A Christian Perspective: The Online Pyramid Scheme

There's a new craze going on sweeping the internet that causes firestorm on social media in particular: the so-called Emgoldex investment scheme that promises too-good-to-be-true easy money, and bulks of it, that one finds hard to resist if he is diligent enough to find people to get on the bandwagon. Though staunch defenders of it claim it's not a pyramid scheme, its nature and dynamics say otherwise. Of late, even the Philippine government has issued warnings to its citizens (as it is a huge draw among OFWs) of the legal implications and unsustainability of the said scheme, yet this does not deter them from joining in and take risks with their hard-earned money.

This Emgoldex online company that purportedly sells gold to its clients uses some effective approach to make its "clientele" feel a sense of self-aggrandizement by referring to them, among others, "clients", "online entrepreneurs", or "investors" in order to get a psychological boost and affirm the legitimacy and legality of the so-called partnership, thus the confidence in the business relationship.

Convenient money who can resist it?

Why this particular online investment scheme became an overnight hit to so many Filipinos can only be attributed to its easy strategy: a client needs to find only two recruits, and voila, it  takes only a fortnight before he receives his gold or its equivalent, in this case most investors prefer to receive its cash equivalent amounting to 3,500 euro. Essentially, the cash prize (or return of investment) an investor receives comes from the investment money that his recruits had entrusted to him (or what they term it as "upline"). So, it is in every sense a pyramiding scheme, though I do not insinuate here that it is illegal, the fact that many personalities I personally know have already benefited from it. As a Christian, I have of the opinion that this lure of prosperity is a trap to so many Christians who unwittingly took the bait that will lead to a Christian's spiritual demise.

The Merriam - Webster dictionary describes pyramid scheme as "a usually illegal operation in which participants pay to join and profit mainly from payments made by subsequent participants". Wikipedia adds, "it's an unsustainable business model that involves promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than supplying any real investment or sale of products or services to the public."

There are lots of pyramid schemes out there, famous of which and popular to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are the likes of AIM Global, SWA, Royale and ultimately Emgoldex. I myself as an OFW have been tagged and inundated with invites to join in one of these, specifically Emgoldex. Not only we OFWs become the most convenient targets for recruiters but our immediate family members as well due to the notion that we have the capabilities to invest in these said schemes.

This would have not been surprising considering that pyramid schemes have been in existent since time immemorial, and still people continually gravitate towards the lure of quick and exponential profits from their investment. Due to its nature of long-term unsustainability, many pyramiding businesses in the past have crumbled, along with the lives of those who put their trust and hope in them. From the mistakes of the past, pyramiding business has somehow evolved and perfected its strategy to counter the stigma of "unsustainability" appended to it, thus the emergence of highly successful so-called online investment scheme of which Emgoldex is at the forefront. But what is surprising and saddening is that a lot of Christians such as pastors, worship leaders, elders and legions of church members have joined the fray in the hope of experiencing huge windfalls they believe to be God's way of showering his blessings to his children.

Emgoldex frenzy in Christian churches a real cause of alarm

Had I not joined the conversation in one of the Christian groups on Facebook about a specific post on Emgoldex, I would have not realized the extent of its deep-seated impact among many 'believers' -  some of whom are my personal friends. When I posted Bible verses about contentment and Jesus urging believers to lay up treasures in heaven not on earth, I was immediately overwhelmed by a barrage of negative comments as if the whole Christian community was ganging up on me for my supposed wrong perception of God's favor for His children. That in itself was a shocking revelation knowing the lure of prosperity can create a mobster mentality in people who ironically flaunt themselves as Christians.

One commenter even boasted of their pastor who was able to build a new church because he invested in Emgoldex, and that the pastor's family do not starve anymore, all because of Emgoldex (i was seeing a golden calf in such a proud testimony). And that goes without saying the said pastor is a hard-working guy who uses his gift of gab to find new recruits as evidenced by their new church building and his family not going hungry anymore. This commenter's testimony of how Emgoldex changed the lives of so many Christians she knows including pastors even turned into boasting by saying "faith without action is dead", and that reading their bibles will not do them any good if they don't work up on their faith, in this case, Emgoldex saved the day for them. She continued, "thank you Lord for giving us Emgoldex" and "please stop giving us your nonsense" in shooing me away the next, that elicited a chorus of amens from other commenters who proudly outed themselves to be Emgoldex investors also. Needless to say, I retreated from the mob and said blessings to them.

If anything, what was revealed to me is the current sad state of what some Christian churches have become, spiritually. These pastors who lack discernment and have no desire for it, may be smiling ear to ear for an unprecedented meteoric increase in tithes, have the belief that God is well-pleased at his brand of service in the ministry. That facebook episode did not only serve as an eye-opener to me to the emerging trend, that is earthly prosperity, sweeping across evangelical churches in the Philippines and abroad.

 Church leaders as indirect complicit to the trap of prosperity

A few months back, the Lord led me out of a church whose aggressive stance on matters about tithing is such that you come out feeling like a criminal if you have not yet committed yourself to tithing. Obviously, judging from the delivery of exhortation, there is that sense of arrogance knowing that you belong to the tithers' club, and a sense of guilt and condemnation when you do not; the sad thing is, not everyone, including new attendees, pretty much understands this doctrine, yet being subjected to the same level of admonition. Their kind of exhortation conclusively conveys that if you give your full tithes, God will bless you tremendously, as if God's mercy and grace solely depend on your ability to give your tithes.

Fast forward to present, this same church has now its music director, praise and worship members, dance ministry leader, elders and other members, into the business of Emgoldex. These same people you would find on Facebook posting videos or photos of themselves waving bulks of cash as if to shame their detractors. One of them even goes as far as sticking his tongue out to the bulks of cash he is holding as if to tease his skeptics. The next, they post photos of themselves with their pastors and other members eating out at their favorite restaurant with captions: "katas ng Emgoldex" or loosely translated as "benefits from Emgoldex". What follows are photos of them waving their new iphone 6, huge plasma tv, and even shouting out their plans to buy a new car - for all the world to see.

Romans 12:15 says "rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep". Or it can be understood as "to be happy for those who are happy". But when you see your brethren acting and sounding like the world and displaying their love of the world, I think there is no reason at all to be happy with them. What we are seeing here is the deification of material prosperity under the guise of God's favor - and that what truly is upsetting. As sad as it gets, a lot of church people today come to church, not for their need of the Savior but what they can get from the Savior.

