The Wilderness
REVELATION 12 : THE WOMAN AND THE DRAGON
1And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars: 2And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads. 4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up to God, and to his throne. 6And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a 1260 days.
The War in Heaven
7And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brothers is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives to the death. 12Therefore rejoice, you heavens, and you that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time.
The Dragon Persecutes the Woman
13And when the dragon saw that he was cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 14And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.15And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 16And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
8/21/2017
The Eclipse
33
days later
Revelation 12 Sign
The day before Jupiter went into the womb of Virgo
at the end of November, 2016, an asteroid fell
into the Gulf of Mexico and the Gatlinburg fire occurred
The sign in the heavens on 9/23/2017 was the dilineation marker for the beginning of the 3.5 year wilderness period where God will feed his sheep.
6And the woman fled into the wilderness,
where she has a place prepared of God,
that they should feed her there a 1260 days.
Wilderness
“as an uninhabited plan,
fit for feeding flocks.”
Before the Israelite’s were led out of Egypt into the wilderness in the Exodus, God appeared to Moses at Mt. Horeb in a burning bush that was not consumed.
Exodus 3 : Moses at the Burning Bush
1Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb[h2722].
2And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middle of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the middle of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
[h2722]Chôrêb
Horeb
“desolate”, a generic name for Mt. Sinai where the Law was given to Moses by God
(it occurs 17 times in 17 verses)
Gatlinburg, Tn –
“I just found this while helping our House and Grounds team clean different areas of Dollywood Theme Park. It was under a bench soaking wet. Talk about goosebumps….” ~ Isaac McCord
The page from Book of JOEL found in the Gatlinburg Fire is burnt right through the middle, verse 17but the page is not consumed
[h2722]Chôrêb Horeb = “desolate”
(it occurs 17 times in 17 verses)
the angel of the LORD appeared to him
in a flame of fire
out of the middle of a bush:
and he looked, and, behold,
the bush burned with fire,
and the bush was not consumed.
Joel 2 : RETURN WITH ALL YOUR HEART
12Therefore also now, said the LORD, turn you even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:13And rend your heart, and not 
your garments, and turn to the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repents him of the evil. 14Who knows if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering to the LORD your God? 15Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare your people, O LORD, and
give not your heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them:
why should they say among the people, Where is their God?
RESTORATION PROMISED
18Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. 19Yes, the LORD will answer and say to his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and you shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: 20But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill smell shall come up, because he has done great things. 21Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. 22Be not afraid, you beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree bears her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. 23Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he has given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. 24And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. 25And I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. 26And you shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that has dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
27And
you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the LORD your God, and none else:
and my people shall never be ashamed.
I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT
28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29And also on the servants and on the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come. 32And it shall come to pass, that whoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
This section of JOEL 2 was quoted by Peter In ACTS 2
after the Holy Spirit was sent at Pentecost and he stood up to preach to the crowd
John 14 : Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-32; John 16:5-16; Acts 2:1-13; Acts 10:44-48; Acts 19:1-7)
15If you love me, keep my commandments.
16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you. 18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19Yet a little while, and the world sees me no more; but you see me: because I live, you shall live also. 20At that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22Judas said to him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world? 23Jesus answered and said to him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our stayed with him. 24He that loves me not keeps not my sayings: and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
25These things have I spoken to you, being yet present with you. 26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you.
Peace I Leave with You (Romans 5:1-5)
27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you: not as the world gives, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28You have heard how I said to you, I go away, and come again to you. If you loved me, you would rejoice, because I said, I go to the Father: for my Father is greater than I. 29And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, you might believe. 30Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world comes, and has nothing in me. 31But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
The waters we are in don’t quench our thirst.
We are constantly chasing after the illusion.
All of the mysteries of the world are now at our fingertips and this box can lead you into an endless number of directions.
The moment your armor is not on,
and you veer from the narrow path,
the intent of your heart will go straight into that box.
.
Psalm 98 : Shout Aloud to the Rock of Our Salvation!
6O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
7For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if you will hear his voice,
8Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
10Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
11To whom I swore in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
Paul warned the early churchesof why the Israelite’swere overthrown by Godin the wilderness
1Moreover, brothers, I would not that you should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2And were all baptized to Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted[g1937].
7Neither be you idolaters[g1496], as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day 23,000.
9Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10Neither murmur you, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
11Now all these things happened to them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the world are come. 12Why let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Flee from Idolatry (Exodus 20:22-23; Leviticus 19:1-8)
14Why, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry[g1495]
Do All to the God’s Glory
23All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. 24Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth. 25Whatever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: 26For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof. 27If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and you be disposed to go; whatever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. 28But if any man say to you, This is offered in sacrifice to idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof:29Conscience, I say, not your own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience? 30For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
31Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 33Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
[g1495/6] εἰδωλολατρεία
IDOLATRY = “image-worship”
(literally or figuratively):—idolatry.
7Neither be you idolaters[g1496],
as were some of them; as it is written,
The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
After Paul warned the early churches about Israel’s experience in the wilderness, he speaks on not seeking your own wealth and how he did not seek to make any money through his ministry.:
:
Preachers have handled
the word of God deceitfully and
corrupted His word through subtlety,
just as the serpent deceived Eve,
to make profit $$$.
