneychangers
tables and whipped them out of God’s house. He was disgusted
and ashamed what greedy people were doing in the name of God. Well
it looks like the moneychangers are back. This time the exchange
rate is even higher.
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