Fundamental Baptist Christian

The prosperity gospel is indeed one gospel which isn't another. I remembered how a Filipino quack ministry called "Kapa Ministry" which means "Kabus Padatu-on" or "Let the poor be rich." got sacked for several cases of financial scams. Now, I thought why do people join them? I remembered why I dropped listening to Joel Osteen as a newborn Christian is something I'd like to think was Holy Spirit conviction. I watched Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) sick of Roman Catholic doctrine, there were some biblical doctrines - that was until I found out that the network was in cahoots with the Vatican! Then I remembered why I even stopped watching the shows of Apollo C. Quiboloy and Wilde Almeda - they were emphasizing the prosperity gospel. These people do gather a lot of followers. I don't want to deny there's financial literacy involved. Yes, people do get scammed by too good to be true promises because of a lack of financial literacy. A ...

The recent cases of financial scams made me think what remedy should be given to the incident. There has been one massive financial scam after the other. At a theological perspective - I would really say, "Yes." to it. While the Old Testament ceremonial law has been long obsolete (and Christians may now freely eat bacon and shrimp as long as the doctors don't prescribe against it) but the death penalty was instituted by God. To say that the death penalty is against God's wishes needs to reread the Bible all over again. I noticed many financial scam cases result in a rather ridiculous sentence. Somebody can be sentenced to hundreds of years in jail - as if the person can live that long! A recent scammer was sentenced to jail for 455 years in jail. The problem with life imprisonment is that there's more room for hideous criminals to escape sooner or later. One can argue that the death penalty may slay an innocent person - it's only because false witnesses aren...

The Bible teaches the separation of church and state in the New Testament. However, it doesn't mean that the Church has no right to criticize the state for its shortcomings (such as John the Baptist criticizing Herod Antipas' adultery and Paul talking to King Herod Agrippa II in the Book of Acts) and it doesn't exempt any religious institution from submitting to authorities either (Romans 13:1-7). What is the separation of church and state mean? this is what " All About History " says about it: The constitution states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Both the free exercise clause and the establishment clause place restrictions on the government concerning laws they pass or interfering with religion. No restrictions are placed on religions except perhaps that a religious denomination cannot become the state religion.  What does Romans 13:1-7 have to say about the princi...

The Reformation is remembered to have been started by two major events - the 95 Theses of Martin Luther and him burning the indulgences. The whole slogan of the Roman Catholic institution was that when a coin in the coffer clings - a soul from Purgatory springs. The Roman Catholic heresy said that Purgatory though it wasn't a second chance for people who died without grace. Rather it was taught that those who died in the grace of God must still be cleansed in Purgatory for their sins. In short, anyone who died in the mercy of God must still burn off their sins which isn't biblical. The death of Jesus on the cross is sufficient for sin so there's no need for Purgatory. The whole business of Purgatory allowed so much ill-gotten money for the Vatican throughout the centuries. This reminds me of how often masses said for the deceased faithful last for decades or even centuries. Every sacrament received required money! The problem of being a profit-driven church is not exclusi...

As I was doing some Bible reading today - I felt that I should write about the very dangerous doctrine of Balaam. The influence of Balaam goes beyond Numbers 22-24 which talk about the prophet for profit. He knew that Israel was God's chosen nation yet he chose to go against it for the sake of money. Balak means devastator and Balaam means not of the people. As a soothsayer and an unsaved man - it's obvious that he would care more about money than God. The New Testament has these to say about Balaam: 2 Peter 2:15  Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor (Beor) who loved the wages of unrighteousness ;  Jude 1:11  Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam and perished in the gainsaying of Core (Korah).   Revelation 2:14  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam , who ta...

I remembered when I was newly saved and I remembered how I used to watch Joel Osteen and other prosperity preachers on TV. One of the biggest lies that they have propagated is that God wants you best life now. The more I studied the Scripture the more I turned off the TV, the more I didn't want to watch the Trinity Broadcasting Network because of all the prosperity gospel garbage that they were giving. It was obvious that Satan really is one subtle being. No, he won't appear to you how he appears in this entry but as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Your best life now? I always felt that it's not from God but it's a lie straight from the pits of Hell. Jesus never offered anyone their best life now. Consider what was left behind. Matthew left the glamorous life of a publican. Peter and Andrew had to give up their livelihood as fishermen to be pastors. Becoming a Christian means you can lose everything... even your very own life! But Satan would want to tell y...

I remembered having a lecture on the prosperity gospel. One of the worst lies of the prosperity gospel is that giving money or the tithes and offerings to their pastors will turn you into a millionaire, God will spare them from trouble and that they can have the desires of their wicked heart. That's one of the worst heresies I've heard. On the contrary the more faithful you are to God the more you should expect enemy attacks. Some people I know are faithful in giving and their tithes and offerings yet they are not living as billionaires. The motive of giving in the prosperity gospel is to gain the false promise that God wants us happy, healthy and wealthy all the time. That's not cheerful giving isn't it? If you give money to God in exchange for material blessings then something is pretty wrong. It's a terrible misapplication of Malachi 3:9-10. Do they even know that the blessings where there isn't enough room to receive it isn't all about becoming a billi...

It's a common misconception that if the person is living with so much wealth then that person is necessarily right with God. I remembered some of the worst assumptions was that Manny Pacquiao's conversion to Christianity was the main cause of why he lost some of his battles. Some self-proclaimed Marian visionary even declared she saw Mary speak of Pacquiao's loss though the Vatican hasn't even acknowledged it to be a legitimate apparition. I don't have any reason to believe it to be a message from God either. Now take a look at the parable of the rich fool. Luke 12:16-21 says the following: And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And 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. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast ...