Why a born-again believer should shun activities like this

I am in no way against a Christian brother or a sister who wants to uplift their families' economic status as everyone of us strives to do the same, but the following are obvious reasons why a Christian should stay away from pyramiding schemes, and this practice should not be tolerated inside the church the way it has become prevalent in so many of them today:

It causes Christians to be worldly and materialistic. Although we are in this world, we need to remember that we are not of this world, and should not be living the way the world lives. 1 John 2:15 says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. First, he gets to achieve what his initial goals were, then the next, and higher, and so on, until sky is the limit. The obsession and preoccupation to the  limitless goals he has set for himself will ultimately lead to his spiritual demise. And this is the area where most Christians are perfectly vulnerable.

It causes Christians to covet. The example being, a Christian brother who sees his fellow Christian in the ministry who has recruited other church members to invest into the scheme and is now able to buy a lot of things and testifies behind pulpit that God has honored the works of his hands (and mouth, through the scheme) will now be encouraged to join the fray so that he too will be blessed by God. Envy and jealousy will take root, and that will lead to self-pity if he fails to achieve the same. Jesus says, And he said to them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses (Luke 12:15).

It sends out a wrong message to other Christians most especially the new believers that could derail their walk with Christ. What impression will it give other Christians and new believers alike when after Bible studies or worship service they find church workers in a huddle on every corner talking to new prospects and convincing them to get on board their scheme? What spiritual benefit does it contribute to other believers if the encouraging verses they used to share on facebook suddenly disappeared in lieu of the ubiquitous and aggressive sales pitch that go with photos fanning themselves with bulks of cash? Has greed overwhelmed the church while pastors sit idly by in perfect complicit to the pervasive materialism and worldliness that has gripped their congregation?

It increases the tendencies for them to associate with the wrong people for the wrong reason. Normally, a true Christian would not hesitate to make his faith known to unbelievers, rather he finds it as an opportunity to share the gospel to them. But in the case of a Christian winning over new recruits into the scheme, he tends to never bother mentioning the name of Jesus to them, in fact he is most likely to compromise his faith for fear of losing his prospect. He tends to agree with them, join in the kind of conversation they are comfortable with, and ultimately surprises them as though they are clueless that he goes to a Christian church as he does not sound like one. Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians, "Be you not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion has light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14)

It steals away their precious time with God. All they have to do is to keep abreast of all the inquiries on their Facebook accounts, emails and other platforms where interested parties insist on knowing the dynamics of the business before they take the risk. This is pretty much the routine of Christians who use the internet (some are known to have skipped regular sleep) as their means to win over more recruits - the more recruits the more chances of fat cold cash rushing in. Sometimes, in their status they apologize to not being able to entertain questions as they are sitting in a pew, but admits to being tempted to reply to prospects so as not to lose prospective "clients". So, what else is left for God, much less quiet time, anyone?

It changes their priority. Now, it's more important for them to get more people to join in the scheme instead of witnessing for Christ. Witnessing as a command that every Christian must heed now takes a convenient backseat. "Witnessing will have its proper time and place and a suitable forum, but not now, I might get dissed knowing people find religion a polarizing subject, and besides how can I pitch my business proposal if I have a gospel in tow, so it must be one over the other, for now." In quest for prosperity, there is no such thing as "I've reached my bounds, time to get back to my roots" moments - it is an unending quest for more. It's just how the world operates, and some Christians are willing participants on that stage.

God wants us to prosper to the extent that our souls prosper

Again, I want to emphasize I am not against a brother or a sister who aspires for prosperity, in fact it is God's desire that His people prosper. The apostle John who was known for his closeness with the Lord, wrote to Gaius, "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prosper" (3 John 1:2). He then went on to recognize some of the good works Gaius was doing for his fellow workers in the Lord. Gaius certainly could not have done much here had he been homeless, or poverty-stricken. Now this verse shows that God wants us to prosper in all things. John would not pray for something that was not the will of God. He prayed for Gaius because it was God's will that he prosper, and not Gaius only, for it is written that, "the Lord takes pleasure in the prosperity of his servant" (Psalm 35:27). But it is not the kind of prosperity that most of us would conveniently interpret - for the key to real prosperity is the state of our soul. God wants us to "renew our minds" (Romans 12:2); but if our minds are carnal, our desires wicked, then earthly prosperity would not do us much good. If our minds are sufficiently renewed then it is definitely in God's interest to prosper us in all things, including material things.

I love the prayer of a wise man in Proverbs that says, "give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only may daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God." (Proverbs 30: 8,9) This is the prayer that glorifies God; for this wise man knew in his heart that for as long as he is obedient to the commands and precepts of God, he will surely lack nothing because God will never forget him nor abandon him. In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul had this to say,

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." ~ (1 Timothy 6: 6-10)

The best investment, better than any other scheme

Can God trust you with money? He can't trust all that many people. The reason is, many Christians, whether they are rich or poor, trust in the money they have now more than in God's ability to provide for them. We are told not to trust in riches. Paul instructed Timothy. "Command those are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy." (1 Timothy 6:17). No matter how much we have accumulated in this world, there is always an encompassing threat that we cannot hold onto the fruits of our hands, for as long as we want.  

Jesus has warned, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21). The same is true for property, gold, shares, or any other assets we may have. They are "uncertain riches". God would like us to invest in something certain, something eternal. Does that sound like a good investment plan or not?

Persecution And Prosperity: A 'Christian' Dilemma

From random stories of unimaginable atrocities committed against Christians in the Middle East - to the advent of ISIS where Christians become automatic target for beheading because of their faith- all these seem to amount to nothing - if the sound of preaching in many Christian churches today is anything to go by. Even before ISIS came into the scene, there was Boko Haram that randomly torched Christian churches in Nigeria - along with their congregants - and sometimes spraying bullets on them while they worship God inside their churches. Pastors and their families have been soft targets for these evil Islamists and the repercussions for being Christian in the wake of persecutions are beyond despicable. Of late, those over 200 Christian girls abducted by this group - were known to have been made sex slaves or murdered - and some were forced to become human bombs targeting public places so as to maximize casualties.

In Egypt, Christians have their own share of indescribable persecutions from Islamists that you do not see often reported in media. Churches pelted with rocks and vandalized by Muslim mobs are a daily occurrence mainstream media think so trivial enough to be given little of their attention. Rape of Christian girls by their Muslim neighbors commonly do not get reported for fear of repercussion from the Muslim majority that has the stranglehold of virtually every government office - from police, military to the judiciary. And not even the highly-publicized beachfront beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians by the ISIS can deter Muslim mobs from inflicting more persecution upon the relatives of those beheaded - when they surrounded the homes of those in mourning and threw stones at them - upon hearing that a monument will be built in honor of those 21.

