Thieves In The House Of God

“WILL A MAN ROB GOD? YET YE HAVE ROBBED ME. BUT YE SAY, WHEREIN HAVE WE ROBBED THEE? IN TITHES AND OFFERINGS.” [Malachi 3:8]

Do you know we have men and women who rob from God? I am not addressing the subject of tithes here, since it cannot be affirmed that the Old Testament law of tithes is binding on the Christian Church. The principle of this law is however evident in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 “Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” This robbery I am speaking of comes from men and women who blatantly rob from God by not sowing into the Kingdom of God when it is in their power to do so. They hold back while pretending to be a cheerful and willing giver, yet their heart cringes when they think of what they could have done with the money they gave to the church. Many feel they are just giving to a preacher who is milking them and who is too lazy to get a real job, not understanding the immense calling and responsibility of those who carry the anointing of five-fold ministry upon their lives. The Bible is very clear in uncovering those who would pervert the gospel for their own gain and one would be a fool to think this spirit is not operating in the Church today, especially in light of the prosperity message taught in so many sanctuaries every week. The principle is also present concerning verse 10 of Malachi, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of host, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Would it be fair to say that when we as Christians bring our offering to the house (storehouse) of God, it should provide for not only the needs of the people in that local church, but for the gospel to go forth to the nations and their needs [spiritual and physical] be met as well? Many give money to the church out of a sense of duty, or moral obligation, yet they are starving spiritually and their seed is being cast into dry, barren soil that is incapable of producing anything for the Kingdom of God.

Let’s say that robbery carries a sentence of ten years. Would God be fair in passing that same sentence upon you for robbing from Him? What do you think God would do if say two years into your sentence you truly repented before Him and cried out to Him for mercy? I can tell you what He would say, “GO AND SIN NO MORE.” But a man who robs you, you want him to do every day of that ten years in prison, regardless of whether he or she truly repents or not. Am I sounding a little critical here? Maybe so, but the truth can be critical at times and the truth is this; if you are a Christian and someone has offended you, maybe it is time for healing, reconciliation and restoration to take place. I’ll be the first to say not every man or woman, many in fact, do not care about God or the things of God in prison, but who’s to say that your forgiving that person won’t bring them to that place of repentance in their life? Very few men and women in prison have ever known what it is like to truly be loved by a man or woman of God. I’m talking about agape love that looks past the exterior and into the heart and soul of a person. That love transcends the heinous acts of depraved humanity and sees Calvary’s blood washing them whiter than snow. Who are you and I to judge another man, when we are doing the SAME thing he is?

“Therefore thou are inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same thing. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?[i]

If you and I would view others in light of our own life before the Lord, it would probably be hard to label them a criminal, Amen? The next time you go to church and they take up tithes and offerings, judge whether or not you are a thief and a robber. There are other robbers and thieves in the Church as well, should they be locked up?

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”[ii] This is referring to false teachers who do not enter in to the sheep by the porter but try to come in some other way. They are not interested in the well-being of the sheep but rather their own personal gain and position. We know that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, but He is also the Porter, or the keeper of the door, for He IS the DOOR. The apostle Paul in speaking to the Ephesian elders said these words: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” [iii] There are thieves in the Body of Christ who go about stealing away disciples unto themselves. They are not concerned about the things of God, they just want a following, more people to support their ministry. The Holy Ghost will not just give anybody a flock of God’s sheep. He is looking for someone who has the Shepherd’s heart for the sheep. I wonder how many pastors in America fall under this scripture as a thief and robber? They steal from the people of God for their own gain and rob them of the truth that will make them free. They have nothing to give, they only take. Pulpit pimps who prostitute the Body of Christ for gain.

This spirit of a thief and robber persist in many marriages today. Women give, their husbands get, men give their wives get, but only one is doing the giving. The other is being robbed from and everything they have to give is being taken from them until they have nothing left to give. Because the one who has been taking and taking and taking feels their mate no longer cares for them, because they can give nothing, they leave and go on to their next victim. Husbands rob their wives of spiritual authority in the home because they refuse to stand in the place God has ordained them to be. When a husband will not be a servant to his wife, he is robbing from her. It is the husband’s position to deposit into the wife, so she will have abundance to give. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and GAVE himself for it;”[iv] Jesus loved us so much that He GAVE himself for us, even to the death of the cross. We received from Him so we could give to others. I don’t know about you, but that kind of love produces a response! Someone who pours his self out for you like that is worthy of honor, praise, glory, riches, adoration, love, blessings, etc. When you love your wife that kind of way, you won’t have to worry about getting back, it will flow into your life. Many women who love to receive spiritual things from their husband, but they have nothing to give. “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” [v] As a husband, I am a minister to my wife, to nourish her in the Word of God. It would be robbery for me to just provide natural things for my wife [food, clothing, and shelter] and not be able to provide eternal things as well. If the Church of America had this prison I have been talking about, how many husbands would be arrested for robbery? In tithes and offerings, in depriving their wife of spiritual food and nourishment or in taking away their covering. “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it should be holy and without blemish.”[vi] When men do not take their role in the home as a high priest before their wife, they are in essence robbing them of a spiritual covering. The man is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church. He is our covering, our High Priest and He has committed this office to you and I as men before our wives.

“Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.”[vii]

Shall we make this the punishment for robbery in the prison belonging to the Church of America? If you are found robbing from God in tithes and offerings, then you will just be fined to pay back sevenfold and you shall give ALL the substance of your home as payment. What would happen if God enacted judgment upon us like we do others?

“Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”[viii]

How many times have we robbed from God? Give me Lord, give me! Take, take, take, but do not give anything back. It is a self-willed heart, a stubborn heart that only thinks of me, myself and I. No man or woman wants to suffer wrongly but vengeance is mine saith the Lord, I will recompense. Even though this man’s brother owed him, he was in essence robbing him. He was judging his brother of the very same thing he had been guilty of, only he chose justice over mercy. Because he did that, the king called back his mercy from this man and turned him over to the tormentors. Many in the Body of Christ today have been turned over to the tormentors because they refuse to forgive those who have trespassed against them. You say, “How was this man robbing from his brother?” He had been made debt free by the king, yet now, he was having his brother thrown in jail for just a small bit of money he owed. This man was being taken from his wife, his children, his job, and they were going to be sold to pay his debt. He was being robbed of his character, his dignity, and his name. The one who had been forgiven by the king should have known what it was like to be forgiven for so great a debt and what it would have meant to his brother if he had forgive him but this man owed HIM. When we owe somebody we want mercy, when they owe us, we want justice. This is much the same way in the penal system of America. If our son or daughter commits a crime and goes before the judge, we want mercy, leniency and compassion. But turn that around and let somebody rob our home, or shoot up the neighborhood and we cry, “Crucify him, crucify him!” When was the last time you robbed from God? A not so settling thought that reaches to the very heart of who we are and not who somebody else is. Am I a criminal in the sight of God? Have I violated the laws that govern the kingdom to which I profess to be a citizen? I surmise that most had rather point to others as being the problem rather than look into the perfect law of liberty and allow it to reflect who they are in the eyes of a holy God. Only a man or woman who walks in true humility can forgive another who has wronged them and remember their sin no more. The Bible declares who the real culprit is behind the woes of society and those whom he has deceived, used, and abused. “The thief [the devil] cometh not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:[ix] The devil is a robber, a murderer, a destroyer! When someone steals from you, what spirit do you think is in operation in their life? O.K., that’s easy enough – the devil. When you rob from God, what spirit is operating in us? Would God rob from Himself? Which is of greater severity, crimes committed in the natural realm, or crimes committed in the spiritual realm? What do I mean? Have I committed a crime that deserves a greater degree of justice if I rape a woman physically, or if I rape her in my heart, where only God sees the crime carried out? If I murder a man in cold blood, is my crime more deserving of death than if I just have murder in my heart? If I rob you physically, is it any worse than me not putting my tithes and offerings in the storehouse of God? We don’t want to talk about these things in the Body of Christ but that doesn’t change the truth, nor does it change God’s opinion from His bar of justice. Crime is just as rampant in the House of God as it is in the world and until the church is willing to repent, she will never be able to forgive others who wrong her. Until we as the Body of Christ realize two things, we will continue to struggle with the issues that confront humanity and the Church.