Some Roman Catholic apologists (the amateur or self-proclaimed ones) refuse to get saved because not only do they believe that being truly born again is through Roman Catholic infant baptism or adult baptism (which neither involve immersion by default) but also they mistakenly assume that prosperity gospel preachers are born again Christian pastors. They go ahead and cite a lot of incidents involving crooked pastors (who born again Christians oppose as workers of Satan) which also includes the prosperity gospel crowd. Why aren't prosperity gospel crowd members born again Christians? Do the Roman Catholics who object to born again Christianity know what it means to be born again? Being born again is not about doing the best you can to maintain God's grace or to get baptized. Instead, it's all about forming a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The prosperity gospel crowd doesn't teach the Gospel as it is. They don't accept Sola Scriptura. No, Sola Scriptura ...

1 Timothy 4:3-4 - "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." Just because man-centered theology is popular and liked by the majority doesn't mean it's right. Facts will always remain whether or not people believe it or they don't. Man-centered theology is very pleasing to the ears of man. Go and tell people about their total depravity and you can only expect to be persecuted. Go and tell people about how they can have their best life now and be ready to be well-accepted. It's because any doctrine that satisfies the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is easier to accept than the doctrine of man's total depravity. Right will always be right even when nobody agrees. Jeremiah 5:31 warns about the condition that people love to be in. The...

Here's a funny picture of Joel Osteen turned into "Joel Calvinsteen" which is too funny and too good not to share. At the same time, the whole idea of the prosperity gospel meets nothing with the Bible.  John 15:18-19 warns those who have been chosen of God to beware of persecution and prepare for the worst. Sorry Joel Osteen you're definitely not a born again pastor but just another idiot who preaches a feel good message that's sending people to Hell! See also: Be More Christlike, Be Ready For More Persecution! Christianity Is Not About Being Happy, Happy, Happy but Being Holy, Holy, Holy Do Your Material Possessions Come In Between Your Christian Life? Faith is Only Strengthened in Trials! How Does Authentic Faith Differ From Superficial Faith? Paul Washer's Quote to Slam the Prosperity Gospel Proof of Eternal Security Is Manifested in the Christian HOLDING FAST Until Jesus Comes! Prosperity Gospel Pastors Are Not According to God's Own Hear...

It's true God blesses but He doesn't give Christians the promise of happy, wealthy and happy lives. That's just the garbage of the prosperity "gospel" movement. Do you want to know how God blesses Christians? Let's read the Bible on a few verses about blessings: Matthew 5:11-12 says, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." Romans 8:26-28 says, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for...

The Gospel can't be destroyed because it's the truth of the Word of God. If Satan can't destroy the Gospel, there are other ways he can make sure people don't get hold of it. According to the Anglican preacher J.C. Ryle, these are by addition, subtraction or substitution to present a wrong picture of the Gospel. When you get the Gospel wrong then you're pretty much wrong on everything. I. ) Adding something to the Gospel The declaration of the Bible is that salvation is by faith alone. Satan can deceitfully work against that truth by adding works, sacraments or extra mediators to the Gospel. Here are a few examples one can observe: Conditional security requires that every saved person must do good works to stay saved rather than declare that good works is the inevitable result of being saved. The Roman Catholic system adds Mary the mother of Jesus as a co-Mediator with Jesus that all must pass through her first before they can enter Jesus. It has woefull...

People tend to think that majority wins means when majority agrees then it must be right or it must be accepted. What's often ignored is this fact that while there are times that the majority can be right but the majority doesn't make it right. What's right and wrong has never been about numbers but about facts. Everyone can go ahead and deny the facts but that doesn't change the truth. The problem today is that people have the mentality that if the majority agrees with it then it must be right. You often hear people telling people, "Observe everyone and blend in with the crowd." While one must really fall in line when one must fall in line but even if more people don't want to fall in line, you must still fall in line when one must fall in line! That's quite different than believing that if the majority does it then it must be right! Jesus had warned in Matthew 7:13-14 saying, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad i...

The problem isn't tithing but taking Malachi 3:10 out of context. The prosperity gospel loves taking verses out of context just to fill their needs. There is blessing in tithing but the problem is when the preacher says something like, "Tithe and your problems will be over. Tithe and you will get your best life now! Tithe and God will make you a millionaire. That's what Malachi 3:10 means that there won't be enough room to receive it!" It's already turning the tithes and offerings into crookery that giving your offerings means God will exempt you from the trials of life. No such verse teaches or suggests otherwise! Let's take a look at the context of Malachi 3:10 with the rest of the Bible. The more I think of that there'st not enough room to receive it that it means you're to share your blessing with others. But it doesn't mean that God exempts the faithful from trials and tribulations in exchange for faithfulness. On the contrary, the mor...

Joel Osteen preaches positive psychology and prosperity gospel. His followers can go ahead and brag that they're "right" because they have thousands of followers at Lakewood Church. They can go ahead and accuse those who stand by the Gospel truth as "bitter and jealous" individuals. But it's the truth that Christianity is never about having your best life now. The whole idea of "Your best life now." is nothing but speaking according to the lusts of the flesh. Jesus already warned ahead that if you follow Him then expect that it won't be your best life now. Matthew 10:22 and 24:9 has His warning that if you follow Him, you will be wrongfully persecuted. Following Christ has never been about attaining worldly wealth. It may also mean losing your worldly blessings. 2 Timothy 3:12 warns that living a godly life means you'll be suffering wrongful persecution from the world. John 15:18-19 and James 4:4 contrasts the Christian from the rest ...