Nowadays, cases of Christian persecutions worldwide are rising exponentially in a level unprecedented in history. Christians in the Middle East and some parts of Africa certainly have plenty to say - and some have vouched through photos of their severed heads on top of their chests - why it is never easy to be a Christian. These Christian beheadings that have of late become a mundane scenario with its gruesomeness easily accessible in the internet - surprisingly do not surprise the world anymore.

Nowadays, Christian persecutions come in varying forms and degrees but fueled by the same evil force that hates the truth. It's only a matter of geography that gives new definition to it. While Christians in the US and most part of the West are not imminently subjected to threats of beheadings, persecution nonetheless can come in myriad other forms, such as losing your livelihood because you refused to bake wedding cake for same-sex couples as a matter of faith principle, or getting terminated from your teaching job because you gave your student a Bible when she asked for it, and getting bullied or taunted because you prayed and gave glory to God when you scored a touchdown at a football game - and the list goes on and on.

Deception in the last days

When the disciples asked Jesus what will be the signs of His coming and of the end of the age, He said to them "watch out that no one deceives you" (Matthew 24:4). In verse 9 to 13, He continues to say, "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of many will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved."

Jesus spoke very clearly of what is to come and what should befall those who would follow Him. The apostle Paul in his letter to Timothy concurred when he said "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Timothy 3:12). The apostle Peter on the other hand reminds us believers to rejoice amid all our sufferings and trials because it is to purposely test the genuineness of our faith (1 Peter 1:6,7), and if we pass the test, the end result of it is the salvation of our souls (1 Peter 1:9)

I have been to a lot of evangelical churches before and seldom this topic is mentioned in their pulpit. You speak of trials and sufferings in your exhortation and you get perplexed audience in quiet discomfort staring back at you - and the usual 'amens' heard in unison suddenly get obsoleted. If anything, this sort of reaction is understandable given the monotone feel-good messages that you usually hear behind pulpit and compounded by the prolific positive quotes from Joel Osteen or Joyce Meyer that proved popular on social media.

So, what does this say of the spiritual condition of the present day church? When you have the most popular mainstream preachers such as Joel Osteen (who never preaches sin, hell and repentance let alone judgment day and second coming), Joyce Meyer (whose entire family sits at the board of his multi-million dollar ministry and lives off at it grandiosely), and the formidable duo Benny and Kenny (Hinn and Copeland) of the little-gods doctrine; plus the ultra-rich jetsetting Creflo Dollar - who as a bunch has hijacked the true gospel of Jesus Christ into their own brand of gospel - what else do we expect to see around so many churches that do not pray for discernment but only have their sights on earthly blessings?

The teaching that God wants His children to prosper in all aspects of their lives has been the single most indispensable subject everyone loves to talk about. And the increasingly strong desire by congregants to obtain these blessings propels them to even faithfully give their tithes because the usual sermon they habitually hear - either promises of a tremendous blessings - or otherwise a threat of a litany of curses - and that's the last thing the congregants want to hear.

Paul Washer in one of his sermons spoke with full conviction that "False teachers are God's judgment on people who don't want God, but in the name of religion plan on getting everything their carnal heart desires. That's why a Joel Osteen is raised up. Those people who sit under him are not victims of him, he is the judgment of God upon them because they want exactly what he wants, and it is not God."

Even during Jesus' earthly ministry, He already taught substantially on His return that reflected on the numerous parables admonishing believers to be ready (Matthew 25). The apostle Paul in his epistles constantly reminded believers to be patient and to keep themselves worthy as the Day of the Lord is drawing near (1 Thessalonians 4, Hebrews 10). Even at the earliest church age, the believers had hoped that they were going to witness the return of Jesus. Such earnest longing for Jesus' return inspired early believers to preach the gospel of salvation to every place they could reach - calling all people to repent from their sins. That very same message reverberated across the earth after so many generations till today that predisposes ungodly people to mock Christians for Jesus' impending return that never took place. The apostle Peter had in fact long predicted that and had this to say to believers:

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "where is this coming he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." (2 Peter 3:3,4)

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. ~ (2 Peter 3:9,10)

The high-jacking of the true Gospel by wolves in sheep's clothing

When I was a kid growing up in a rural area in the central Philippines, the only medium by which we get to know what the world is up to is by transistor radio because there was no electricity available. I would always hear pastors warning people of the imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. At that time,  even people living in the mountains had been reached by the gospel and somehow had heard of the signs leading to Jesus' return. Recently, as I was listening to a podcast from Stand Up For The Truth, the hosts and their guests have echoed similar observation that during their early years they used to hear preachings left and right about the return of the Lord Jesus Christ but now the usual talk-about from mainstream preachers is how a Christian can live a life of favor, abundance and happiness. And who can resist such message when in fact it was the Lord Jesus Christ himself who promised that "He came so that we may have life and have it to the full?" In one of his sermons, Paul Washer had famously quoted: "...twist not Scripture lest you be like Satan!"

Few would argue that the advent of the so-called prosperity gospel, its lure, its comforting message, has paved the way for the true gospel to cunningly evolve into the gospel of demons - where believers are made to believe that they can have all they want in this life for being co-heirs to the wealth of the Great Provider. Today, the world at-large has grown numb to hearing scandal-after-scandal involving so-called mega pastors who make no apologies for living the high-life, whose sprawling estates, fleets of private jets and palatial mansions in tight security fit for royals - are a picture of total contrast to the life of humility of the Man they preach about - who did not even have a proper place to lay his head (Luke 9:58).

Of course, a gullible Christian would never think deceptions could come from within the church. For as long as he comes and sits at his favorite spot on Sundays, does his assigned ministry , and gives his tithes, then there is every chance that he is on the right track and his place in heaven secured. He doesn't see any wrong in his pastor using Rick Warren's unbiblical teaching materials, (in fact that is what they have been implementing in church recently); the words 'tribulation' and 'rapture' are strange to him - he has been to this church for two years but hasn't heard of them. He has been an ardent fan of Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer, in fact he loves to share their quotes on facebook and draws inspiration from them. "These are great men and women of God and I have been tremendously blessed by their teachings!", he would argue. When you post encouraging verses on facebook, he is one of the first to hit like, and you get tons of it thereafter; but when you post verses pertaining to hell, holiness and judgment, you would get convinced spontaneous boycott from facebook friends does really happen - and that solely depends on what you post.