FALSE
PROFITS
=
FALSE
PROPHETS
LOVE OTHERSVS.
LOVE OF MONEY
2 Corinthians 11 : Paul and the False Apostles
1Would to God you could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. 2For I am jealous[g2206] over you with godly jealousy[g2205]: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3But I fear, lest by any means,as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4For if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him.
ACTS 13:10
And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
[g2205]ζῆλος zēlos
Jealousy | Zeal
(favorable sense) ardor; (unfavorable) jealousy, as of a husband; (figuratively, of God), or an enemy, malice:—emulation, envy(-ing), fervent mind, indignation, jealousy, zeal. An envious and contentious rivalry, jealousy
[g2206] ζηλόω zēlóō
jealous | Envy
“to have warmth of feeling for or against:”—affect, covet (earnestly), (have) desire, (move with) envy, be jealous over, (be) zealous(-ly affect).
Just as when Jesus went to the temple
and saw that the religious leaders
had turned it into a house of merchandise.
John 2 : Jesus Cleanses the Temple
12After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brothers, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. 13And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15And when he had made a whip of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; 16And said to them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. 17And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal [g2205] of your house has eaten me up.
2 CORINTHIANS 11:
13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
MATTHEW 24 : SIGNS OF THE END
5For many shall come in my name,
saying, I am Christ;
and shall deceive many.
“It’s easier to fool people
than to convince them they have been fooled”
~ Mark Twain
These are public speakers and business men
who use Jesus name and a Christian facade as a platform to sell books and promote their brand
They have turned Jesus into “Big Business” and
made His church a den of thieves
:
:
2 Peter 2 : False Prophets
1But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation slumbers not.
They have made Christians
pieces of merchandise to profit from.
Merchants are people that sell
and push products to make $$$
They allure and entice to
make people desire/covet their product
Merchants are the ones that deceive the whole earth.
Revelation 18 : Babylon is Fallen
23And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in you; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in you: for your merchants were the great men of the earth; for by your sorceries were all nations deceived.
2 Corinthians 4: The Light of the Gospel
1Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine to them. 5For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ
2 Timothy 4 : Preach the Word
1I charge you therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.
3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts[g1939] shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables. 5But watch you in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of your ministry.
6For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8From now on there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but to all them also that love his appearing.
Amos 8 : The Basket of Ripe Fruit
11Behold, the days come, said the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: 12And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. 13In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.
Churches have turned Jesus into huge conferences, concerts, performance art and entertainment
Preachers and singershave been turned into celebrities
“A time will come when instead of
shepherds feeding the sheep,
the church will have
clowns entertaining the goats “
~ Charles Spurgeon
EXODUS 32 : THE GOLDEN CALF (Deuteronomy 9:7-29)
15And Moses turned, and went down from the mount,
and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand:
the tables were written on both their sides;
on the one side and on the other were they written.
16And the tables were the work of God,
and the writing was the writing of God, graven on the tables.
17And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses,
There is a noise of war in the camp. 18And he said,
It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery,
neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome:
but the noise of them that sing do I hear.
Ears have been turned from the truth
We must worship God in spirit and truth,
not by attending an event or concert.
Judgement, Fear of God,Keeping the commandments
“What the eyes see and the ears hear,
the mind believes.”
~ Harry Houdini
Hillsong Conference 2016:
30,000 people from all over the world are expected to attend the four day conference, and tickets cost almost $350 each.
Pictures shared by enthused delegates on social media show a packed out Qudos Bank Arena – and a hi-tech lights and graphics set up that could easily be mistaken for a Beyonce concert.
You will never hear
at these conferences
anything about the law
or the keeping
of God’s commandments.
Mark 7 : Vain Worship (Matthew 15:1-9)
6He answered and said to them, Well has Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites,
as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
However, in vain [g2756] do they worship me
[g2756] κενός kenós
Vain
empty, vain, devoid of truth; vain of no purpose
Before the Israelite’s finally made it
to the Promised Land
after wondering 40 years
in the wilderness,
Moses spoke these words to Joshua
DEUTERONOMY 32 : SONG OF MOSES
45And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel: Set your hearts to all the words which I testify among you this day, which you shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.
For it is not a vain thing for you;
because it is your life:
That is another reason the picture of my grandfather hit me so hard. I have had my picture in the paper many times for accomplishments in basketball. I lived to be known and respected for my basketball ability. That it is how the serpent deceives. He inverts everything to make it about your glory instead of Gods. That is why my life was in such shambles after college. You are left with nothing once it ends. My whole identity was wrapped up in being a successful basketball player.
I had spent the first 30 years of my life“Laboring in Vain”and the end result waschaffthat scattered with the wind
PHILIPPIANS 2
16Holding forth the word of life;
that I may rejoice in the day of Christ,
that I have not run in vain,
neither labored in vain.
