Olympics 2024 - Blasphemy!

 BY Argie Simonis 

Last Friday, July 26, the opening ceremony of the summer Olympic games took place in Paris. I was so saddened and upset with what I saw from these  videos and images of shame that are actualy going around the world.

And this, because in a sporting event like this, instead of promoting sportsmanship and noble competition, I saw blasphemy, abnormality and immorality promoted in all their glory, and indeed in front of the eyes of many millions of spectators.

Parades of drag queens, transgenders, homosexuals and all sorts of people of the LGBTQ+ community, even showed off their genitals in front of the cameras and in front of small children.

In another video I saw the horseman of the Apocalypse deliver the flag of the Olympic games, and with the flag he delivered the message of the future that is in store for us:

"And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth." (Rev. 6:8)

The culmination of the shame, the insult and the blasphemy against Jesus Christ himself and all of Christianity, was the parody of the Last Supper, where an LGBTQ+ group pretended to be Jesus and His disciples to make fun of that night, shortly before the Lord surrendered to His executioners.

~~ This constitutes an open attack against Christianity. ~~

Have you ever wondered why we don't see similar attacks against Muhammad, Buddha or founders of other religions anywhere?

Because they are all team darkness.

See what Jude writes in his letter:

"But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;" (Jude 1:17)

"How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts." (Jude 1:18)

"These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit." (Jude 1:19)

What Jude writes to us in his letter describes exactly what happened at the opening ceremony of the summer Olympiad in Paris! It was a modern version of Sodom and Gomorrah which, due to the popularity of this event, went around the world and passed before billions of eyes.

Something similar happened at Eurovision, which my wife and I have stopped watching for years now, because of the disgrace it has become. And be sure that nothing happened by chance or coincidence. Everything they present is carefully selected and planned in every detail, considering all these billions they have invested to promote their perversed agenda.

I am sure that many of you share our feelings and concerns about this decline. Today I'll be giving an introduction on this topic.

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---- WOKE CULTURE

What does WOKE mean and why this insistence on enforcing this culture?

Those of you who haven't heard it before, it's time to listen and get informed, because it's something that, apart from America and some European countries, has ALREADY invaded Greece.

~~ Woke is an adjective derived from African American Traditional English (AAVE) originally meaning "awake to racial prejudice and discrimination."

Beginning in the 2010s, it began to be used as a slang (sign language) for awareness of social inequalities such as racial injustice, sexism, and denial of LGBTQ+ rights. Woke has also been used as shorthand for certain ideas of the American Left regarding identity politics and social justice, such as white privilege and reparations for slavery in the United States. ~~

~ Source: Wikipedia

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In orderfor this to appear attractive to the people, it began as a resistance to "social inequality" and to the defense and promotion of wronged "minorities". But in reality, what is happening is that every Biblical value is trampled. These people are not simply agnostics or atheists. They are not indifferent to Christ; they are His enemies, totaly antichrists.

The apostle John writes:

"And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." (1John 4:3)

Paul writes:

"Let no man deceive you by any means ..." (2Thes. 2:3)

"Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." (2Thes. 2:4)

"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work..." (2Thes. 2:7)

"Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders," (2Thes. 2:9)

"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (2Thes. 2:10)

John writes in his letter:

"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son." (1John 2:22)

"Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also." (1John 2:23)

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Around the world there are many different cultures that have their place in every society, but when these cultures invade our lives and try to impose themselves on us, we as Christians not only must not remain silent and uninvolved, but we are called to take a stand , to speak the truth and condemn the evil that is happening. Do not forget that the battle we are fighting is spiritual:

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Eph. 6:12)

Do you know these people are targeting our children? They are trying at this tender age to indoctrinate them and introduce them to their perverted ideologies.

Even within the movies industry, high-ranking executives have admitted that they try to fill their movies with as much weird and perverted elements as they can.