The sidestepping of the gospel for prosperity's sake

It is the belief that when you act on your faith God will bless your every endeavor. Such is the driving force behind Christians who have been heavily involved in online networking that have plagued local churches that I know. The proliferation of online investment schemes that attract recruits to invest for an incredibly huge profits have now crept up in these churches that you will see worship leaders, elders and deacons, and even an ordained prophetess and some pastors in a race to find recruits to invest in the schemes. Those Bible verses that you usually see in their facebook walls have been dislodged in favor of video materials and testimonies from successful investors. And no one, not even one has dared rebuke them and stood up to them. They even have the temerity to use Jeremiah 29:11(NIV) in their slogan to validate their claims that God desires to "prosper them, give them hope and a better future".

Lack of knowledge and discernment is what thrusts Christians into a dilemma of the supposed incompatibility of scriptures when embracing one doctrine without forsaking another. They reluctantly admit that trials and sufferings are fixtures in the lives of Christians but their hearts vacillate when confronted with biblical promises of wealth, health and success - which their mentors have twisted and taken out of context to suit their needs - because it is what they primarily want to hear.

It is a Christian's reluctance to grow in the knowledge of the Word that puts him in a situation where the scriptures albeit plain and simple seem conflicting to him. The state of many churches today is such that deception is hardly noticed because leaders are deceived and in turn deceiving the flocks. The lure of prosperity, endless favor and good life advocated and being practiced by the so-called megapastors -  has in turn influenced local church leaders to pass on the teachings to their flocks who are now attributing their success and new-found financial breakthrough to God's favor. When you have "prophets and pastors" in church whose mentors they list as Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, T.D. Jakes, Benny Hinn and Creflo Dollar, that says it all of the spiritual condition of the church.

"For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." ~ (2 Timothy 4:3-5)

The true prosperity 

As for those Christians who are being systematically slaughtered, raped and torched, starved to death, falsely accused and imprisoned without trial, losing their jobs and businesses - all because of their faith - surely God did not fail them and did not forget His promises to them of a hope and a better future. A Christian who truly desires to obey the Lord Jesus Christ and is willing to take up his own cross daily and follow Him understands and finds the true meaning of prosperity: the joy, godly contentment and peace that emanates from our hope of redemption when Christ is revealed to us in His glory.

A lot of Christians around the world have been experiencing untold sufferings and tribulations because of their faith, and they willingly embrace their fate - to them they share with the sufferings of Christ - to them the glory that will be revealed on the last day and the crown of righteousness and the crown of life that await them - is the true prosperity. The apostle Paul had this to say: "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight of faith, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." ~ (2 timothy 4:6-8)

A Christian Perspective : The Folly Of Idol Worship (Manila's Feast of the Black Nazarene)

"Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God." ~ Leviticus 19: 4

Imagine the miles-long queue of devotees that formed past midnight way into the next day and beyond till the day of the actual procession of a life-sized image of the Black Nazarene - and you see people young and old from all walks of life in their miserable state - mostly coming from remote places - just to get near the statue, kiss its feet - and go home in ecstasy believing answers to their prayers are on the way. Such is the incomparable devotion and religious fervor you can see from devotees and fanatics alike of the ebony statue during the early stages of its feast in Manila. But that's only a prelude to the actual procession day with which devotees are expected to turn up in millions.

Today the 9th of January, is the actual procession day and crowd estimates according to authorities range from 5 million to 9 million. Latest report says, a 44-year old male devotee has died while participating in the carriage of the Black Nazarene probably due to tiredness and suffocation that led to his having a heart attack.

Actual scenario

The culmination of what they call 'Traslacion' or the actual procession of the Black Nazarene normally draws devotees numbering to over 5 millions. And each one of them tries to at least touch the image while it is being carried. While it is impossible for the old and sickly to venture near the carriage, they can still get someone as proxy - probably a strong and fit relative to bulldoze their way onto the carriage -  and touch the image with a special cloth which they believe can bring healing to their sickness. Of course when you battle it out with another five million people who are equally as determined to get close to the image and touch it, the odds of you emerging unscathed from such an ordeal is zero. On previous occasions, records show that the event has produced deaths and limbs lost - that instead of people getting healed from their sickness, they just topple on the scene - not because they experience epiphany right where they stand, but simply because these devotees get suffocated and crushed.

The folly of idol worship

I'd been there half of my lifetime. When I turned seven, my mother took me to a Catholic church four towns away - where the patron saint is San Isidro Labrador (the one who pulls up his garb showing his thigh dripping in blood from a dog bite while the dog stands calmly beside him). Even as a child, I was not impressed to be on a long queue watching impatient mothers dragging their children and let them watch scolding one another for not following first-come first-serve rule while waiting for their children's turn to kiss the image. (I remember certain amount was then required of us after completing the process which everyone in line should dutifully oblige - a church employee sometimes runs out of loose change that causes chaos and stalled traffic at the exit.)

Idol worship has been a way of life for most Filipinos dating back centuries ago from the Spanish colonization. It has been the most successful commodity the Roman Catholic empire has exported around the globe for more than a millennium. Hardcore Catholics would vow to die defending their religion - and their idols. They believe they are doing God a favor if they put themselves in harm's way as their way of participating in Christ's sufferings. But does the Scriptures approve of such practices? 

The Scriptures below is a testament to God's hatred for idols that like a kindergarten teacher He would show us the perfect example of the embarrassment man has brought upon himself for his idolatry and His disdain for people who do such a practice:

"All who make idols are nothing,

and the things they treasure are worthless.

Those who would speak up for them are blind;

they are ignorant, to their own shame.

Who shapes a god and casts an idol,

which can profit nothing?

People who do that will be put to shame;

such craftsmen are only human beings.

Let them all come together and take their stand;

they will be brought down to terror and shame.

The blacksmith takes a tool

and works with it in the coals;

he shapes an idol with hammers,

he forges it with the might of his arm.

He gets hungry and loses his strength;

he drinks no water and grows faint.

The carpenter measures with a line

and makes an outline with a marker;

he roughs it out with chisels

and marks it with compasses.

He shapes it in human form,

human form in all its glory,

that it may dwell in a shrine.

He cut down cedars,

or perhaps took a cypress or oak.

He let it grow among the trees of the forest,

or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.

It is used as fuel for burning;

some of it he takes and warms himself,

he kindles a fire and bakes bread.

But he also fashions a god and worships it;

he makes an idol and bows down to it.

Half of the wood he burns in the fire;

over it he prepares his meal,

he roasts his meat and eats his fill.

He also warms himself and says,

“Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”

From the rest he makes a god, his idol;

he bows down to it and worships.

He prays to it and says,

“Save me! You are my god!”

They know nothing, they understand nothing;

their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see,

and their minds closed so they cannot understand.