1. We must realize that the conflict we are engaged in is not after the flesh but after the spirit.
2. We must actually believe that God can change the heart of a cold blooded murderer, rapist, or robber and raise that person up to deliver HIS people.

We are so caught up in our little egomania that we call righteousness, not even realizing that we are operating contrary to the Word of God. Will a man rob God? We rob God of His glory when we shun those who don’t meet our criteria for salvation. When we do allow them into our religious fraternity, we limit them as to how far they can go. What would our denomination look like if we let a murderer rise to the rank of Bishop? If he makes it to deacon status, he should be honored. The Apostle Paul would not have made it in our modern houses of perfection and politically correctness. I have heard Christians (I use that term loosely here) say they have no problem with men and women getting saved in prison, as long as they stay there. Hypocrite! How many thieves do you know in your church? How many Sunday’s have you robbed God of that which belongs to Him. You rob Him in finances, in worship, in reverence, and even in allowing Him His rightful place of preeminence in the very house that is called by His name. “….It is written, My House shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of THIEVES.”[x] What happens when we rob from God? “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.”[xi] When we rob from God, then He does not rebuke the devourer. We know that Satan is the devourer, so if he is not rebuked that means he has access to your things. Many Christians fall into financial debt because they rob from God. Their business goes under, their marriage crumbles, their children rebel, nothing they do seems to help, they only fall further and further behind. God cannot do what He said He wants to do in our lives until you and I do what God says for US to do. We want God’s blessing but do not want to be obedient to the Word of God. Are you a thief? That is a hard thing I just asked you, especially if the answer is “Yes.” What makes you any different from that man or woman in prison who robbed a bank, or a convenience store? Do you think God sees them any differently than He does you? He doesn’t.

[i] Romans 2:1-3 [emphasis mine]
[ii] John 10:1
[iii] Acts 20:28-30
[iv] Ephesians 5:25
[v] Ephesians 5:26
[vi] Ephesians 5:27 [emphasis mine]
[vii] Proverbs 6:30-31
[viii] See Matthew 18:23-35

[ix] John 10:10a
[x] Matthew 21:13
[xi] Malachi 3:11

Criminal Activity In The House Of God - Ch. 1

Insert from my book entitled

"CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN THE HOUSE OF GOD"

INTRODUCTION

In an age of seemingly endless violence and wickedness that permeates society day end and day out, the verse of scripture that comes to my mind most often is found in Matthew 24:12. It reads, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Men and women live in constant fear of being robbed, raped, murdered or assaulted by some deviant scourge of society’s baser sort. To confront their fear, anger and seemingly inability to do anything about crime and its effect, harsher sentencing has been legislated to keep the criminal element locked away longer from what is considered “good,” “moral,” “law-abiding” citizens. Rehabilitation is looked upon as unrealistic and ineffective to penetrate the hardened hearts and souls of those who violate the laws of free society, the laws that are designed to prevent anarchy and chaos from running rampant among civilized people. Oddly enough, it seems that many who are by terminology “free,” have turned their home into a prison by putting bars on their windows and doors in an attempt to lock away that which they feel threatened by. No one is exempt from crime, not even the Church. Hate crimes, arson, burglary, members being shot and even killed at Church, some even taking their own life. Pedophiles prey on innocent children, adultery rips homes apart and the divorce rate within the Church is becoming greater than that of the world. Is the Church powerless? Has the Church loss the ability to address the issues of our times, or has the love of many waxed cold because iniquity has abounded? What about “….But where sin did abound, grace did much more abound:”[1] Has God’s grace been lessened, or has it just been trampled on?
The attitude of the Church of America has for the most part become one with the world, when it comes to crime and punishment. The majority of professing Christians believe in the death penalty. They believe in tougher sentencing laws, as well as criminals doing the time if they do the crime. IS THAT BIBICIAL? Another question arises: Is the Church[1] as concerned about Criminal Activity in the House of God as they are with its activity in the world?
The purpose of this article is not to take sides with any one group or to necessarily say that I am right and you are wrong. It is simply written to invoke this thought into the mind of the Believer: “If Christians are so adamant and concerned about crimes being committed against man, shouldn’t Christians be as equally unbending in their stand against crimes being committed against God – IN HIS HOUSE? What would happen if we as the Body of Christ addressed the issue of crime and punishment in the same manner God does? What effect would it have on the penal system of America? How many men and women in the church support the death penalty, yet they are murderers in God’s eyesight? Do they deserve the death penalty as well? If the Church of America built a prison and those who committed crimes against God were sentenced to that prison, would you be one of them? Would Jesus, who is our Advocate[2], have enough evidence to exonerate you? I know we have grown accustomed to saying, “I plead the blood,” but the blood doesn’t cover ignorance and rebellion. What would you want God to do for you at your trial? At what point, if you were sentenced to prison would you want God to forgive and release you? Or, would you still hold to, “….an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” [ii] This has been the doctrine of many Christians when it comes to those who offend them, yet when they offend others, the cry is, “We are not under the LAW anymore, but we are under GRACE!”
I pray you read this prayerfully and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you God’s heart for the prisoner. Do we forget the victims? God forbid! But who truly is the victim? Were the two demon possessed men in the tombs of the Gergesenes criminals? The Bible says they were “exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.”[iii] Both the victim and the victimizer have been touched by the prince of darkness and his hordes of hell and both need to be restored, reconciled and brought to the foot of the cross of Calvary. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse the wound of sin and cover the transgression of a blinded soul. LOVE covers ALL sin[iv] but when LOVE waxes cold, the ONE thing that identifies us as being the children of God vanishes – it is taken away! If you are a Christian reading this book and you have been the victim of a crime, I pray you will find God’s grace to say to the one who offended you – “I forgive you” Not only forgive but forget also. You say I can forgive but never forget but that is not the nature of God and we have His divine nature. If He can forget, you can forget. If you are reading this and you are a person who has committed a crime against another, I pray Christ Jesus has reconciled you to God. Secondly, that you pray for and seek God concerning the reconciling and restoring of the person(s) you have offended.