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If you dare to say that the gender of a person (male-female) is not decided but it is discovered, you are considered a bigot expressing a hate speech against what they call the "alphabet community".

LGBPTTQQIIAA+ (Alphabet Soup): Any combination of letters that attempts to represent all identities in the queer community.

(LGBTQI+): This term stands for: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer and Intersex

It also includes: Pansexual, Transgender, Intersex, Asexual, Ally +

So anyone who opposes all this perversion is under persecution. Financial cancelation, exclusion from groups and social media, and labels and names are being attached to him that no one would like to have.

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~~ Here I want to emphasize that as Christians we love ALL people and accept them into the church so that they can know and accept Christ in their lives, but we NEVER compromise our faith NOR cut and sew the Holy Bible to suit their ideologies their. ~~ 

The Lord warns us in His word:

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1John 2:15)

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." (1John 2:16)

"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1John 2:17)

Two main features characterize the modern society we live in:

1. It has rebelled against God

2. It has redefined the concept of good and evil:

When we rebel against God it means that God ceases to be the supreme authority that decides what is good and what is evil. From the moment man rejects God and takes Him out of the scene, then he makes himself a god, begins to act like a god, and now he sets the concepts of good and evil.

"This is right, and this is wrong."

"This is good, and this is bad."

The Prophet Isaiah warns us:

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Is. 5:20)

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----- SEXUALITY

Reading the history of the people of Israel in the Old Testament, we see that all these pagan peoples that surrounded them

(Canaanites, Moabites, Jebusites, Philistines, and many others), had something in common: Idolatry, mixed with sexual immorality.

If we look historically at the development of paganism, we will see that the occult and sexual immorality always go hand in hand. Priestesses-prostitutes were inside the temples and offered their "services" to visitors.

Have you ever wondered why the devil is so interested in your sexuality?

He does, because sexuality is the most personal and precious thing you have. And

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy..." (John 10:10)

When we read in the Scriptures that Adam knew his wife Eve and she gave birth to Cain, the word "know" is for the sexual intercourse, and it means that you know someone on a level that you cannot know anyone else.

God intended sexuality to be something beautiful and special to be enjoyed and shared within marriage, in a married couple.

Marriage and family, is the first and most sacred institution that God himself established in the garden of Eden, and this institution is what the devil seeks to destroy, through the confusion and distortion of sexuality.

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Unfortunately today there are even Christians who fall into this WOKE culture trap. It is the so-called liberal and progressive Christians who claim to have found a way to make Christianity more attractive and acceptable to the world.

This is very dangerous, because it may look like it professes Christianity, but these people have neither Christ nor the truth.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

In the next videos we will make we will see:

- The basic elements of WOKE culture and the identification points of progressive and liberal WOKE Christians,

- The demonic spirits behind it all,

 And much more.

We ask that you join your prayers with ours.

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:" (2Cor. 10:3)

"(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)" (2Cor. 10:4)

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" (2Cor. 10:5)

We pray for those people whom the devil has bound, that their eyes will be enlightened to know the truth, because the truth will set them free.

Amen!

The principle of multiplication.

BY Argie Simonis 

I continue in the series we started on finances, and today we have math. Not the standard math of this world, but God's math.

God is actualy very good in math.

He Knows how to add and subtract:

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified." (Is. 61:3)

He Knows how to divide:

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Heb. 4:12)

I left multiplication for the end, because that's what I'm going to talk about today.

For the principles of multiplication. This, along with the message about the principle of the first, which we talked about on Thursday's live, are the two most important lessons, the epitome of everything we have said so far about finances.

God, apart from our peace, our joy, our relationship with Him and our relationship with other people, He can ALSO multiply our finances.

Who doesn't want to see God multiply their finances? And I'll say it again, having money is not a bad thing. Covetousness, the love of money is evil. This is what Paul writes in his first letter to Timothy.

So it's not a bad thing to have money, as long as you keep your priorities straight, and that's something we've explained in the previous messages in this series.