No one stops to think,

no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,

“Half of it I used for fuel;

I even baked bread over its coals,

I roasted meat and I ate.

Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?

Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”

Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him;

he cannot save himself, or say,

“Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?” ~ Isaiah 44:9-20

It is very clear that the God of heavens, the Creator of the universe shows His contempt for idols. He hates idol worship and shames idol worshipers for their foolishness. Why would a man bow down to the work of his hand? Did he not go to the forest and cut down a tree and a portion of it he carved and shaped into a man and then worshiped it; and some portions he used to make fire and warmed himself and baked bread from it? In the scriptures above, God was taunting his created man for not using his sense of reason and He feels sorry for him that he cannot be saved from his foolishness.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus taught His disciples that God is a spirit and that He seeks a worshiper who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). The Bible is God's truth and nowhere in the Bible that says God commands His creatures to make images resembling Him for no one has seen God and still live. The Ten Commandments written by God and given to Moses has been passed on from the time the Jewish people fled Egypt up to the present generation but only to be changed by the Roman Catholic church because they believe their authority stands above the Word of God. Let's find out the the glaring dissimilarities:

The Second Commandment from the Bible:

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my Commandments. ~ Exodus 20: 4-6

The Catholic Second Commandment:

"Thou shalt not take the name of thy LORD thy God in vain" ~ (This is actually the Third Commandment out of ten in the Bible. There is idolatry in the Papal system so the Second Commandment has been deleted or sometimes it has been absorbed into the first. All remaining Commandments are therefore shifted along one count.)

Why is Idolatry a Sin and an Abomination to the Lord?

1.  It is a clear transgression or disobedience of the following commandments of God.

   

"You shall not make for yourself a carved image - any likeness of anything that is in heaven above,or that is in the earth beneath, or that is the water under the earth.: ~ Deuteronomy 5:8

"You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it: for I am the LORD your God." ~ Leviticus 26:1

"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." ~ 1 Corinthians 10:14

2.  It is a work of the flesh rather that of the spirit.

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, IDOLATRY, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies." ~ Galatians 5: 19-21

3.  God is a spirit, and we must worship him in spirit and in truth.

"God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth." ~ John 4: 24

4.  We must not worship God in earthly things which are lowly in forms, wears and tears, and perishes in time. Isn't representing God (who is spirit, Holy, Almighty and everlasting), with a wood, metal or stone, a dishonor to Him?

"Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret. And all the people shall answer and say, 'Amen'." ~ Deuteronomy 27: 15

"Those who make an image, all of them are useless, and their precious things shall not profit; they are their own witnesses; they neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed." ~ Isaiah 44: 9

5.  We must not also think that God is like an image formed by human's art and invention.

"Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising." ~Acts 17: 29

6.  God does not dwell in man-made temples or buildings.

"God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands." ~ Acts 17: 24

7.  The last but not the least, God does not give His honor or praise to carved images.

"I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images." ~ Isaiah 42: 8

Final Thoughts

I do not in any way gloat at the millions perhaps billions who have been deceived by the Devil into worshiping idols thinking that they are just a representation of God on earth. I pray that they will come to the knowledge of truth - that they be set free from the bondage of idolatry and religiosity. God did not appoint anyone on earth to be His official representative as what the pope he claims himself to be - nor He commissioned craftsmen to carve an image to be paraded supposedly representing Him and command multitudes to flock around it and get crushed and die, and voila they already did God a favor by dying for His cause.

People need to be saved from their sins and idolatry is one of them. No idolater will ever enter the kingdom of God - that is what the Bible assures us. But God has given us His Son Jesus to die for our sins - the Jesus who is alive today, the omnipresent One who is not confined inside the Quiapo church and emerging only once a year to give people false hope. - the Jesus who is neither black nor white for He is a spirit and in His glorified body - the Jesus who is the God of all mankind who did not stay a baby all His life just what the Sinulog portrays Him to be. This same Almighty Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords knocking at the door of your heart, pleading that you hear Him  - that if you invite Him to come in He shall be with you, save you from your sin and give you eternal life.

Related Articles: "Idolatry is a Sin, Preacher tells Nazareno Devotees" - on Rappler, The Black Nazarene - Wikipedia, "Catholicism in The Philippines" - Manila Bulletin

A Christian Perspective: The Charlie Hebdo Massacre

The deadly attack at the office of the satirical tabloid 'Charlie Hebdo' in Paris that left 12 people dead, including 2 police officers was beyond appalling. This reminds me of the cafe siege in Sydney last month and the gruesome massacre of Jewish worshippers in a synagogue in Jerusalem last November in which Muslim men were also the perpetrators. It was said that the Charlie Hebdo attack was due to the magazine's continued publication of blasphemous cartoons depicting their prophet and their religion. 

Just like any freedom-loving individual, I believe in the freedom of speech. But too much unbridled exercise of it may not at all times advantageous. Sometimes others go the extra length but fail to anticipate repercussions that more often than not, do not end up well. It is common knowledge that Charlie Hebdo didn't only target Islam and their prophet, for Christianity also has its fair share of blasphemous cartoon depictions from the tabloid. When I was searching on the web for some photos that I was gonna use for this blog post, it hurt me so much to see all these blasphemous cartoons that Charlie Hebdo did on Jesus -  most of which will make you cry - not because Jesus is being perennially portrayed in such a despicable manner - but because of their hatred for my Lord and Savior. I'm against it, I think it's horrible - and I will most likely not going to patronize their tabloid (if I were a French and Christian that is), but I will never hurt anyone - let alone stain my hands with the blood of the 'enemy' in order to avenge my Jesus who Himself taught me to love my enemy. I will never do it, not just because it's against the law of the land (to murder), but as a Christian, simply to hate a brethren, is equated by Jesus to murder (1 John 3:15).

But I say to you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which spitefully use you. And to him that smites you on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that takes away your cloak forbid not to take your coat also. Give to every man that asks of you; and of him that takes away your goods ask them not again. - Matthew 6:27-31

My God is Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Alpha and the Omega, the King of kings and Lord of lords - there's nothing that He cannot do and He can very well defend Himself, and smite those who hate Him if He pleases. As His follower, He doesn't require me to kill His enemies in His behalf, let alone murder innocent people. What He requires of me is to be at peace with everyone, to have clean hands and a pure heart - free from hatred and all kinds of filthiness, because my God sees my heart and He judges by it. My God is also a loving, kind, compassionate and patient God who wants all to come to repentance so that everyone will be saved.  And that's why He gave His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

What happened in Paris was not an issue of freedom of speech that crossed a line, hence the deadly repercussion as many would like to believe. With so many unimaginable evil things that are taking place today, there's only one certainty in this: that the demonic powers are into a rampage seeking to wreak havoc in the lives of as many people as possible - and it's gonna become worse by the day. Hatred for fellow human beings will abound, selfish ambitions will thrive, people will be lovers of money, and will lack compassion for one another - and this is what the world has set to be the norms. But despite all these, there is one good news: in Isaiah 54:17 says that those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will have protection from the works of the enemy for it is being promised to them that;"No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."