CHAPTER 1

MURDERERS IN THE HOUSE OF GOD

“WHOSOEVER HATETH HIS BROTHER IS A MURDERER: AND YE KNOW THAT NO MURDERER HATH ETERNAL LIFE ABIDING IN HIM.” [1 John 3:15]

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer ... - That is, he has the spirit of a murderer; he has that which, if it were acted out, would lead him to commit murder, as it did Cain. The private malice, the secret grudge, the envy which is cherished in the heart, is murderous in its tendency, and were it not for the outward restraints of human laws, and the dread of punishment, it would often lead to the act of murder. The apostle does not say that he who hates his brother, though he does not in fact commit murder, is guilty to the same degree as if he had actually done it; but he evidently means to say that the spirit which would lead to murder is there, and that God will hold him responsible for it. Nothing is missing but the removal of outward restraints to lead to the commission of the open deed, and God judge’s people as he sees them to be “in their hearts.” What a fearful declaration, then, is this! How many real murderers there are on the earth besides those who are detected and punished, and besides those open violators of the laws of God and man who go at large! And who is them that should not feel humbled and penitent in view of his own heart, and grateful for that sovereign mercy which has restrained him from open acts of guilt - for who is there who has not at some period of his life, and perhaps often, indulged in feelings of hatred, and envy, and malice toward others, which, if acted out, would have led to the commission of the awful crime of taking human life? Any man may well shudder at the remembrance of the secret sins of his own heart, and at the thought of what he would have been but for the restraining grace of God. And how wonderful is that grace which, in the case of the true Christian, not only restrains and checks, but which effectually subdues all these feelings, and implants in their place the principles of love! [Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible]
Nobody wants to come right out and say, “Hey, I’m a murderer!” Yet the truth is, we have men and women sitting in church who are just that. Racism is as much alive in the Church as it is in the world, largely in part to the traditions of men, doctrines of devils, seducing spirits and just a host of hellish schemes, wiles, darts, devices and lies that have been propagated as to why races can’t come together in the same house and serve the same God that we all are suppose to belong too. The South has always been fertile ground for the operation of racial strife and has even been watered by well-meaning preachers who are ignorant of spiritual things. Hatred is not limited to race either. Hatred is present when the love of God is absent. “If a man say, I love God and hateth his brother, he is a LIAR: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”[v] This spirit of murder in the body of Christ is usually passed on as a generational curse unknown to the one it operates in until light is shed upon that spirit and truth is given that will expose it for what it really is. The Word of God says that men hated Jesus without a cause.[vi] Jesus also made this statement, “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.”[vii] Why did Cain kill his brother Abel? “….because his own works were evil and his brother’s righteous.”[viii] I know people who are saved and yet this spirit of murder still has ground in their mind. Especially in the South were black and white issues seem to magnify themselves more so than anywhere else in the country. They see “color” and not “Christ.” This spirit is starting to be exposed and the cloak of blindness removed. Do you know of anyone in your church – maybe you – who has this spirit of hatred in their heart toward another? That is why Jesus spoke so strongly concerning forgiveness. In no uncertain terms He said, “IF YOU DO NOT FORGIVE – YOU WILL NOT BE FORGIVEN”[ix] Unforgiveness opens the door for hatred, malice, envy, strife, bitterness – MURDER! Is spiritual murder a lesser crime than natural murder in God’s eyesight? “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca,[3] shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danager of hell fire.”[x] The one scripture, or part of scripture, that is used when it comes to justification of the death penalty is “an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.”[xi] Unfortunately nobody every makes mention to what Jesus [you know the One who is the Head of the Church, the One we call Lord and Savor] said in the NEW Testament [Covenant]. The TRUTH is, we run to the OLD Testament when we want JUSTICE and to the NEW when we want MERCY. Listen to what Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also..”[xii] I have learned that for the most part, many that snatch an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth out of Scripture do so only because they have HEARD someone else do it.
Let’s stop for just a moment and for the sake of truth, we will agree that those who commit murder are worthy of the death sentence. Under Old Testament law, it was commanded that those who shed innocent blood were to be put to death. Are we willing to accept all “other” crimes under the Law that carried the death penalty as well? Are we predisposed to say in our heart that what GOD says is worthy of death – we agree with Him? If so, let’s take an in-depth look at this subject and then decide WHO is worthy of the death penalty.
Remember, the issue that is before us is what would happen if the Church of America built a prison. If this prison was built and all those that transgressed the laws of God were locked up, would you be there and what would be your sentence? For the sake of argument, we are going to agree that God agrees with the death penalty. Since the Bible says that God is the same and never changes,[xiii]that must mean what He said was worth of death THEN, is worthy of death NOW.
CRIMES PUNISHABLE BY DEATH IN THE BIBLE
There are forty-two crimes in the Bible that are punishable by death. We will not cover all of them because some of them do not apply to the context of this book, such as: “Eating leavened bread during the feast of unleavened bread.”[xiv] Or, working on the Day of Atonement.[xv] The SINS listed are ones that are very much a part of our society and church today.
1. MURDER (Gen. 9:6; Ex. 21:12-14, 20, 23-25; Lev. 24:17, 21; Num. 35:16-34; Deut 19)
We have already established the fact that murder is considered a crime punishable by death. Many argue that since we are created in the image of God that He holds this crime somehow higher above all others. The fact of the matter is, “All unrighteousness is sin.”[xvi] Would you agree that crime equals sin? A criminal act is a manifestation of a choice by an individual to yield to an evil spirit that has suggested, influenced, driven or possessed that individual to some degree. The apostle James puts it this way, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”[xvii] Finnis Dake[xviii] describes the seven steps in temptation of this verse as follows:
1. Tempted: thought of evil (v.14)
2. Drawn away: strong imagination (v.14)
3. Lust: delight in viewing it (v.14)
4. Enticed: weakening of the will (v.14)
5. Lust conceived: yielding (v.15)
6. Sin: sinful act committed (v.15)
7. Death: result of actual sin (v.15)
The lusts of men open them to the influence of evil spirits. This influence varies in levels and in effect, depending on various factors in the person.
1 John Chapter 5, let’s find out the church position on crime (sin).
“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”[xix] Right here the apostle John is showing us our position in prayer as believers and the confidence we have in knowing that our God not only hears us but that we have what we desire of Him. Then he shows the heart of God. “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.”[xx]
We know the Bible says the only sin that cannot be forgiven is blaspheming the Holy Ghost.[xxi] What a difference the Church could make in the penal system of America if we would start asking God to give LIFE to those in prison instead of DEATH. If God is not willing that any, including the prisoner, should perish but that all should come to repentance,[xxii] shouldn’t we? There are men and women who go to prison who are backslidden brothers and sisters. I personally know men in prison who once were pastors and leaders in their church but are now scorned, rejected and for all intent and purposes; have been given a death sentence by the very ones who once loved them. Then there are men and women in prison who could care less about God, Christianity or Christians but we have THAT in the CHURCH on the outside! Do we stop operating in the principles of Kingdom life because of those who reject us or our God? God forbid! Is murder at the top of the sin list? Then let’s go back and re-visit our foundation scripture for this subject.