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Today we will see how the Lord multiplied five loaves and two fish, and we will examine the spiritual principles behind this miracle. How we can live by these principles, and how our possessions can be multiplied so that we too can feed multitudes.

In the message I talked about good stewards, I mentioned two types of people: The sowers, that is, those who give to the Kingdom of God, and the eaters, that is, those who use their money only for themselves and their needs. To which of the two do you think God will supply above the ordinary, and why wouldn't God supply abundantly to the sowers?

Today I will use many illustrations, because I believe that this way it will be easier for you to see what the Lord wants to speak to you through this message.

See this picture:

On one side is God who has ALL the money in the world at His disposal, and on the other side are all the people who need Christ, all the missionaries who must be sent to preach the gospel, the orphanages who must be built , the poor who have nothing to eat, the places where there is no drinking water and so many other needs that exist.

In other words, on one side is all the demand and needs of the world, and on the other side are all the resources that can cover every need. Do you know who is in the middle? You!

God will give you some resources and see how you manage them. He doesn't mind if you keep the other 90% for yourself. Will you use the 10% for the Kingdom of God? Will you make it available for Christ to be preached to the world?

The more faithful you are with what God gives you, then He will begin to give you more, and more, and the good thing is that you won't even have to seek this increase. You won't have to chase the blessing because God's blessing will chase you!

will you seem a faithful sower in the little? Then the Lord will multiply your possessions.

"Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)" (2Cor. 9:10)

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1. THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF MULTIPLICATION

"And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place." (Luke 9:12)

"But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people." (Luke 9:13)

"For they were about five thousand men..." (Luke 9:14)

Notice that the men alone were 5000. That was how crowds were counted at that time. And because they got married at an early age, in average, each man represented one family. With an average of 4-5 children per family, and together with the women, we are talking about a crowd of around 30,000 people! This was the largest crowd that Jesus ever had while teaching.

Matthew confirms it:

"And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children." (Matt. 14:21)

"For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company." (Luke 9:14)

"And they did so, and made them all sit down." (Luke 9:15)

"Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude." (Luke 9:16)

"And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets." (Luke 9:17)

Personally, I believe there were 12 coffins left over because Jesus wanted each of His disciples to have one.

It's nice to read all this, but even better to experience it. So I would like you to think about how you would respond if you were present at the event that day. Imagine that you are the main character in this story and you are one of the disciples of the Lord. Jesus has been preaching since the morning, you see the crowds in front of you and you realize that

"... the day began to wear away, ..." (Luke 9:12)

There are no restaurants or shops around there. So you, along with the other 11, after holding a small council, the best idea that falls on the table is for someone to go and ask the Lord about what you should do. But he still preaches. You approach the Lord, interrupt Him and tell Him that the people must eat.

Jesus turns and tells you something totaly unexpected:

"... Give ye them to eat..." (Luke 9:13)

You leave with a big questionmark and go to the 11 who are anxiously waiting to hear the news. They start asking you:

"Did you tell Him that the people are hungry? What did He tell you? Will He close the message and let them go home?"

And your answer:

He told me "you feed them."

"What? We feed them? We have 30,000 people here. How should we feed them? With what?"

And suddenly you see a child passing by, holding his lunch pack. You immediately grab him aside and see that he just has 2 loaves of bread and five fish. So you go to Jesus and say, "Lord, that's all we've got," hoping that He'll end the meeting.

Now look at Jesus' answer. He calmly tells them:

"... Make them sit down by fifties in a company." (Luke 9:14)

Here I want to highlight something. Today we know the miracle that happened because we read about it in the Scriptures. And the disciples of the Lord knew the Scriptures, but then they did not have the New Testament that we read today. They only knew the Old Testament. They were the New Testament. Do you know that in the Old Testament there are many of the miracles that Jesus did, but in a different version?