That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. For the scripture said, Whoever believes on him shall not be ashamed. ~ Romans 10: 9-11

Oprah, Rob Bell, T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen et al: Lethal Combination

Who doesn't like Oprah Winfrey? She is a poster girl for hard work, compassion and spirituality. When she speaks, the world listens. Critics may try but fail to succeed in putting her down. After all, she radiates positivity that this world desperately needs. Her words offer up wisdom - deep sense of spirituality and inclusiveness - regardless of anyone's race, creed and religion. If you listen to her, chances are you'll be seeing yourself in a company of legions who admire and adore her. That is what encompasses the name Oprah. Now, that is very easy to see why megachurch pastors come in a beeline to share a platform with her. 

A year ago, Oprah had successfully enlisted some notable pastors to her program MegaFest, aimed at reaching out to hurting communities that needed emotional, psychological and spiritual healing. She could not go wrong aligning herself with popular celebrity pastors such as T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar and Rick Warren who lead congregations in their tens of thousands among them. Given the blockbuster lineup she had gathered, the program needless to say was a massive success. As if that was not enough, Oprah recently hired another (former) megapastor Rob Bell into her fold to launch him into yet another stardom. Rob Bell, the former founder of another megachurch in Michigan who is famous for not believing in a literal hell will debut in his launching program 'The Rob Bell Show' on December 21 this year. This heretic will have another powerful platform to spread lies in exchange for financial gain and media is abuzz heaping praise on this 'new milestone'.

Prosperity gospel

With social media emerging as a very powerful tool to connect the world today, the likes of T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar and Rick Warren are but some famous names in the Christian community to have emerged as having the greatest fan base. Their respective congregations number to tens of thousands. These pastors are also multi-millionaires and labelled megapastors for obvious reasons. So what's their secret for being so 'successful'?

It's no secret that people naturally tend to gravitate towards a feel-good message especially when one's life is saddled with so many troubles. When pastors preach about "God being obsessed with us people and that He desires to give the best life that we could ever have", who would dare resist hearing such comforting and satisfying words? That is in effect very true - that God desperately wants to put us under His wings to enjoy His presence and the security and peace that only He could give in this troubled world. But the issue is that the gospel presented here is being sugar-coated so that people think they have no accountability for their sins because God is too loving to punish us for our sins. People in these congregations are being spoon-fed to believe that God has been itching to pour out so much blessings to them and that it does not bother Him a bit that these people live in sin. After all, "He is only about love, forgiveness and generosity". 

Mega pastors and what they're known for:

T.D. Jakes in one of his interviews pertaining to gay marriage while hosting  Oprah's Life Class, famously said that the Bible affirms "that marriage should be between man and a woman. I'm not particularly political. I'm not particularly denominational. I'm not worried about any of that. I'm not anti-gay, I'm not anti-anything. I don't want to even be known by what I'm against." So, it's quite clear T.D. Jakes doesn't want anyone to know that God abhors same-sex relationship. He does know that it is an abomination to God but he would rather keep it to himself and would not tell the tens of thousands in his congregation.

Well, we know the man Joel Osteen in his famous  interview with Larry King was a confused Christian. All he said was "I don't know Larry I don't know", when asked if atheists won't go to heaven without Jesus. He insists he is not called to preach condemnation but to announce only the message of hope. So, that explains why we see multitudes upon multitudes stampede into his church on Sundays eager to hear his message of hope, prosperity and promotion without even mentioning that 'sometimes' God can get disappointed with their 'little sins'.

And in case you don't know Creflo Dollar, this megachurch pastor is known for his teaching that God wants His faithful (tithers) to be rich. He is also known for defending his friend Bishop Eddie Long who is a child molester. And what's new with Rick Warren the man known as 'America's pastor'? His brave and well-applauded  endeavor to bring together various faiths in unity certainly did not escape Oprah. So he comes as a natural choice to join Oprah in promoting her New Age agenda feigned as a noble endeavor.

As for Oprah's newest recruit Rob Bell, he is a resigned pastor from the one he founded in Michigan and now busying himself up rubbing elbows with Hollywood celebrities. As we mentioned above, the man does not believe in a literal hell and is a staunch supporter of same-sex marriage. So there you are. No explanation needed.

Lethal combination

It's not a real surprise when Oprah has aligned herself with these megachurch pastors and vice-versa. Their common denominator is obvious and that is to send a message of love, acceptance, tolerance and inclusiveness. In Oprah's Life Class with T.D. Jakes, topics that are commonly talked about is how to gain your self-esteem back, acceptance of one's self, and being at peace with everyone in your environment - and guide a person to his or her spirituality. The show has been proven to be a hit and has gained massive following through the years. Oprah articulates that this program does not tackle religion or any particular faith but about spirituality. That to me sounds very New Age philosophy.

Oprah's New Age belief

The world has heard when Oprah in one of her program episodes declared that all faiths lead to God and that there must be over a hundred ways to God other than Jesus. Everyone in the audience seemed to nod in agreement save for one lady who stood up and schooled Oprah on Jesus' claim that He alone is the way to the Father. In that terse and edgy conversation, Oprah seemed to look annoyed at the preaching of that biblical truth and even insisted that a man's compassion and generosity toward a fellow human being should not be ignored. She insisted in her own view that good works should be credited to a person when entering  the so-called higher consciousness.

Oprah has confessed her belief that the biblical Jesus  must not be the only way. That is painful for her to admit that there is only One way and that is Jesus. Her insistence that good works can also be a man's ticket to heaven is proof that Oprah does not believe in the Bible. If we are to look at her background, Oprah was brought up in a Baptist church in her early years. But when she found fame and became very successful, she seemed to have repudiated all the things she learned from her formative years in church. She would go on to question why would God be jealous of her based on what the Bible says that 'God is a jealous god'? Her belief of God and His attributes seems very vague to her if not unrealistic. While she professes to be a Christian, she still insists on not talking about religion or faith - rather she would love to welcome the topic of spirituality which to her is more appropriate for its inclusive tone, devoid of any religious color.