“WHOSOEVER HATETH HIS BROTHER IS A MURDERER: AND YE KNOW THAT NO MURDERER HATH ETERNAL LIFE ABIDING IN HIM.” [1 John 3:15]
Anybody who doesn’t believe racism is in the Body of Christ has chosen not to discern the body and its members. White Christian, do you love your black brother’s and sister’s? Black Christian, do you love your white brother’s and sister’s?[4] Would you embrace them on the street in front of your friends, in a mall or restaurant – or would you be embarrassed by them? Do you invite them to your church, to your home to eat, to the places you go? Can you come together with clean hands and a pure heart for no other reason than just to worship God? This doesn’t just apply to black and white but any brother or sister in the Body of Christ. Unforgiveness produces a murderous heart. That is why the Lord said if you do not forgive me their trespasses; neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.[xxiii] When men and women refuse to forgive one another, it blocks the law of love from working in their life. Read 1 Corinthians 13. When the love God is of none affect in the life of a Christian, it opens the door for every evil work of the flesh to manifest itself.[5] Unforgiveness pulls mercy out of the hands of God and prevents Him from restoring the transgressor and healing the offended. Why is it, if we are going to agree with the death penalty, that we do not apply that punishment to every case? Is murder not murder in some instances? Yes there were laws for accidental murder but scripture reveals the truth behind all murder. In Deuteronomy Chapter 19, there is reference to three cities being set apart as cities of refuge. The purpose of these cities was for the slayer to flee to who killed his neighbor ignorantly, “…who he hated not in time past.”[xxiv] Why were these cities put in place? “Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him because the way is long and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.”[xxv] Hatred is the root of murder [read about Cain & Abel in Genesis 4:1-9 and see 1 John 3:11-12]. When someone kills your loved one, it causes the heart to become hot with revenge and the only thing your heart desires is revenge. I’m talking to Christians in this book. Many who profess Christ have formed advocacy groups to keep men and women in prison because they have allowed their heart to become filled with hate and unforgiveness. They could not enact the justice they felt the crime merited, so they formed a group to “speak for the victim.” Man or woman of God reading this, why don’t you let GOD speak for you? Why could Jesus tell the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”[xxvi] Jesus knew what the LAW said, this woman was worthy of death! The law commanded it! Wasn’t Jesus the WORD OF GOD? Wasn’t He the one who said He did not come to CHANGE the law but to FULFILL it? Why then would He go contrary to the very law that was written for me to uphold? Was it because the law stated that when someone was caught in the act of adultery the man and woman were to be stone and in this case, they did not bring the man? They did say she was caught in the very act, so the man had to have been there. Could it have been because Jesus saw their hypocrisy? Yes, this is a logical conclusion as well. Or, could it be that Jesus simply had mercy on this woman and wanted her to know the love of God? What do you think Jesus forgiving this woman did to her? I’m telling you, there is power in those three words – “I FORGIVE YOU.” Jesus could look out over hurting, dying, sin laden, wicked humanity that cried, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” and say, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do,” because He love us and yet we refuse to forgive those who offend, hurt and cause us pain. Listen to the parable of Matthew 18:23-35 and learn the heart of God.
“Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.[6] But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me; Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. SO LIKEWISE shall my heavenly father do also unto you if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”[xxvii]
Remember the cities of refuge? The reason for the slayer going there was so the avenger of blood would not pursue him while his heart was hot. We could say while he was angry and wanted revenge. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth? When someone hurts you or someone you love dearly, the first thing we want to do is make them pay for it. Would I stand by and let somebody beat on my wife? Of course not! I would probably give that rascal a ten second (or less) jump start and tell him he better be finding the city of refuge and it ain’t the one he is in now! But at what point do we TRUST God for everything in our lives? At what point is He LORD? We stand on the Word of God and quote scriptures about how we abide under the shadow of the Almighty, He is our rock, our fortress, our shield, our buckler and our trust is in Him but let somebody offend us and we are ready to get out of the shadow. The TRUTH is this: If you are not willing to forgive that man or woman who committed a crime against you -–regardless of how brutal and vicious – and see them restored and reconciled to God, then your Father can’t and won’t forgive you. No matter how active you are in church, no matter what your position in the church, no matter what service you offer for the Kingdom of God, it will not prosper and God’s hand is not upon it. You are in error, you are in rebellion and you are in sin – the wages of sin is DEATH! You have put your own self under a death sentence by not forgiving someone you feel is worthy of death and not worthy of God.
In the parable of the servant and king, this servant owed a debt he could not pay and the king was going to sell everything he owned and throw him into prison until the debt was paid (never would have been) but he cried out for mercy. The king forgave him his debt and let him go. What was the first thing he did? He went and found a fellowservant (brother) who owed him really nothing compared to what he owed the king and he laid hold on that brother and took him by the throat and said, “GIVE ME WHAT YOU OWE ME!” His brother did the same thing with him that he had down with the king in begging for mercy but did he show mercy? No. He had his brother thrown in prison. When his other brothers saw what he had done, they went to the king about it and that man was called back before the king. Do you know there are brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ who are standing before the King concerning you if you are like this man? This time there was no mercy, but judgement. The king called him a wicked servant. He was turned over to the tormentors until he paid all that was due him. There are men and women in the Body of Christ who have been turned over to the tormentor (Satan) because they refuse to forgive their brothers and sisters and are walking around with murder in their heart. If we are not willing to lay down our life for that person who has offended us, then we have no right to JUDGE them unworthy to live. Jesus laid down His life while we were yet sinners, His enemies![xxviii] He has a right to judge you and I because we are without excuse. If you and I are walking around singing, “Oh how I love Jesus” and yet won’t forgive those who have offended us, we are nothing more than hypocrites. I look and listen at people on television, in newspapers and on the radio talk about crime. I have heard them say, “God might can forgive them, but I can’t.” That person according to the bible will not enter into heaven. I have heard, “I forgive them but I think they should do the time if they do the crime.” That isn’t Jesus, that is FLESH speaking. What if we stand before God and He says, “I forgive you but I think you should pay for your sin.” We would all spend eternity in hell. Our prison systems do not need another Parole Board. We need men and women of God with discerning who have the mind of Christ and understand the things of the Spirit of God. Some of the greatest men and women of God this generation will ever see are going to walk out of the prisons of America and the devil knows that. This is why he fights so hard to keep men and women of God