The prophet Elisha, for example, fed 100 people with a few loaves of bread, and had more than enough:

"And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets." (2Kings 4:38)

"And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not." (2Kings 4:39)

"So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof." (2Kings 4:40)

"But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot." (2Kings 4:41)

"And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat." (2Kings 4:42)

"And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof." (2Kings 4:43)

"So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD." (2Kings 4:44)

Don't forget that this food was offered to Elisha. And Elisha was hungry, but before he ate, he shared his food with the rest. That's where the miracle happened. Both the pot was cleaned of the poisoned pumpkin, and a 100 people were fed with a few loaves, and there was leftovers.

Do you see how God supplied seed to the sower?

"Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)" (2Cor. 9:10)

~~ Supernatural multiplication takes place in your seed and not in the bread you keep for yourself. ~~

Elisha at the beginning of the same chapter (2Kings ch.2), had multiplied the widow's oil. We see something similar with the prophet Elijah, who miraculously multiplied the oil and flour of the widow in 1Kings 17:14-16

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The reason I mention this is that the Lord's disciples knew these stories. It was in the Old Testament. It was very likely that they assumed that as it happened with the prophet Elisha and the prophet Elijah, as soon as Jesus prayed over the loaves and fishes, they would multiply before their eyes.

Multiplication did take place, but not the way they expected.

Look at what he says in verse 16:

"Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude." (Luke 9:16)

Think about this a bit. He blessed them and cut them (the 2 loaves and the 5 fishes). This is not written, but I want you to imagine it. When Peter comes to take the piece of bread from the hands of the Lord, Jesus says to him:

Peter, I blessed this bread. Take it, give it to the people and wait and see what happens.

"Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)" (2Cor. 9:10)

Peter takes a piece of bread and a piece of fish, cuts it into smaller portions and begins to share. Just as he reaches the last portion, something awesome happens. The loaves and fish are multiplied IN Peter's hands!

~~ The heart of this story is that the miracle was not done in the hands of the Lord, but in the hands of the disciples! ~~

This miracle happened when the disciples did what the Lord told them, even if it didn't make sense to them.

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1. THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF MULTIPLICATION:

~~ It MUST be blessed before it multiplies. ~~

If the disciples started distributing the loaves and fishes before the Lord blessed them, they would not multiply.

Many tithe only when they feel God "leading" them. They give a little here, a little there, but they don't give the first 10% to the Lord.

There are many believers who do not know this spiritual principle.

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2. THE SECOND PRINCIPLE OF MULTIPLICATION

~~ It MUST be given in order to be multiplied. ~~

What if as soon as Jesus blessed the loaves and fishes, the disciples took them and began to eat them?

The money we have has the potential to multiply when we use it as seed and not as bread for ourselves because the LORD blesses it and increases it:

"Indeed, may he who gives seed to the one who sows, and bread for food, give and MULTIPLY YOUR SEED, and increase the fruits of your righteousness" (2Cor. 9:10)

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---- PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS - PUT THINGS IN ORDER

God will not bless something that is in disorder because He is a God of order. Get your finances in order first:

1. Stop getting into debt with loans and credit cards, and stop buying things you don't need. Buy only the essentials and what you can afford. If you make purchases with a credit card but can't pay it off at the end of the month, it means you used money you didn't have and that's stealing.

2. When it comes to rent against buying a house, that's a personal decision. But whatever you decide, you need to be able to pay it at the end of the month (either mortgage or rent) without charging your credit card and getting into new debt again.

3. Don't get charged for things that lose value over time.

When you start following the Lord's instructions and getting your finances in order, you will see what incredible things God can do for you.

4. Learn to give. And I don't mean your tithe, because your tithe, you don't give it but you return it to the Lord because the tithe is set apart for Him, it is His and not yours.

So learn to give beyond your tithe. This is where all three key questions arise:

- Where should I give?

- When should I give?

- How much should I give?

