Money-Making Bible Hucksters And Mammon

MONEY-MAKING BIBLE HUCKSTERS AND MAMMON : PT 1

Copyright 1994 - 2009 Endtime Prophecy Net

Published On : December 3, 1997

Last Updated : May 22, 2009

Online Money-Making Bible Hucksters, Freely Ye Have Received,
Jesus' Example Of Freely Sharing God's Truth, Not Infallible,
Casting The Bait, Secret Societies, Lure Of Esoteric Wisdom,
Worldly Commercial Spirit And What Is In It For Me, Helping
Others Because It Is The Right Thing To Do, Jesus' Anger In
The Temple, Simon The Sorcerer Tries To Purchase Holy Spirit,
Peter Heals Lame Man, Biblical Meaning Of The Word "Publish",
A Free Written Record, What If The Original Manuscripts Had
Been Sold?, Modern Friends Of Mammon, Abundant Life Doctrine,
Lay Not Up Treasures On Earth, We Cannot Serve Two Masters,
Dilemma Of Wealthy People, Example Of Moses & Other Examples,
Bob Dylan - You Gotta Serve Somebody, Parable Of The Sower,
Freely Preach The Gospel, Danger Of Filthy Lucre, Practicing
Humility In Our Preaching, Modern Self-Proclaimed Prophets

Some time ago, while scanning various Internet newsgroups,
I happened upon one of many messages in which the writer
offered some interesting information related to Endtime
prophecy. Following the instructions that were provided in
the message post, I sent him a reply to obtain additional
information. This person responded with an email message
which was even more tantalizing than his first newsgroup
post. It provided some additional comments on the knowledge
which this person claimed to possess, but it didn't contain
the actual information. At this point I was beginning to get
a better idea of what this man was all about. Following the
instructions in the email message, I went to the URL that he
had included. You can imagine the deep disappointment that I
experienced upon discovering that the message posted in the
newsgroup, as well as the private email message, were only
bait to lure me, and other spiritually hungry folks, to what
amounted to nothing more than a commercial web site, where
God's Word, or at least what this person claimed was the
proper interpretation of God's Word, was being sold for a
profit.

Quite frankly, I find it rather objectionable, and in fact,
it really upsets me, that modern Christianity has become so
overrun by Bible hucksters who feel that they have the right
to convert the sharing of God's truth into nothing more than
another worldly business venture. Being a prolific writer
myself, I can understand and appreciate that many Christian
writers invest a considerable amount of time, energy, thought
and money into their writing and research endeavors. However,
this is no excuse for anyone to sell the truth, or at least
what we believe to be the truth, concerning the Scriptures.
Like this person who posted a message in the newsgroup, I've
been dedicated to sharing Biblical truth with those who are
willing to hear it for many years. However, I do not sell it.
I firmly believe in what the Lord taught us in the Gospels
when He said:

". . . freely ye have received, freely give."
Matthew 10:8b, KJV

In my view, to put a price on Biblical truth is to indirectly
suggest that the only people who are worthy of hearing it, or
reading it, are those who are willing to pay for it. This, of
course, is in direct contradiction to the whole Spirit of the
Bible. This is most definitely not the method which Jesus and
His followers practiced. Jesus didn't go around on book tours
or speaking engagements in which He charged hefty fees before
He would even be willing to speak. He shared God's truth in
the open air, for all to hear, freely. Furthermore, being as
the ideas of any Christian writer are not infallible, anyone
who is foolish enough to pay money for their books, videos or
whatever it is that they are selling, is taking a big gamble.

Let us be honest about this. The truth of the matter is that
we may truly and sincerely believe in what we are writing and
teaching, but to promote such beliefs as some absolute truth
which supersedes the writings of all other Christian writers
and teachers -- as some of these fast-talking Bible hucksters
do -- is simply a product of vanity and pride, and an attempt
to enrich oneself by relying upon the gullibility of others.
As I said, I often receive emails from some of these crafty
characters, and I will sometimes visit their websites. When
they make the claim that they are going to reveal something
new, some shocking revelation that they have just discovered
which has never been heard before, -- for a modest price, of
course -- that is when they lose me. I wonder how many people
send in money to some of these money-making Bible hucksters,
only to be disappointed later when they find out exactly what
it is the writers espouse. Perhaps you are one who has been
"burned" by some of these scam artists.