behind bars. “They just got jailhouse religion.” What’s the difference between that and “church house religion?” What would have happened if the Church had brought the apostle Paul to trial for all the “war crimes” he committed against the church? I mean he had Christians thrown in jail, tortured, killed and no telling what else. If you were a follower of Jesus Christ, you were marked for death! If in America [and it will come] they start putting to death Christians, would you oppose the death penalty then? The ironic thing is this, once Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, there is NO mention whatsoever of the church or God ever mentioning to him his crimes or act of violence against them ever again. You say, “Well, he did it in ignorance.” Would you say that if it happened today, to your wife, your husband, your son or daughter? Let’s get down to the truth. Does God forgive MURDER? If He doesn’t then the apostle Paul is doomed to hell. Moses is doomed to hell. King David is doomed to hell. Billy Wallace is doomed to hell. Is there a price to pay for murder, you bet there is. But, is that price life in prison with no hope of every being free again? That is a worse price than the death penalty ever could be. Do we excuse murder and just let those who commit such an act to just walk out of prison, God forbid! But when a person truly turns to God with his whole heart, soul and mind, do we just turn blind eyes to that? Do we pat them on the back and tell them to start a prison ministry, which may be what God wants you to do?
I ask again, is there murder in your heart? If you were brought before the Judgement Seat of Christ right now, would you have clean hands and a pure heart? Would there be a root of prejudice there? Unforgiveness? Hatred? Murderer? You know your heart – JUDGE YOURELF right now and you will have no need that the Lord judge you.
Let’s look at other crimes that were punishable by death under the LAW – what God said was worthy of death – and consider WHY they are not held in the same light as murder.
2. Adultery (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22-30; Proverbs 6:32; Matthew 5:27-28; John 8:3-11; James 2:11)
“And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer AND the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” [Lev. 20:10]
“If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman; so shalt thou PUT AWAY EVIL FROM ISRAEL.” [Deut. 22:22-30]
You will find that in virtually every case of God commanding someone to be put to death, it was to PUT EVIL FROM THE MIDST OF THE PEOPLE. God understands the operation of demonic spirits in the human race and how they influence and govern the lives of those who yield themselves as willing (and unwilling through ignorance) vessels. Most Christians (professing) have absolutely no understanding or discerning when it comes to the workings of the prince of the power of the air in modern times. Sin contaminates and infest the human race like an incurable plague. The prophecy that the promised seed would come through a virgin[7] was enough for Satan to launch every manner of sexually immoral spirit from the pits of hell against Israel, in an attempt to engulf them in lust and lasciviousness. In God’s eyes, ADULTERY was worthy of the DEATH PENALTY. If we as the Body of Christ are so resolute to be in line with the Word of God, then why don’t we press for legislation that makes adultery a crime punishable by death? I’ll tell you why. Because we have churches that are full of adulterers and adulteresses. Why would Legislators enact a bill that would condemn many of them to die? “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I (Jesus) say unto you, That whosoever (saved or unsaved) looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”[xxix]Let’s take this sin of adultery one step further. “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”[xxx] The Word of God equates spiritually that a Born Again believer who is a friend of the world [that means to be “in agreement with”] is an enemy of God. In other words, when someone who is saved takes side with the world, they are committing spiritual adultery, because they are estranged from their husband – Jesus Christ. We have men and women in the Church who profess Christ, yet they are in bed with the world and have been defiled by its enticement. The law said if a man committed murder, he was to be put to death but let’s look at another scripture, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little. We need to get the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, Amen? “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou are become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”[xxxi] Right here we have murder and adultery side by side and under the law, they both were punishable by death. Why then do we show the one MERCY and the other JUDGMENT? Is it because we deem on more vile, ruthless and callous than the other? Why would God hold them both in the same light of justice? We say a murderer is not worthy of mercy, yet a man who destroys his home, the trust and faith of his wife and kids, the sanctity of marriage and reeks untold mental and emotional damage upon them just goes on to the next marriage, things didn’t work out. We can reverse the role and put the woman in the man’s place but the principle is still there. Jesus said a man was not to put his wife away except for the cause of adultery. Adultery equates to murder of a marriage. It kills dreams, hopes, visions, love, trust and everything pure that God intended it to be. Yet in truth, adultery was not intended as a way out of marriage. God’s plan is for a husband and wife to be together until death do them part, or until Jesus comes again. Marriage was to be a covenant between a man and woman that was as binding as the covenant the Believer has with Christ. The apostle Paul likened marriage to the churches relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh, This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” [xxxii] Listen to what Jesus said, “He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness[8] of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so.” [xxxiii] What did the apostle James say in verse 12 of Chapter 2? “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” We have no problem saying a man or woman should be put to death for physical murder but the truth is this: If we judge [as Christians], a man or woman worthy of death because they commit a physical murder, are we willing to stand before a holy God and be judged for the murderers and adulteresses that sit in our church every Sunday? Watch this, James was saying we should weigh what we say and do in light of our own judgment. “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”[xxxiv] When you show no mercy – you get no mercy. Yes, God is a God of judgment but He is a God of mercy too! The Bible says, “….his mercy endureth for ever.”[xxxv] Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”[xxxvi]
So, what judgment are we to come too? Do we include adultery as being a crime punishable by death? God, not Billy Wallace, said it was a crime punishable by death. Or, do we excuse it because it has become so prevalent.
We say that by imposing the death penalty for murder, that will discourage others from committing the same crime. Do you think maybe God had that in mind when He commanded those caught in adultery to be stoned to death? For the sake of argument, what would happen if we did make adultery a capital offense? Would the divorce rate go down [in the church]? Would men be more faithful to their wives or wives to their husbands? Would there be less marriages? In Jesus day, even at the risk of being stoned to death, men and women still committed adultery, murder, and every other crime that is still present in our society today. The punishment did not deter the crime because the root of crime – SIN – was still in operation as it is in operation today. To be blunt, the Bible clearly teaches that in these last days, iniquity shall INCREASE. What that means to all those experts who are coming up with new and better ways to rehabilitate sinners on the arm of the flesh is this – your programs are not working and never will. It is going to take an outpouring of the Holy Ghost and fire that rends the hearts of hardened souls and brings them to the foot of the cross of Calvary to be washed in the blood of the Lamb. What if the young women of today were put in the position of those who married in that day of having to bring a token of her virginity? [9] “But if this thing be true, [she wasn’t a virgin] and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone here with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.”[xxxvii] Can you imagine as a father the man who married your daughter coming to your house and telling you that your daughter was a whore? Playing a whore was punishable by death but today it is not even preached from the pulpit! Listen, justice then was swift and without question. The woman was brought to the door of her father’s house and stoned to death by the men of the city. Today, young men and women who sit in church are being taught how to have safe sex in their schools. Parents put their daughter on the pill, just in case, and wonder why they give not thought to being virtuous. Swift punishment in that day did not deter crime and it certainly will not in this day in time where iniquity doth abound! Why don’t we make “playing the whore” a crime of capital offense? That way we might not have so many teenage girls walking around with babies in their bellies that they can’t take care of and boys might think twice before trying to get a young girl in bed. What would happen if the church truly put “…evil away from among you?” Every sin would be swiftly dealt with and put to death in the flesh. As a born again believer, you and I have the power to put to death sin in our mortal body.