Ask the Lord, and He will show you:

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" (John 10:27)

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Blessing in our life is not about how much we get back for giving, but how much we can help our family and other people as well.

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38)

God is a God of blessing but also a God of order. It all starts with the first 10% we return to Him. There are other spiritual principles that apply to our finances, such as being generous and giving where the Lord shows us.

Good stewards.

 BY Argie Simonis 

We have already explained that God blesses us when we give with the right motives. In the same way that the Lord blesses us when we give cheerfully and generously, in the same way He blesses us when we manage our finances according to His instructions.

And this has nothing to do with numbers and budgets. The Lord's mathematics does not follow human logic.

We also have personal testimonies, but also many testimonies from people who, as soon as they put their finances in order, received supernatural blessings from God.

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-- OWNERSHIP AND STEWARDSHIP

A great revelation that will change your life, is to understand the Biblical concept of ownership and stewardship. Understanding that you are not the owner, but a steward, will remove the financial stress from your heart. 

A simple example:

When you rent a house and something breaks, then you call the landlord to fix it. So God, as the owner that He is, will fix what belongs to Him. But if you think it belongs to you, it will BOTH add weight AND cause you stress.

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-- THE PARABLE OF TALENTS

In this parable we see the Lord giving 5 talents, 2 talents and 1 talent respectively to three of His servants. In the previous message I emphasized that the subject that Jesus taught the most was neither Heaven nor Hell, but money. In this parable I will show you that Jesus is talking about money and not gifts or abilities.

What Jesus is showing us here is that the Lord gave an amount of money to His servants according to their abilities, and from this amount He expected them to return it to Him with some profit. In other words, Jesus shows us how to manage our finances.

"For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods." (Matt. 25:14)

"And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey." (Matt. 25:15)

"Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents." (Matt. 25:16)

"And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two." (Matt. 25:17)

"But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money." (Matt. 25:18)

"After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them." (Matt. 25:19)

You know, one day Christ will come back and one of the things He will check is how you managed His money.

"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matt. 25:21)

~~ This is something I'm sure we would ALL like to hear from the Lord Himself! Notice that this is the only time in the Scriptures that he talks about money and those words will be heard by those who were good stewards! ~~

"He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them." (Matt. 25:22)

"His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matt. 25:23)

~~ Note that the Lord does not look at the amount you earn, but how much you earn according to your ability. ~~

The same "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" will be heard by BOTH the one who won the little AND the one who won the most.

"Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:" (Matt. 25:24)

"And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine." (Matt. 25:25)

"His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:" (Matt. 25:26)

"Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury." (Matt. 25:27)

Do not think it is strange that Jesus is talking about money, and even His own money.

"Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents." (Matt. 25:28)

"For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath." (Matt. 25:29)

~~ Definition of ownership:

It is the management of someone else's property.~~

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BASIC PRINCIPLES THAT THIS PARABLE TEACHES US:

1. I AM NOT THE OWNER

In the previous message I referred to the words of David:

"The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." (Ps. 24:1)

and in Psalm 50:

"For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." (Ps. 50:10)

"If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof." (Ps. 50:12)

"For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." (1Cor. 10:26)

In other words, it tells us here that:

~~ The diamond you have in your ring came from God's coal. The metal in your car that you drive to work came from God's minerals. The clothes you wear came from God's plants and animals. The house you live in, the bricks, wood and stones, came from the earth that belongs to God. Even the paper that the money in your pocket is printed on came from God's trees. ~~

Do you know how I can tell someone's spiritual maturity? From the way he prays and from the way he stewards what he has.

The way we mature into the Kingdom of God and transition

-from infants to children,

- then to teenagers and

- ending in adults,

it is when we learn to be good stewards and that what we have is not ours, but His.

~~ If you think that what you have is yours, you are still like the teenager who lives in his parents' house and thinks that it is his house ~~

In the parable we read that after some time the Lord returned to settle the account with his servants. So never forget that the owner is coming back soon to settle His accounts!