Blinded Christians

Despite Oprah's hair-raising confession of her New Age belief, many Christians are prepared to be up in arms to defend her. To them that does not take anything away from her 'Christian faith'  even if she habitually invites Deepak Chopra and other notable New Agers to her show and ask viewers to listen intently to the 'wisdom and spirituality' from her perennial speakers on her show. Whether they are in town promoting their New Age books and speaking about 'higher consciousness', Oprah has only had wonderful words to say about the wisdom she has learned from them that has "helped her tremendously in her own quest for higher consciousness".

So, what's with the alliance?

When Oprah announced that she will join with megachurch pastors for a MegaFest last year, no one had doubted the intent of the celebration. It's surely meant to help the community, bring healing to wounded families and reaching out to those who are hurting. The names T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen and Rick Warren and Creflo Dollar had emerged to be joining forces with Oprah for the said purpose -all formidable names and all superstars in their own right. Others may have heaped praises for it but I call it very unholy and demonic alliance. In what manner shall one reach out to the hurting if there is no Jesus in the equation? Remember that whatever problem this life brings, only God and God alone is the answer. The root of every trouble in this world is sin. So if you take out sin when witnessing to the wounded how does it bring about healing? 

Witnessing in love to someone in a lifestyle contrary to Scriptures is one thing - aligning forces and mixing together with that someone is quite another. New Age teachers have no place ministering in the church. That spirit comes upon the congregation. Perhaps she is seeking God. Perhaps she has some interest in the things of the Lord. That does not constitute placing even a regenerated disciple in the pulpit. Church leaders have a responsibility to place God fearing men and women who teach the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the hungry, the weary and the hurting. Mixing the truth with half-truth is most dangerous. New age philosophy is being spoon-fed to believers. We must be aware that the enemy of our souls will deceive even the elect if possible. This is proving to be one way to do just that. The church must stand for the truth and be wary of such practices.

Our aim

We write articles like this with the objective of warning Christians of the deception that has infiltrated the Body of Christ. The Bible has no shortage of warnings and reminders of the coming deception that others have fallen prey to such. And we feel it is our Christian duty to let others know of the wiles of the enemy, especially those who do not take time to search the Scriptures but only have Sunday sermons of their pastors for their spiritual food. Nowadays, even pastors are greatly deceived en masse. Most of them refuse to acknowledge that their 'mentors' have gone heretical and that they stick to their teachings no matter what. Let us be reminded that it is Jesus who died for our sins, not our pastors or our mentors. Warn your brother or sister if he or she loves to watch Oprah, T.D. Jakes or Joel Osteen, and Creflo Dollar, Rob Bell or Rick Warren. These false teachers should be called as they are: false teachers - and they are leading millions to hell. And it's a company you certainly would not enjoy to be with. Nevertheless, we cease not to pray for Oprah, these false teachers and all our brethren who are being deceived. While the grace of God still beckons its door, we do hope and pray that these people will still be snatched from the fire, that is if they are willing to repent.

Matthew 7:1: The Most Misunderstood Bible Verse

Perhaps one of the most shared verses from the Bible on Facebook is Matthew 7:1 which says, "Judge not, that you be not judged". The verse is fair game to those unwilling to cast judgment on others and I can see why it is one of all-time favorites. At first glance, everyone can easily relate to this - especially Christians who try to avoid getting labelled as hypocrites. Even pastors behind pulpits are quick to pull this verse off their sleeves  concerning proper conduct towards fellow believers. And we wonder why this verse is also quite popular among unbelievers - even atheists love to quote this, and use to counter Christians - it's because it is widely misinterpreted  and misused. But what does the Bible really say about judging others?

A text taken out of context, becomes a pretext

Many Christians today just take one verse out of the Bible without even poring over its whole context - and at times not going through the whole story. This practice is tantamount to isolating the taken text from its co-text. It's imperative for readers to read the whole chapter and the succeeding verses - not just one verse - for us to get what the Bible really wants to convey to us.

Matthew 7: 1-5 says;

(1) Judge not, that you be not judged. (2) For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. (3) And why behold you the mote that is in your brother's eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye? (4) or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull out the mote out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye? (5)You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother's eye.

In verse 5, we can clearly see that the Bible is actually teaching us not 'not to judge' - but 'how to judge righteously'. It says that, for us not to be called hypocrites, we must cast out first the beam that is in our own eye before we cast the mote out of our brother's eye. So you see, it's fairly easy for Christians to take this out of context - most especially if their intentions were to be in a safe side by not pointing at a brother's smudge. To stay silent about a brother or a sister engaging in fornication or adultery because you too are 'not sin-less' is ignorance of the Word - but staying silent about the same because you yourself are a fugitive murderer is another thing. The Bible actually encourages believers to judge - but rather in a righteous manner - it's just that we should be very careful when judging others. It tells us that we should not judge them if we ourselves are of the same league as them - and that is sheer hypocrisy.

What does the Bible really say about judging?

Many Christians today find themselves in a dilemma when the topic of judging surfaces in a conversation. The fear of being labelled as hypocrite is one reason why we cease to talk about our brethren getting entangled in worldly affairs. "Who am I to judge anyway" comes handy as our convenient excuse - quite petrified that the log stuck in our eye will be exposed. Seriously, it is the scenario when one still lives in darkness. But what does the Bible really say about judging? Does it say not to judge at all - or does it explicitly say that we can judge but in a manner of righteous judgment?

The following are Bible verses that show us a righteous man (one who does not conform to the world any longer) can actually make righteous judgment:

Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy - Proverbs 31:9

The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of judgment. - Psalm 37:30  

With my lips I have declared all the judgments of your mouth. - Psalm 119:13

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. - John 7:24

But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?But we have the mind of Christ. - 1 Corinthians 2: 15,16

Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judge by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know you not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life? - 1 Corinthians 6:2,3

In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul tells us to "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." The question is, how can we reprove and rebuke someone if we are not going to judge them first? That would be impossible.

On Judging and Discerning

If only to be enlightened further about the relation between judging and  discerning, I recently commented in an article in Stand Up For the Truth entitled,  'A Pastor Explains Why Discernment Has Disappeared' by Pastor Randy White (not to be confused with the other Randy White of Without Walls International Church, and ex- husband of Paula White). It's about exactly what the title suggests - Why discernment has disappeared to most Christians?

My comment goes: I know that discerning and judging are kinda same. Could it be that one of the reasons why most Christians do not have discernment is that they are afraid to 'JUDGE' (taking Matthew 7:1 out of context)? or because the Bible says we are all sinners and they don't want to sound hypocrite if they judge others?