3. Sodomy (Leviticus 20:13)
“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”
Homosexuality was an abomination to God when He wrote the Bible and it still is in this age that we live in. One need only behold this spirit operating in the realm of religion to see its devastating consequences. The front pages of newspapers and media declare its fruit and reveal its victims. Oddly enough, many churches have embraced this abomination, invited it into the house of God and even ordained it to stand in the pulpit. I ask a question, not a popular one, but a valid one just the same. If the law that homosexuals were put to death were still in effect in our modern society, would the AIDS epidemic that has reeked untold tragedy in this nation and the world even exist? Would homosexuals be parading up and down the streets of America demanding to be treated the same way as a man and woman who are married? The same Christians who support the death penalty for murderer and cry for justice refuse to stand up and declare the righteousness of God against the abominable lifestyle of men and women who want to teach their children this lifestyle as well. School curriculums that embrace this perverseness are constantly being introduced to the Board of Education and yet the greatest stand of the Church is to boycott Disney World. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness in practicing homosexuality. Do you think He will overlook this sin in the House of God because weak, anemic, spineless, lukewarm, powerless preachers and Christians bring it into the church? Why isn’t legislation passed to make this SIN punishable by death once again? Because this sin has infected every facet of society – even the church. Isn’t someone who has AIDS actually committing murder when they have sex with another person without that person having knowledge of their disease? How much money has this nation spent to pay for the sexual immorality that runs rampant? How much hush money have preachers and churches spent to keep their appearance? “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? Know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? For two saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. FLEE FORNICATION. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” [xxxviii] Your wife is your body, husband. When you commit adultery, you are taking your wife into your crime against God and she becomes an unknown victim of your disobedience. You are putting to death the covenant that you made with that woman when you told her that you would forsake all others and cleave to her only. We have already discussed adultery earlier. Let’s touch on this issue of sodomy [homosexuality]. Romans Chapter 1 reveals this heart of apostasy and reveals the true spirit behind this abomination. Sodomy is not only apostasy from God but it is desertion from God’s divine plan for man and woman.
“Because that when they knew[10] God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations,[11] and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beast, and creeping things.”[xxxix]
This shows categorically how the door is opened for this spirit to operate and the damning results that follow. They knew God, but they did not glorify God. They were unthankful and became vain in their imaginations. The footnote by Finnis Dake states they substituted foolish concepts of God and in doing so, fooled themselves. The concept that “God made me this way,” “God loves me just like I am,” “Jesus was a homosexual,” etc., is an example of foolish concepts that have caused men and women to fool themselves into thinking God agrees with their perverse lifestyle. Their foolish heart was darkened. It is a foolish heart that thinks a man or woman can do that which is contrary to the Word of God and have God’s approval. Professing themselves to be wise – they became fools. The wise of this world need to know that they are a fool to think they can parade homosexuality into the House of God and a holy God not judge that which He Himself calls an abomination. Why would God judge it? Because they changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image that was like them! When you touch that which is holy and try to bring it down to a degraded state of debauchery and human flesh, you are inviting the judgment of God. What happened as a result of all of this?
“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies between themselves who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. A-men.”[xl]
God gave them up to dishonor their own bodies in ways that were unnatural and contrary to His divine design for a man and woman. Two men cannot fulfill God’s divine destiny for marriage or the home. Two woman cannot fulfill God’s divine predestination for marriage or the home. God created man in His image and then He made the man a “help meet,” her name was Eve – not Steve. Verse 23 stated that they changed the glory of God into an image but what does verse 25 say? They change the TRUTH of God into a LIE and worshipped and served the CREATURE more than the CREATOR. Their own lust consumed them to the point of making a God of their choosing that fit their vain imagination and foolish, darkened heart. Verse 26 & 27 show the result of such thinking.
“FOR THIS CAUSE God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman, BURNED IN THEIR LUST one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly[12], and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was met.”
God gave them up! What did He give them up too? VILE AFFECTIONS. Vile affections is that which brings shame, reproach, and dishonor. The reason men and women can parade and promote homosexuality in America as they do today is because, as the prophet Jeremiah put it, “…thou hast a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.”[xli] No shame! Listen further to the judgment of God concerning this spirit. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind,[13] to do those things which are not convenient;”[xlii] They did not want to hold or possess God in their knowledge, no relationship with Him, no communion with the Lord. Therefore, God gave them over, or put them in a prison called a reprobate mind. A person with a reprobate mind has been cast out of the presence of God; much like a person in prison has been cast out of society. A person in prison can talk as much as they like about society, what they had, did and know BUT they can’t go there, they have no fellowship with society. A person with a reprobate mind has been cast out of the presence of God and no matter how much Bible they talk, or how pious they may appear, they have no fellowship with the Creator. Lucifer [Satan] was once in the presence of God. He had knowledge of God and knew who He was but he became vain in his imaginations and thought he could exalt himself above God. Now he is a castaway, a reprobate who has no fellowship, no communion and no part in the Kingdom of God. Oh yes, the devil can quote Bible, he can twist, distort and dissect scripture from Genesis to Revelation but when he gets through, he is a liar. That is why God calls lying an abomination. It reeks of the father of lies. “Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight.[xliii] It is an abomination to God for men and women who live immoral, perverse and ungodly lives, to open their mouth and say they have a right to the tree of life. That is why the Body of Christ should judge what comes out of our mouth before we judge men and women who are living lifestyles we judge [and rightly so] to be an abomination. Your mouth may be just as much an abomination as their lifestyle. You can kill with your tongue, which we will get to that later. Right now though, I want to show you what happens when men and women reject the truth of God, become vain in their imagination and their foolish heart becomes darkened to the light.
“Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whispers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.” [xliv]
The word filled in this verse is the Greek word pleroo, which means: “to fill up, complete.” Just as the Spirit-filled believer is being filled with the very nature of God, those who reject and despise the truth are being filled with the very nature of Satan. Those who live in ungodliness, yet profess to be saved and carry on in religious affairs to give credence to their lifestyle have opened up their spirit to be filled with all those things listed in Romans 1, verses 29-31. We are looking at murder. This word murder in the verse above also refers to 1 John 3:15, where we started. What produced this spirit of murder in them?
1. They did not glorify God (v.21)
2. Became unthankful (v.21)
3. Vain in imaginations (v.21)
4. Became dark in heart (v.21)
5. Professed to be wise (v. 22)
6. Became fools (v.22)
7. Changed God’s glory (v. 23)
8. Dishonored their bodies (v. 24)
9. Changed the truth to a lie (v. 25)
10. Worshipped creation as God (v. 25)
11. Served creatures, not God (v. 25)
12. Submitted to vile passions (v. 26)
13. Women became lesbians (v. 26)
14. Men went into sodomy (v. 27)
15. Rejected knowledge of God (v. 28)
16. Became reprobate in mind (v. 28)
17. Fully perverted sexually (v. 29)
18. Filled with iniquities (vv. 29-31)
19. Despised coming judgment (v. 32)
20. Gloried in wickedness (v. 32)
NOTE: From Dakes Annotate Reference Bible page 174 – 20 stages of world apostasy (Rom.1)
Now listen to what verse 32 says:
“Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
They KNOW the judgment of God. They KNOW that those who commit such things are WORTHY OF DEATH but they do them and have pleasure in others who do them! Now tell me why we consider the murder of another human worthy of the death penalty, yet we allow men and women to do, teach and promote a lifestyle that GOD says is worthy of death. If we are going to hold Capital Punishment up in light of God’s glory and say that HE approves of it, then don’t you think we should hold everything else up to that light as well? If you keep one point of the law and transgress in another, are you not guilty of the whole the law? If I am disgusted with men sleeping together, yet I have a lying tongue, which do you thin God will punish the more? Have we not already established that a lying tongue is as much an abomination as homosexuality?
4. Rebellious Sons (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)
“If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; and they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die; so that thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear and fear.”
You just read it for yourself, I didn’t write the book. Many who profess Christ do not even know this is in the Bible, they have never read it. They go to church, hear a sermon on how to be a better person in life or how to get rich – the God kind of way – yet never open their Bible to search its truths. Now I’m not trying to be critical here, just truthful. I grew up in church all my life and have heard, “…an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth,” but never really read it, or understood who it applied to, or how it was applied. The truth is, I would not have understood it with my spirit then anyway, because I was lost and a rebellious son. In the passage above we have four things tied into one that warranted the death penalty and again, the purpose was to “put evil away from among you.” Added here was the reason, “and all Israel shall hear and fear.” God wanted His people to be absolutely terrified of sinning. He wanted them to understand the awful and absolute consequences of disobedience, something the Church still does not understand today. The wages of sin is STILL death. If you are reading this book and living in sin – I’m talking to Christians – unless you repent and turn from that sin, you are under a death sentence! What were these four things? Stubbornness, Rebellion, Gluttony, and Drunkenness. How many fathers out there have sons who are stubborn, rebellious, gluttons and drunkards? Let me stop right here and interject something. I believe the reason these four spirits are so prevalent today in our society is due to the lack of sons having a father in the home. If we were unquestionably convinced that everything God said was worthy of death should be so, then can you hypothesize the impact this would have on our nation today? Mother’s Against Drunk Driving [MADD] would not have to lobby for tougher DUI sentencing. That son who wanders the street at night in a gang selling crack cocaine or crystal meth would not have to be vexed with the thought of going to drug rehab. No, the sentence would be final, the judgment swift – DEATH! Children would think twice before they talked back to mama and daddy. Before that daughter stormed out of the house mad at mama because she told her to cover herself up, she would think, right? That son who mouthed off at his daddy and told him he was going to do it anyway would not speak so disrespectfully, right? The thought (since that is the purpose of the death sentence, to deter that crime from happening) of the punishment would dissuade, or discourage it from happening, correct? WRONG! Let’s get to the TRUTH, the WHOLE TRUTH and nothing BUT the TRUTH, Amen? What have I said throughout this chapter concerning the purpose of the death penalty? “…so shalt thou put evil away from among you.” [Deut. 21:21; 22:21,22,24, etc] The whole intent of the death sentence was to remove sin from the midst of God’s people. Murder was SIN, playing a whore was SIN, sodomy was SIN, rebellion was SIN, stubbornness was SIN, drunkenness was SIN, gluttony was SIN! God wanted to remove SIN from the heart of His people. When Jesus began to teach the people, he took those sins which God had judged His people for in the natural and unveiled their spiritual truth. He wanted men and women to know a verity that many today still do not grasp and that is this: You do not have to kill a person physically to be a MURDERER.[14] You do not have to take another woman to bed to be in ADULTERY.[15] You do not have to practice homosexuality to be operating in that same spirit![16] The Bible says that REBELLION is as the sin of WITCHCRAFT and STUBBORNNESS is as INIQUITY and IDOLATRY.[xlv] That means you do not have to be dabbling in the occult to have that same spirit operating in you. Rebellion and stubbornness are nothing more than self-will. This passage compares stubbornness as being the same as iniquity and idolatry. You say, “I don’t bow down to idols.” I say if you are self-willed and refuse to bow to the lordship of Jesus Christ, you are in iniquity and bowing to the idol of your own will. You have chosen YOU over Christ. So, what do we conclude? Should men and women only be subject to the death penalty for murder or do we include everything that God says merits death? If the Church of America had a prison, would YOU be there after reading what you have read thus far? What kind of punishment would you want God to impose on you? Since you have chosen to impute the death penalty upon those you deem worthy of death (for the most heinous acts of violence), what do you want to be imputed unto you? When God instituted the death penalty for murder (apart from those who did it unawares)[17] death was the sentence. Why then do we have sentences like – Life, Life with Parole, 15 to Life, etc.)? If we are going to support the death penalty, let’s do it GOD’S way! Do we embrace the whole Word of God and say unto Him, “Do unto US as WE do unto OTHERS?” Do we dismiss those who commit murder? God forbid! A person who commits murder needs to be taken out of society but at what point do we as the Body of Christ examine that individual while he is in the prison system to see if true repentance has been wrought in their life? SOMEBODY GIVE ME AN ANSWER FOR THAT?
5. Spiritualism (Leviticus 20:6, 27)
“And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people…A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.”