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2. I AM A STEWARD

God started mankind on the foundation of stewardship:

"And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." (Gen. 2:15)

When God told them not to eat from the tree of Knowledge, do you really know what He was telling them?

"Every time you pass this tree remember who owns it."

When satan seduced them by telling them that if they ate of that fruit they would become like God, do you know what he actually told them? That they will become owners. That they will no longer be stewards, but owners.

~~ One of the reasons evolutionists hate Biblical Creation is that they don't want to be accountable to anyone, because if there is an owner in all of Creation, then they too belong to Him and there will come a day when they will give Him an account for their lives. ~~

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A talent was a unit of weight, about 36 kilograms, and when used as a unit of money, a talent equaled 6,000 denarii and a denari was a day's wages.

300 dinarii was the annual salary (the working days per year excluding holidays were 300).

Do you remember when Mary anointed Jesus' feet with that expensive nard myrrh, Judas said "why not sell this myrrh for 300 denarii, that is, a year's wages).

So 6,000 dinars, because that's how much a silver talent is worth, is equivalent to 20 years' wages. People in Jesus' day were considered what we call retirees at the age of 50, because the average age then was 55-65 years.

Now consider this:

Methuselah lived 969 years,

"and all the days of Methuselah were 969 years; and he died." (Gen. 5:27)

and since then man's life span began to decrease because of sin. But when Jesus came, the average life expectancy began to rise again.

So do not feel sorry for the servant who only received one talent. With this talent he probably wouldn't have to work for the rest of his life. (If this talent were gold, it would be worth 10 times more!)

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Another important thing is that he gave them the talents

"to each according to HIS ABILITY". (Matt. 25:15)

One comment I want to make here is that if you consider yourself capable of managing a talent, it does not mean that you will stay there forever. Our skills can be improved. But when you are a person with the ability to manage five talents, you need to know that God expects from you a RETURN of five talents in addition to what He gave you.

Let me tell you with another example:

If one has the ability to give 10,000 but gives 5,000 and another has the ability to give 50 but gives 200, which of the two will hear "well done, good servant"?

~~ God always judges us by what we have done with what He has given us. ~~

Because there is ignorance on this subject, there are many believers of the five talents who give only one. But don't forget that at some point the Lord will come and settle all His accounts.

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See another meaning of the word steward:

A steward is one who protects AND expands one's possessions. The master told the slave who hid the talent that the least he could do was deposit it in a bank, because there it would be both protected and would also earn him interest.

He expects the same from us. The Lord has entrusted us with His money and expects us as good stewards to protect and increase it.

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3. AM I A GOOD STEWARD?

"And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:" (Luke 12:16)

"And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?" (Luke 12:17)

"And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods." (Luke 12:18)

"And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." (Luke 12:19)

"But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" (Luke 12:20)

"So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:21)

The Lord did not rebuke this rich man because he made a lot of money, nor because he built bigger storehouses. He rebuked him for living only for himself. Neither in the kingdom of God did he think of giving, nor of helping other people.

Don't forget that God always blesses good stewards, those who follow God's principles. See what Paul says:

"Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)" (2Cor. 9:10)

God gives seed to the sowers, that is, to those who give. If someone lacks seed (no money to give), it is obvious that God does not see him as a sower.

There are two types of people: Sowers and eaters. Sowers give and eaters take. Those who live to give are sowers and will always have plenty to give to every good work:

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:" (2Cor. 9:8)

Note also that the Lord will not only give the sowers seed to sow but will also supply their needs for food, because they too must eat. 

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---- THE PARABLE OF THE UNJUST STEWARD ----

"And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." (Luke 16:8)

"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)

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." (Luke 16:10)

"If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" (Luke 16:11)

"And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?" (Luke 16:12)

"No servant 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." (Luke 16:13)

Who among you could commend a thief? This tells us a lot about the character of the rich lord. He had learned that money is not true wealth.