There is nothing more sobering than realizing the things you have built your life around are worthless in God’s eyes. What God consider’s worthless and vanity is our own works fueled by our own will. The definition of VANITY is “excessive pride in or admiration of one’s own appearance or achievements.”
Jesus told the Samaritan Woman,“YOU DO NOT KNOWWHAT YOU WORSHIP”We must worship Him inspirit and truth
John 4 : The Samaritan Woman
21Jesus said to her, Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22You worship you know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25The woman said to him, I know that Messias comes, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26Jesus said to her, I that speak to you am he.
SO WHAT IS TRUTH?
Jesus is the truth,
who was the word made flesh,
who fulfilled the Law for us
and commanded us to abide in His Love
by performing his commandments
.
PSALM 119
142 Thy righteousness [is] an everlasting righteousness, and THY LAW [IS] THE TRUTH.
151 Thou [art] near, O LORD; and all THY COMMANDMENTS [ARE] TRUTH
JOHN 14 : THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE
5Thomas said to him, Lord, we know not where you go; and how can we know the way? 6Jesus said to him, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE: no man comes to the Father, but by me.
JOHN 17 : PRAYER FOR THE DISCIPLES
17Sanctify them by the truth; YOUR WORD IS TRUTH
Matthew 10 : The Sword of the Gospel
34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth:
I came not to send peace, but a sword.
2ND TIMOTHY : THE LORD’S APPROVED WORKMAN15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God,
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
The Double Edged Swordjudging the thoughtsand intentions of the Heart…Anything based off
“half of a truth”is a WHOLE LIE.
HEBREWS 4 : GOD’S WORD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight;
everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Jude 1 : God’s Judgment on the Ungodly (Genesis 4:1-7; Romans 2:1-16)
3Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write to you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write to you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.4For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness [g766], and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
The “grace of God”
has been turned into
[g766]asélgeiaLasciviousness
“unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence”
Satan inverts and perverts
everything of God subtetly
Peter attempting to walk on the water gets perverted into an analogy for stepping out of your comfort zone and pursue your dreams (desires) in faith.
Matthew 7 : Ask, Seek, Knock
7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you: 8For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened..
has been perverted into asking for things like:material possessions & wealth, fame, popularity, notoriety, success,help in winning a competition or sport, or some type of performance or test
The most grossly perverted
verse in the bible…
PHILIPPIANS 4 :
13I can do all things
through Christ
which strengthens me.
…used as a mantra to fulfill desires.
What Paul was referring to was
“learning to be content”
even though he was in prison.
The whole book of Philippians is about
contentment and moderation.
I had fallen for this as well.
I displayed this verse on the tape
I had on my wrist, when I
played basketball in high school
PHILIPPIANS 4 :
11Not that I speak in respect of want:
for I have learned,
in whatever state I am,
therewith to be content.
12I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
PROVERBS 13 :
10Only by pridecomes contention[h4683
[h4683] מַצָּה matstsâh
CONTENTION
“debate, strife, a quarrel:”
This is Strife which is (self – promotion) and Vain glory
Philippians 2 : Being One in Christ
1If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2Fulfill you my joy, that you be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory;
but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Twitter page of the one of the biggest so called preachers in the world with over 500k followers.
“for what you want”…meaning “covet”
Straight off Elevation Church’s website…” WE ARE ALL ABOUT THE NUMBERS “
They are about metrics because they are about profitThe more people they can bring in, the more they can sell their product
2 Corinthians 10 : God’s Rule of Measure12For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
Satan is about performance, competition,
ratings, metrics, and success
.
God is about performanceof His covenant and commandmentsDEUT 4 : EXHORTATION TO OBEDIENCE13And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them on two tables of stone.
He lives in a 16,000 square foot house
that cost $1.7 million dollars
north-carolina-pastor-1-7-million-home-gift-god-article
Mark 7 : Vain Worship (Matthew 15:1-9)
6He answered and said to them, Well has Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. However, in vain do they worship me
It’s ironic that it’s called “Elevation” church…
“To elevate” or rise just like leavened bread. Jesus warned about the leaven of Pharisees which is hypocrisy and then warned of covetousness.
Elevation church does not reveal financial information.
Luke 12 : The Leaven of the Pharisees
1In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, so that they stepped one on another, he began to say to his disciples first of all, Beware you of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. 3Therefore whatever you have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which you have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed on the housetops.
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13And one of the company said to him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.14And he said to him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15And he said to them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness [g4124] : for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses. 16And he spoke a parable to them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have much goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20But God said to him, You fool, this night your soul shall be required of you: then whose shall those things be, which you have provided? 21So is he that lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
[g4124] pleonexía
covetousness
“fraudulency, extortion:”
—covetous(-ness) practices, greediness. greedy desire to have more
[g4123] pleonéktēs
covetousness
“holding (desiring) more,” i.e. eager for gain (avaricious, hence a defrauder):—covetous.”
Ephesians 5 : Imitators of God
1Be you therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling smell. 3But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness [g4123], let it not be once named among you, as becomes saints; 4Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5For this you know, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous [g4123] man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things comes the wrath of God on the children of disobedience. 7Be not you therefore partakers with them.