You see, this is precisely the gimmick that some writers use
in order to attract gullible souls to their lairs. They will
tease you and purposely pique your curiosity with some hidden
"truth" which they have purportedly discovered; but until you
bite the bait and send in your money, they won't let you know
exactly what it is. This is the same technique that is used
by some individuals who are involved with certain so-called
"secret societies", such as the Kabbalists, Freemasons, and
other such groups. Even the Roman Catholic Church just loves
to surround things in mystery, such as the so-called secrets
of Fatima. Certain cults will employ this very same method in
order to attract new recruits. They all claim to possess some
secret knowledge, or some esoteric wisdom, or some mystical
power which is only meant for the "chosen few". You have to
go through certain initiation rites and advance one level at
a time, until they feel that you are worthy of the "ultimate
truth", and the powers which they supposedly possess. This
issue is something which I likewise discuss in some of my
Endtime and New Age articles.

Well, I am sorry folks -- no, not really -- but it is rather
difficult for me personally to believe in the sincerity of
some of these money-making Bible hucksters. If their hearts
were really right with the Lord, and if they were sincerely
interested in enlightening people, instead of in just making
money, they would freely share what the Lord has supposedly
revealed to them, and not hoard it, and only share it with
those people who are willing to pay them money for it. In my
view, such "Christian" writers are guilty of yielding to the
very same commercial spirit which has polluted the world. It
is so sad to see that everything today is based on money and
profit. There was a time when good-hearted people did things
simply because it helped someone else and because it was the
right thing to do. Now, however, everything has a price; and
so many people want to know what is in it for them first,
before they are willing to extend a helpful hand to someone.

Many of you reading this will be familiar with the story of
how Jesus became upset with the moneychangers and sellers in
the courts of the temple in Jerusalem. Those merchants were
profiting from the devotion to God of the common people, and
Jesus didn't like it one bit, as we see here:

"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all
them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the
tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold
doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be
called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of
thieves."
Matthew 21:12-13, KJV

"And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and
sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when
he had made a scourge 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; And said unto
them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my
Father's house an house of merchandise."
John 2:13-16, KJV

In another example, which is found in the Book of the Acts,
there was an evil sorcerer in Samaria by the name of Simon,
who actually thought that he could purchase the power of the
Holy Spirit from the Apostles. Consider the following verses:

"But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime
in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of
Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom
they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying,
This man is the great power of God. And to him they had
regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with
sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the
things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus
Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon
himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he
continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles
and signs which were done. Now when the apostles which were
at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of
God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were
come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy
Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid
they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles'
hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay
hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto
him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought
that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast
neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not
right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy
wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine
heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in
the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Then
answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that
none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. And
they, when they had testified and preached the word of the
Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many
villages of the Samaritans."
Acts 8:9-25, KJV

Another interesting example is found in the third chapter of
the Book of Acts, where Peter heals a lame man who is asking
for alms near the temple in Jerusalem. Peter plainly tells
the man that he has no money, and then proceeds to heal the
man by the Power of God. Even though Peter obviously has no
money, does he ask the lame man for a financial gift before
he is willing to heal him? Of course not, as we see here:

"And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried,
whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is
called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the
temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the
temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him
with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them,
expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said,
Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee:
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and
immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And
he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into
the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all
the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew
that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of
the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement
at that which had happened unto him."
Acts 3:2-10, KJV

It is plain to see then that Biblical truth, and the Power
and the Spirit of God, cannot, and should not, be bought or
sold for profit. In my view, there is no difference between
what these money-making Bible hucksters are doing today, and
what the moneychangers and temple merchants did almost two
thousand years ago. Whether you sell doves in the temple, or
exchange coins so that people can pay their tithes, or sell
books, magazines, tapes or videos which purportedly contain
the truth of God's Word, it is all the same selfish spirit of
worldly commercialism. It is making a worldly business out of
God's Divine Business of winning lost souls to His Kingdom.

On a related note, it may interest you to know that the word
"publish" is mentioned eighteen times in the Authorized King
James version of the Holy Bible. The word "publisheth" is
also mentioned four times. In every instance, these words
are not referring to writing and selling books, but rather
to verbally proclaiming or declaring something. Following
are a few examples which may be familiar to you:

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that
bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth
good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith
unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!"
Isaiah 52:7, KJV

"And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is
written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the
gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"
Romans 10:15, KJV

Notice how the Apostle Paul substitutes the word "preach" in
order to show the true meaning of the word "publish", as it
was used by the Prophet Isaiah. When Jesus told His Disciples
in Mark 16:15 to "Go ye into all the world and preach the
Gospel to every creature", that is exactly what He meant: Go
preach, or verbally publish, the Good News. Of course, thanks
to the Lord's foresight, He gave His followers the wisdom to
eventually write down everything so that future generations
of Christians could be spiritually edified by their accounts
and teachings. However, when the holy men and Prophets of the
Bible did write their various parchments, books, Gospels and
Epistles, they did not go around selling them for a profit.
They freely distributed them to the Body of Believers. It was
probably very similar to a free courier system, to maintain
communication between the early Believers. Their intent was
to exalt the Lord, and to instruct, strengthen and edify the
Church; that is, the worldwide Body of Believers. It wasn't
to earn a profit like so many of these money-making Bible
hucksters do today.