Let’s define spiritualism as seeking knowledge, wisdom, or understanding from any source that has it’s root in the realm of the spirit. e.g. guidance from signs of the zodiac (horoscope), planets, astrology, psychics, tarot cards, palm reading, hypnosis, etc. How many Christian’s do you know that have more confidence in their horoscope than they do the Word of God? The first thing they do in the morning when they get their paper is turn and see what it says. Do you know anyone who has called the Psychic Network? How about Ouija Boards? How many times have you seen a psychic on television telling somebody about his or her lost loved one? Who do you think they are getting their information from? I have heard them say their gift is from God, but which god are they referring too? If you want to know about a loved one who has died, I can tell you without any hesitation where he or she is. If they died knowing Jesus Christ, they are in heaven, if they died having not repented of their sins and being born again of the Spirit of the living God, they are in hell. That is blunt, but we want the TRUTH, don’t we? Consulting with familiar spirits was punishable by death, yet today, this spirit operates freely in many churches, unnoticed by those who are bewitched (or supernaturally controlled) by it. Necromancy[18] is channeled through the television sets of America and so many believe they can actually talk to a dead loved one and find out how they are doing in the other life. It amazes me that I have yet to hear anybody say, “I am in torment! The flames of an eternal hell are consuming my body! Please tell those where you are to not come to this awful place! Oh, for just one drink of water, just to have a drop touch my parched lips. Jesus is REAL! Hell is REAL! Eternal damnation is REAL!” You won’t hear that because it does not produce ratings. You will always hear about the light and how pleasant it is where they are. Never mind that Satan transforms himself into an angel of light. We have people in America practicing witchcraft, sorcery, magic, divination, enchantments, prognostication, astrology, etc. God said, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”[xlvi] Listen to Finnis Dake’s note on this verse concerning the word suffer. “Allow: permit. No spiritualist medium was permitted to live in Israel. Each one found was to be put to death (Dt. 22:18; Lev. 19:31; 20:27: Dt. 18:9-14). This is why the witch of Endor was afraid of Saul (1 Sam 28:3, 7-25) Witchcraft was as the sin of rebellion (1 Sam. 15:23; 2 Ki. 9:22, 2 Chr. 33:6; Nah. 3:4; Gal. 5:20). Witches claimed to reveal hidden secrets by contact with God and the invisible world (Isa. 8:19). They were seducers of the people to turn them from God; thus they were to be killed (Dt. 13).”
You can walk into stores in America, go on the Web, or walk into the public library and find or buy anything from books, potions, charms, spells and anything else on the subject of witchcraft. Yet in truth, many who profess Christ do not even believe in witches, or their operation in the supernatural realm of darkness dealing with demons. What would happen today if witches were put to death? I know many would bring up the Inquisitions and how many innocent people were put to death labeled as witches. They would probably be right and quite possibly, Christian who opposed the state run Church of that day were put to death as well, but we are seeking truth here. If God did not suffer a witch to live THEN, why do we allow it to be so NOW? If Jesus is the SAME yesterday, today and forever, do you think He has changed his mind about witches? “…put evil away from among you.” We in America have brought witchcraft to prime time television and the movie screens, yet somehow believe it being there does not affect anyone, or the nation as a whole. What better medium for a witch to cast spells than through a television screen to unsuspecting, undiscerning Christians who are just watching a show? Satan deceives and beguiles those who are ignorant of his devices by trying to convince them he really is not real. Those who operate in his kingdom use this same ploy. Witches will say, “We don’t do all those things people say we do. We do not try to hurt people, we cast spells of love and blessings.” The source of their power must come from one of two people – God or Satan. If isn’t coming from God, or He would not want them dead, so it must be coming from Satan. If that is the TRUTH, do you think the one whom the Bible says came to KILL, STEAL, and DESTROY[xlvii] would BLESS you?
What would happen if the death penalty were imposed upon witches, wizards, enchanters, psychics, etc. I purport the reason it won’t is because we have men and women in high places who are either practicing such things, or who are bewitched by them. We know past presidents and/or their wives have consulted astrologers and necromancers. This spirit is strongly operating in our nation and must be opposed by those who know the weapons of spiritual conflict. How many men and women are being seduced each Sunday in churches throughout America? Falsely led to believe they can live in sin and have God’s blessing and favor on their lives. Blinded by fear and doubt, they are hypnotized by soothing words and fair speeches that touch little more than the flesh and emotions, ensorcelled by mind controlling spirits that make them no threat to the kingdom of darkness, but rather allies. Why do Christians not oppose the death witches bring upon the human soul as they do murderers who take an innocent life? Christians are still being led astray by the voice of the serpent saying, “Hath God said..”
[1] Church is defined as a man or woman who is saved (Born Again)
[2] Advocate – “Lawyer”
[3] Raca – An Aramaic word of utmost contempt and scorn, as Eng. “You!” or, scoundrel; wicked rascal. [Finnis Dake]
[4] Just put ANY race or ethnic group in this sentence!
[5] “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these…murder…” [See Galatians 5:19-21]
[6] A talent was 6,000 denarii or about a thousand dollars or 240 pounds. Ten thousand times this is about ten or twelve million dollars, an enormous sum for that period.
[7] Isaiah 7:14 – Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
[8] Stating why Moses suffered divorce for fornication. Moses saw that if he did not permit divorce many women would suffer untold hardship from ungodly husbands. [Finnis Dake]
[9] The tokens of virginity were the proof that the woman was a virgin on her wedding night, probably a white cloth upon which she laid.
[10] Gr. Ginosko, To know by experience
[11] Reasoning. Substituted foolish concepts of God, and fooled themselves [Finnis Dake]
[12] This word mean “indecent.”
[13] This is a rejected mind, someone who is a castaway. Christ is not in reprobates [2 Cor. 13:5-6]
[14] Matthew 5:21-22
[15] Matthew 5:2-28
[16] Romans 1:18-32
[17] Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares. (Num 35:11 KJV)
[18] Necromancy – Divination by means of pretended communication with the dead
[1] Romans 5:20b
[ii] Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21; Matthew 5:38
[iii] See Matthew 8:28 [emphasis mine]
[iv] Proverbs 10:12
[v] 1 John 4:20 [emphasis mine]
[vi] See John 15:22-25; Psalms 35:19; 69:4
[vii] John 15:22 [emphasis mine]
[viii] 1 John 3:12b [emphasis mine]
[ix] See Matthew 6:14-15
[x] See Matthew 5:21-22 [emphasis mine]
[xi] Exodus 21:23-24; Leviticus 24:17-22; Deuteronomy 19:21
[xii] Matthew 5:38-39 [emphasis mine]
[xiii] Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8
[xiv] Exodus 12:15,19
[xv] Leviticus 23:29
[xvi] 1 John 5:17
[xvii] James 1:13-15
[xviii] Finnis Dakes – 7 steps in temptation (1:14) page 264 New Testament
[xix] 1 John 5:14-15 [emphasis mine]
[xx] 1 John 5:16-17 [emphasis mine]
[xxi] See Matthew 12:31-32 [emphasis mine]
[xxii] See 2 Peter 3:9
[xxiii] Matthew 6:14-15
[xxiv] See Deuteronomy 19:4 [emphasis mine]
[xxv] Deuteronomy 19:6 [emphasis mine]
[xxvi] John 8:11
[xxvii] Matthew 18:23-35 [emphasis mine]
[xxviii] Romans 5:8
[xxix] Matthew 5:27-28 [emphasis mine]
[xxx] James 4:4 [emphasis mine]
[xxxi] James 2:10-13 [emphasis mine]
[xxxii] Ephesians 5:31-32 [NKJV emphasis mine]
[xxxiii] Matthew 19:8 [emphasis mine]
[xxxiv] James 2:13 [emphasis mine]
[xxxv] Psalm 106:1; 107:1; 118:1-4, 29; 136:1-26; 138:8
[xxxvi] Matthew 5:7 [emphasis mine]
[xxxvii] Deuteronmony 22:20-21 [emphasis mine]
[xxxviii] 1 Corinthians 6:15-18 [emphasis mine]
[xxxix] Romans 1:21-23 [emphasis mine]
[xl] Romans 1:24-25 [emphasis mine]
[xli] See Jeremiah 3:3
[xlii] Romans 1:28 [emphasis mine]
[xliii] Proverbs 12:22
[xliv] Romans 1:29-31
[xlv] 1 Samuel 15:23
[xlvi] Exodus 22:18
[xlvii] See John 10:10