Here are two of the replies that pretty much answered my question:

Commenter Robyn said:

When we discern truth from error we are not judging people but rather "judging" what they say when compared to what the Bible says. Very important to make the distinction, we are not to judge the person but we are told to inspect the fruit. Seems like many Christians know the verse "Judge not lest you be judged" but very few know we are also told to "test all things".

Commenter victoriadiagnello said:

There has been so much misinformation (false teaching) given to the church by the wolves that actually discourages them from any type of discerning, simply because they twist verses around like these. We are told to judge in many places of the bible. We are just not to judge as a self righteous hypocrite, they like to look down on others as it makes them feel more elevated, and condemn them before God had a chance. There is a difference, but the wolves make it look like any judgment is 'unloving', which of course, is dead wrong, we are to judge and discern just as the bible dictates. They spread this deception because it advances their own agendas of further deception and apostasy and their other 'goals.

Final thoughts

The Devil is the father of lies and he is good at deception and twisting Scripture. If we want to avoid misinterpretation of the Word of God, we must not just read, but also study the Bible carefully - praying to God for wisdom and understanding. Discernment is what very few Christians pray for and  the lack of it leads to a dangerous path in these end times. Hosea 4:6 tells us that God laments for "My people perish for lack of knowledge". Judging and discerning are two inseparable entities that are essential to everyday Christian living. I agree with Paul Washer when he said and I quote, "People tell me, 'Judge not lest ye be judged.' I always tell them, Twist not Scripture, lest ye be like Satan.". 

Get Rich Quick Online: Booby Trap For Christians

If you are active on social media such as Facebook, chances are your wall or private messaging has been awash with invitations to join online business ventures that their unabashed persistence gets so pretty annoying. Not to be content with an invitation for you to like certain pages so that you get to understand the dynamics of how to become rich solely via Facebook, your posts could also be targets as platform for never-ending business links that they pass as comments. And that's the last thing you would want to see underneath your posts. Others may go the extra mile by brazenly posting countless links on your wall if they find out you are not savvy enough to control your setting. While it is best to ignore them, most people may take offense at it for this rude and intrusive behavior.

A Christian Dilemma

As Christians, your are thrown into a dilemma of how to handle the situation without them getting offended. It is this easy if those invites come from unbelievers or virtual friends whom  you actually don't know: hit the block button if this fellow has nothing but business blah blah, get-rich-schemes posts that you see 24/7 on your home feed. (Expect that they live off on their generous time to get people on board their schemes and that it doesn't bother them a bit how people would react to such an aggressive intrusion.)

Here lies the conflict: what if that person is a fellow Christian whom you see in a weekly or bi-weekly basis because you belong in one church? So, how would you deal with such an enormous burden of confronting him or her that you don't share with his/her passion to get rich that easy? I am in no way undermining people who only desire to uplift their economic situation in life - that is a noble objective - everyone strives to do the same - as every human being naturally does. Most unbelievers do not see anything wrong with it - that is very normal to them, but in a Christian perspective, how is this even a thing of real value and priority? Does the Word of God fall short in admonishing us believers that "contentment with godliness is great gain"?

Christian brother or sister in a workplace scenario:

"Everyone in the office knows that I am a born-again Christian - I've spoken loud and clear about my faith, and my boss knows that too. People like me have a reputation of being harmless and trustworthy. Easily I earn respect for being "closer to God than anyone in the group". I started with very few and select group of people as my Facebook friends. I post beautiful Bible verses daily and get tons of likes for it. I have always wanted to invite more people into the church - after all I have read about the Great Commission and wanted people to experience the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Things drastically changed when I got stuck on a video sent by one of my friends that encourages online business with no fuss at all. Simply arm yourself with substantial time on Facebook and start befriending as many people as you can. "That is quite normal for a starter - the harder you work and spend time more online, the better and bigger the result" was some sort of encouragement from my top line. Before I know it, I was deep in a plunge as financial gains albeit insignificant come in a trickle. I heeded their advice and got fairly good result with my "persistence and hard work". This time, I almost breached the Facebook limit allowed for my number of friends.

Of course I would argue that I am not in sin by reaping the benefits of my hard work. It's just that, I have neglected my prayer time and even at work when there is time to read the Word of God,  my mind is preoccupied with something else. I hate to accept it but my online preoccupation has impacted my spiritual life negatively, so much so that instead of sharing the gospel of Jesus to other people I tend to encourage them instead to join my network. Well, I can still compensate my lack in that department by sparing my few hours to church on Thursdays to practice so that I am still visible during worship service on Fridays." Really?

Church leadership's failure to address the issue

What if the pastor and elders fail to see there is something unhealthy going on in your walk with God? Are they not your Facebook friends that they fail to notice your "entrepreneurial gifts" through your posts? Or perhaps they honestly do not see anything hideous with your posts so that admonishing you as a brother is the last thing they ought to do? Or maybe they feel reluctant to enlighten you so as not to offend you? And worst what if you are not alone? in fact there are many of you in the church and some are elders, pastors, 'prophets' or prophetesses' that are into this kind of activity.

Why entice people to the possibility of becoming millionaires if they join your business network online? Is God's provision not enough for all our needs?  This is no ordinary invitation for it is shockingly coming from a supposed prophetess who is known in this Christian community. You will see in her Facebook posts  "wealthcoming" her new recruits - some are even pastors. Seriously, have we gone that low in our Christian walk? What is more shocking is that, I have yet to hear church leaders rebuking and being rebuked for this ungodly activity. 

The apostle Paul's warning

The apostle Paul was very clear about his warnings concerning "false teachers and the love of money" lumped into one as being inseparable in their significance to Christian doctrine. In his first letter to Timothy chapter six, the apostle Paul rejected other teachings that have pervaded the church apart from the gospel that he received from the Lord Jesus Christ. He underlined the virtue of "godliness with contentment as great gain" as opposed to others whose focus are earthly gains. 1 Timothy 6:10 is a verse often misquoted by many " as money being the root of all evil, instead of the love of money as the root of all evil. There is absolutely nothing wrong with money for it is a necessity in life, but when your love for it supersedes its necessity then expect evil to abound. 

Wake up Christians! It's time to go back to basic. Read, study and search the Word of God so that we fall not into diverse temptations from the enemy. He will use even matured people in the faith, even the one next to you or even the one you admire the most in the church. Personally, I cringe seeing this activity being prevalent anywhere among church people, and if by any indication, I do not see its peril being exposed in churches anytime soon. And because we desire financial prosperity more than spiritual discernment, we will duly reap what we rightfully deserve, at a cost.