See something else. God's grace is what really brings riches, and in fact these riches are not rained down by the Lord from heaven:

"But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day." (Deut. 8:18)

So this rich Lord knew very well the power that money has to influence people, that is exactly why he praised the unjust steward who stole money from him and had wasted it all. But for the first time he was using the influence of this money to secure his future. With this in mind Jesus said that:

"And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." (Luke 16:8)

~~ This is the heart of the message of this parable: We can literally take money, something that is temporary, and turn it into something eternal by sowing it into the kingdom of God, thereby bringing lives to Christ. ~~

And we achieve this by using our money to touch people's lives with the Gospel, so that when we die, everyone who will be in Heaven because of us will be waiting and lining up to welcome us there and thank us for the good we did.

Amen!

The evil spirit of mamon.

  BY Argie Simonis 

The word Mammon is mentioned in the Scriptures 4 times. There is one reference in Matthew, and one in Luke:

"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." (Matt. 6:24)

"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)

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." (Luke  16:10)

"If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" (Luke  16:11)

"And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?" (Luke  16:12)

"No servant 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." (Luke  16:13)

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1. WHAT IS MAMMON?

Most people think that Mammon is money. In some more free translations of the Bible, they use the word money for the word Mammon:

"You CANNOT work God and money."

However, it is not so and I will explain it.

So what is Mammon? This word comes from the god of wealth worshiped by the Syrians, Mammon. When Jesus speaks of Mammon, he is actualy referring to this demonic spirit. In other words, what Jesus is saying is:

"You CANNOT serve God and that demonic spirit, the unrighteous Mammon."

This spirit also, Mammon, was one of the highest deities worshiped in Babylon. They had gone so far as to sacrifice their children to this god of wealth to bless their finances!

The people of Israel were enslaved for 70 years by the Babylonians, so when Jesus referred to Mammon, the Jews of that time understood very well what He was saying to them.

It is very important to understand that the Lord here is not referring to money, but to this demonic spirit.

~~ On all the money in the world there is a spirit. Even the money you have in the bank has a spirit on it. Either it is the Spirit of God, or the spirit of Mammon. ~~

The way you allow the Spirit of God to be on your money is when you tithe your first fruits to the Lord, so the remaining 90% you keep is redeemed from the spirit of this fallen world which is the spirit of Mammon.

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--- TITHES

Many argue that under God's grace, tithes have been abolished and that the term tithe is nowhere in the New Testament. They just read the words of Paul:

"But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." (2Cor. 9:6)

"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." (2Cor. 9:7)

Paul writes correctly that God loves a cheerful giver. But we don't stop there. Look at what Jesus Himself tells us, and we read this in the New Testament:

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay TITHE of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, JUDGMENT, MERCY, and FAITH: THESE ought ye to have done, and not to leave THE OTHER undone." (Matt. 23:23)

Do God's commandments against theft, murder, and adultery only apply under the Law of Moses? Tithing is no exception to this.

Tithing in the Scriptures begins 400-500 years before it was given as a commandment in the Law of Moses.

"And Melchizedek (Jesus) king of Salem (Peace) brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God." (Gen. 14:18)

"And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:" (Gen. 14:19)

"And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all." (Gen. 14:20)

And Jacob:

"And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee." (Gen. 28:22)

God doesn't need your money. And don't forget that neither the tithe you give is yours, nor the remaining 90% is yours:

"The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." (Ps. 24:1)

"If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof." (Ps. 50:12)

~~ The Lord does not want your money, but your heart:

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matt. 6:21)

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Mammon has been worshiped by men for thousands of years, and for thousands of years there has been a great spiritual war:

Who will you serve? God or Mammon? Jesus was absolute in this:

"... YOU CANNOT serve God and mammon." (Matt. 6:24)

---- THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL

The word "prosperity" is not a bad word. But it has taken a bad meaning from the so-called "prosperity gospel" that has been preached by some, which says that whoever is in the Lord should live in luxurious houses, drive around in expensive cars and dress in the latest fashion.