Imagine if the original writers of the Bible had only sold
their works to those who could afford them. Would the truth
of the Bible be as widely dispersed as it is today? Probably
not. It would probably be similar to when the Roman Catholic
Church intentionally kept the Bible in Latin, and out of the
hands of ordinary people, so that they could dictate what it
meant, and thus maintain control over the consciences of the
masses. Is it any wonder then that today the Roman Catholic
Church has compromised with the secular world, and continues
to be one of the largest and richest commercial enterprises?
Sadly, many other denominations have quickly followed in the
steps of the Roman Catholic Church, and are equally guilty of
the very same things. In our modern day, these money-minded
Christians don't even realize that they have fulfilled one of
the very things that Jesus warned us against when He said:

"And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the
mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may
receive you into everlasting habitations."
Luke 16:9, KJV

Nowadays, some materialistic Christians claim that the Lord
came to give us the abundant life. The Southern Baptists are
particularly notorious for promoting this false belief. They
will quote all of their favorite verses in their attempts to
justify their selfish lifestyle, but they have gotten it all
wrong. Jesus was not talking about physical abundance, but
rather spiritual abundance; that is, being rich in Spirit.
In fact, if we turn to the Sermon on the Mount, we find the
following verses:

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth
and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and
steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there
will your heart be also."
Matthew 6:19-21, KJV

So tell me; who has really misinterpreted the Scriptures?
Those verses certainly don't talk about an abundant life in
the flesh as these material-minded Christians like to claim.
Only a few verses later, Jesus made it even more clear what
He meant when He said the following:

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the
one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one,
and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
Matthew 6:24, KJV

That word "mammon" is derived from the Greek "mammonas", and
is referring to accumulating physical wealth. As Jesus also
stated in several of the Gospels:

". . . Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly
enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you,
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,
than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God . . .
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or
sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or
lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and
shall inherit everlasting life."
Matthew 19:23-24, 29, KJV

". . . Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches
to enter into the kingdom of God!"
Mark 10:24b, KJV

"So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all
that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."
Luke 14:33, KJV

The Apostle James likewise had some rather harsh words for
the rich people of the world. In the fifth chapter of his
Epistle he wrote the following:

"Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries
that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and
your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is
cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against
you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have
heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire
of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is
of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them
which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of
sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been
wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of
slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he
doth not resist you. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto
the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for
the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for
it, until he receive the early and latter rain."
James 5:1-7, KJV

Why did the Lord teach such difficult things? Quite simply,
because He fully knows and understands the heart of man; and
He realizes that the vast majority of wealthy people are not
willing, or capable, of giving up their riches. They prefer
the riches and power of this current temporal world, and not
the spiritual rewards and riches of God's Eternal Kingdom. I
have often said that we should never forget that such people
are in business to make as much money as they possibly can,
and at whatever the cost; because they are married to their
money. Furthermore, as the Apostle Paul tells us, the love
of money is the root of all evil. Why are there so many wars
and other evils in the world? In many cases, after we clear
away all of the lies and deceptions that are put in place by
worldly governments, we discover that it is all about money
and profit. Paul wrote:

"For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while
some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and
pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
1 Timothy 6:10, KJV

This secular attitude of loving money, power and fame is so
unlike that of Moses, of whom we are told in the Epistle to
the Hebrews, that he was willing to forsake it all in order
to serve the Eternal God, as we see here:

"By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be
called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to
suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the
pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of
Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he
had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he
forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he
endured, as seeing him who is invisible."
Hebrews 11:24-27, KJV

Moses could have remained in Egypt and continued living the
royal life. Perhaps Elijah could have earned his millions by
stopping the rain for the enemies of Israel. Jesus could no
doubt have been a billionaire in His day, had He charged for
His healing services and other miracles. Perhaps the Apostle
Paul could have continued to enjoy life as a self-righteous,
law-abiding, affluent Pharisee, instead of becoming number
one on the Jews' "Most Wanted" list. But that is not what
any of these men did, because they all had their eyes on
something far greater which transcends this temporal human
existence. As Paul so eloquently stated in his Epistle to
the brethren at Philippi:

"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count
them but dung, that I may win Christ,"
Philippians 3:8, KJV

As legendary folk singer Bob Dylan proclaimed more than two
decades ago in one of his powerful Christian-oriented songs,
"Now it may be the Devil, and it may be the Lord, but you
gotta serve somebody!" As was to be expected, Dylan suffered
some degree of persecution after writing such a hard-hitting
song which was so contrary to his Jewish roots. Sadly, it
seems that Bob Dylan was like the seed that was sown on the
stony ground in the Lord's Parable of the Sower, found in
Matthew 13:3-23; and after putting out a few Christian CD's,
he returned to his earlier musical roots. As Jesus stated in
that Parable:

"Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth:
and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness
of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and
because they had no root, they withered away . . . But he
that received the seed into stony places, the same is he
that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet
hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for
when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word,
by and by he is offended."
Matthew 13:5, 6, 20, 21, KJV

But to reiterate an important point that I made earlier, when
a person preaches the Word of God, such as through a public
street ministry, singing, passing out tracts, sharing God's
Word online, etc., they are fulfilling the actual meaning of
the Biblical word "publish", because they are freely sharing
the truth of the Scriptures with anyone who is willing to
receive it, and not with just a select few who can afford to
pay for it. As I explain in a number of my articles, Jesus
has already paid the full price for our Salvation by way of
His Sacrifice on the Cross; and now we must return the favor
by glorifying Him, by allowing Him to use both our bodies and
spirits as His vessels to share the Gospel of Salvation with
the world. As the Apostle Paul tells us in several of his
Epistles, as well as in the Book of Acts:

"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in
your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
1 Corinthians 6:20, KJV

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season;
reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and
doctrine."
2 Timothy 4:2, KJV

"And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you,
but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from
house to house,"
Acts 20:20, KJV

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession
is made unto salvation."
Romans 10:9-10, KJV

As far as I am concerned, when the Lord reveals something to
one of His servants, it is that person's responsibility to
freely share it with as many people as he can without giving
any thought to what he might gain in return. Isn't that what
the Bible teaches us? The Apostles of the First Century had
some very clear things to say regarding those who preached
the Gospel for personal gain -- or "filthy lucre" -- as we
see by the following verses:

"Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre;
but patient, not a brawler, not covetous . . . Likewise
must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to
much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;"
1 Timothy 3:3, 8, KJV

"For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not
selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker,
not given to filthy lucre . . . Whose mouths must be
stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which
they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake."
Titus 1:7, 11, KJV

"Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the
oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for
filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;"
1 Peter 5:2, KJV

As some of my long-time readers know, over the years, I have
devoted a lot of time and energy to this writing ministry. I
have likewise invested quite a large sum of money in it as
well. However, I really don't care if I never earn any money
from it, because I am not trying to. I am not motivated by
personal financial gain -- or filthy lucre -- and profit. My
primary interest is simply to share what I believe may be the
truth concerning the Scriptures. My primary task is to remain
faithful to the Lord's command found in Mark 16:15. As I have
said before, I believe that we each possess different pieces
of the puzzle. No one possesses the entire puzzle or knows it
all; not me, not you, not any of us. If anyone believes they
do, then they are just deceiving themselves, and are lifted
up in their own pride and vanity, and are seriously lacking
in Christian humility. As the Apostle Paul also tells us,
knowledge can puff us up, or make us proud, and that can be
dangerous:

"Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we
all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity
edifieth."
1 Corinthians 8:1, KJV

The Book of Proverbs also offers us a stiff warning regarding
those who become puffed up in their own pride, as we see by
this verse:

"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit
before a fall."
Proverbs 16:18, KJV

So again, regardless of how much the Lord may reveal to us
in His Word, we all need to maintain a level of humility in
our preaching. This is not always easy. After all, we're all
just humans who are born with a sinful nature, and that old
pride just loves to pop up whenever it can, just like one of
those stubborn jack-in-the-boxes. As the Apostle James said:

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall
lift you up."
James 4:10, KJV

Sadly, as I mentioned earlier, I've visited certain websites
where the author will boastfully exclaim, "Oh, I've got the
truth! I've received a special, unique revelation from God!
Everyone else is wrong except me! I guarantee that you will
not find this kind of information on any other website! I'm
unique! I am the one and only! I am God's Prophet!"

That is nonsense! In addition to the many self-proclaimed
"prophets" who have established themselves on the Internet,
some of those Christian mega-sites are affiliated with some
affluent church or religious organization which has piles of
money to throw around, and they are simply promoting their
particular doctrines. The point is, if they claim, "Everyone
else is wrong and we are right", you better be careful; and
please don't send them your hard-earned money. It is only in
coming together and sharing what we have that we can all get
a clearer understanding of God's whole picture. While we may
not always see eye to eye on every single point -- because
we're all different and our backgrounds and life experiences
will affect how we understand the Scriptures -- at least we
are talking, and discussing, and making our ideas available
for each other's consideration, instead of merely hoarding
what we have learned, or worse yet, selling it for a profit.

Please go to part two for the continuation of this series.

Go To Part Two . . .