God wants us to enjoy material blessings:

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." (Ps. 27:13)

But be careful, because Jesus said that if you serve Mammon, you will despise God. You cannot serve them both. You will love one and hate the other.

An example: 

If you serve Mammon, when your washing machine break you get angry with God. And that's because when you bought the washing machine you fell into this trap of the prosperity gospel, where nothing will go wrong because God wants you blessed. The Lord did not promise us a rich life, but an abundant one:

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

Mammon is looking for servants. What we read in Luke 16 and Matt. 6 is the only place in the Scriptures that God contrasts His self with another spirit. Do you know why; Because Mammon promises to give you what only God can give you:

-Identity, 

- value, 

- happiness, 

- joy, 

- peace.

~~ Mammon promises but hedoesn't deliver. Only God can offer you these things. Go and ask someone who made a lot of money  if that money made them happy. The highest rates of depression and suicide are found in rich groups of people who live without God ~~.

Jesus never told anyone that the solution to their problem was money. He didn't tell the blind man, the lame man, or the bleeding woman that they needed more money to get well. And that's because money isn't the answer. 

~~ Jesus Christ is the answer to every problem! ~~

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-- TWO LIES:

---- Have you ever had this thought?

"I would be happier if I had more money."

This is a lie! You would be happier if you had a better relationship with God.

Do you see the contrast here?

 

---- See another lie:

"I could help more people if I had more money."

~~ No, you couldn't. Money doesn't help people, God helps them. So be very careful, because out in the world there is this god of wealth who is looking for servants, and no one can serve both God and Mammon. ~~

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2. IS MONEY EVIL?

Money is not bad. It is neutral. You can use it for good or bad. You can use it for temporary purposes, you can also use it for eternal ones.

"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." (1Tim. 6:10)

Money is not the problem, but the love of money. Let's go back to Jesus' words:

"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)

Many translate this as:

"Do favors to the people of the world, and when you have problems at some point, they will help you."

You know, the Word of God goes much deeper than we think. I have already explained that on all money there is a spirit. The Spirit of God or the spirit of Mammon. When we tithe to the Lord, we take our money from unrighteous Mammon, dedicate it to the Lord, and He blesses the remaining 90% 

~~ God is the only one who can take unrighteous Mammon and turn it into real riches! ~~

"Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee." (Deut. 23:5)

All material things on earth that cause admiration (villas, castles, yaughts, limousines, gold, diamonds) will be consumed by fire:

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." (2Pet. 3:10)

"Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (2Pet. 3:13)

Watch how these verses tie together with Jesus' interpretation of the parable:

"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)

~~ What Jesus means here is to take what the enemy intended for evil and dedicate it to the Kingdom of God.

And when you pass away, (when you die) they (those who came into the Kingdom of God because of you), will welcome you to your eternal habitations. ~~

When you die and go to Heaven, people will come and thank you because they too are there with the Lord because of you. They will thank you because you sowed into the Kingdom of God by giving money to a ministry that sent a missionary to their village, preached Christ to them and they were saved.

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3. WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH MY MONEY?

The answer is simple: Be a good steward. If you think you don't have much Mammon in your life to worry about, I'll tell you this: If you're not faithful to a little, you'll never have more. Watch how Jesus puts it:

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." (Luke 16:10)

If you don't tithe when you make 1,000, you won't tithe if you make 10,000. We said that the tithe BELONGS to the Lord, Look at the next words of Jesus:

"And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?" (Luke 16:12)

If you are not faithful to the 10% that belongs to God, how will you be faithful to the 90% that is yours?

With an attidute like that, why would God increase your income?

On this Sunday's message, I will teach on the parable of the unjust steward and the parable of the talents.