Generational Curses:

(NIV) Ezekiel 18:2-4

"What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: "`The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'?

"As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel.

For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son--both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

God gives an example, spells it out ever very clearly. I don't see how anyone could miss this:

(NIV) Ezekiel 18:5,9

"Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right.

He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign LORD.

(NIV) Ezekiel 18:10-11,13

"Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things (though the father has done none of them): "He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor's wife.

He lends at usury and takes excessive interest. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his own head.

(NIV) Ezekiel 18:14,17-18

"But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:

He withholds his hand from sin and takes no usury or excessive interest. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely live.

But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.

(NIV) Ezekiel 18:19

"Yet you ask, `Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?' Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live.

(NIV) Ezekiel 18:20

The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.

But not all is hopeless:

(NIV) Ezekiel 18:21-22,24

"But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die.

None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live.

"But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die.

God reiterates, just to be sure we get it:

(NIV) Ezekiel 18:26-27

If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die.

But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life.

And why?

(NIV) Ezekiel 18:23,32

Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

Tithing under compulsion:

(NIV) 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

(NIV) 2 Corinthians 9:8,10-11

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Not only will you have a reward from God, there are other benefits:

(NIV) 2 Corinthians 9:13

Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

It's not I that sin, but sin within me

(NIV) Romans 7:19-20

For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing.

Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

And in more detail:

(RSV) Romans 7:22-23,25

For I delight in the law of God, in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members.

...So then, I of myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

But later in the next chapter we are told this is no longer true. So why do people keep quoting from chapter 7? It doesn't apply anymore!

(RSV) Romans 8:2,5,7-8

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, indeed it cannot; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

But:

(RSV) Romans 8:9,12-14

But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you...

So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Can we find any other corroborating scriptures or are we out on a limb here:

(NIV)2 Corinthians 3:18

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

(NIV) Galations 6:8

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

(NIV) Galations 5:16-18

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

Sounds familiar, don't it. Notice, it says "led by the Spirit", not "led by the law". The Spirit is what Jesus gave to us, it's what's new to the equation, it gives us power:

(NIV) 2 Timothy 1:7

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

(NIV) 2 Corinthians 3:6

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

(NIV) 1 Corinthians 3:16

Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

(NIV) Galations 4:6

Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."

(NIV) Galations 5:19-25

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;

idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions

and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Speaking in tongues:

(NIV) 1 Corinthians 12:4,7-11

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,

to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,

to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

Prosperity Teaching

I saw an evangelist on TV who was chastening his congregation for not giving enough; that only 10% of them were giving. Of course it didn't go unnoticed by me and and I'm sure not by the majority of his congregation as to where the money was going; as there were no less then FIVE grand pianos behind him.

I think in their quest for larger congregations and higher television ratings, in their "name it, claim it", Rolls Royce driving, have you been to our gift shop, book signing, be sure to sign up for our latest cruise, try to outdo eachother by how many times they've been to the Greek Isles or Israel this year culture they live in; that some of these preachers are beginning to lose sight of why they are here.

Pastor E.V. Hill put it best:

"God came not to put a new suit on the man, but to put a new man in the suit."

Amen Brother, I heartily agree, and so I've compiled a few verses about money and how we're supposed to regard it:

(NIV) Luke 12:15

Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

(NIV) 1 John 2:16

For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world.

(NIV) Luke 16:13

"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

(NIV) Hebrews 13:5

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

(NIV) 1 Peter 5:2

Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve;

(NIV) 1 Timothy 6:9

People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.

(NIV) 1 Timothy 6:10-11

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

(ISV) Matthew 6:19-21

"Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

But keep on storing up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

(NIV) 1 Timothy 6:6-7

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

Sodom and Gomorrah and
The Authority of Paul

(NIV) 1 Corinthians 14:37

If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

But even so, just for those teachers who like to throw out the entire Old Testament and all the writings of Paul. Here is a non-OT, non-Paulian epistle:

(NIV) Jude 1:1

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:

And he mentions that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was not one of inhospitality toward strangers:

(NIV) Jude 1:7

In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

I'm sure that Jude will now be blackballed as well. (A sudden, "new", revelation about the untrustworthiness of his writings. Simply because he doesn't fit in with revisionist thinking.)

Soul Sleep

People are coming up with new things all the time.

By preaching counter to what everyone else says, these people get attention;
or else they'd be just another preacher in a crowd of thousands.

They often grab onto some obscure verse and make it into a whole theology without ever looking to see if it's what the rest of the bible says; whether their interpretation is correct or not. (How sound is that?)

You'll here them trumpet:

(NIV) John 3:12

No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man.

They speak like this statement is present tense. That no one goes to heaven.

These words are from Jesus when he was walking on the Earth. He had not died for the sins of mankind yet. No one could go to heaven until he had ascended to the Father and presented his blood on the mercy seat in heaven.

Until this time the Old Testament saints had been going to a place known as "paradise" or Abraham's Bossom. This was a place of rest, but it wasn't heaven:

(NASB) Luke 16:22-23

""Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.

""In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.

You'll also hear them trumpet:

(NIV) Ecclesiastes 9:5

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten.

But of course, as usual they haven't read the rest of the book.

(NIV) Ecclesiastes 12:7

and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Nevermind that the book opens up with:

(NIV) Ecclesiastes 1:1

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

Ecclesiastes doesn't even purport to be God's word or to be a source of knowledge about the afterlife.

It's a book of apologetics. It starts out talking about the futility of life and how everything's supposed to be based on chance and then it concludes with how the Lord gives life meaning. And yet these "soul sleep" people insist on preaching from the first part of the book.

If they must quote verses in isolation and make a gospel out of them, then why not do it with some style:

(NIV) Ecclesiastes 9:2

All share a common destiny--the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good man, so with the sinner; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them.

(NIV) Ecclesiastes 9:11

I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.

Wow, now there's a gospel for you. No justice at all. We're all just leaves in the wind. No heavenly rewards, no afterlife, no nothing.

You see, the writer of Ecclesiates was summarizing how life seems to the world. Talk to any lost teenager today and you'll get a similar viewpoint. It's a good apologetics tactic to consider the viewpoint of one's audience.

The "soul sleep" people don't seem to cling to these verses now, do they?

For their folly would be made manifest. These people are some of the most intellectually dishonest you're ever going to meet; with their "pick and choose" approach to bible theology.

Get this: They're the one's accusing everybody of forcing preconcieved notions on the bible.

But we were warned about them:

(NIV) 1 Timothy 6:3-5

If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching,

he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions

and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

(KJV) 2 Peter 2:2

And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

Let's see what bible really has to say about "soul sleep":

(NIV) Phillipians 1:23-24

I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;

but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

A tent:

(NIV) 2 Corinthians 5:1,8-9

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

We must remember:

(NIV) John 4:24

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

(NIV) Genesis 1:27

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Of course they'll claim the word "spirit" only means "life force", but:

(NIV) Matthew 10:28

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

In their view, isn't killing the body and killing the life force the same thing? Does this verse make any sense at all from their context?

What about these verses?

(ASV) Romans 8:16

The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God:

(ASV) 1 Corinthians 2:11

For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him?

If our spirit is just energy, how can it know our thoughts? how does God communicate with or bear witness to it?

(ASV) 2 Corinthians 12:2-4

I know a man in Christ fourteen years before (whether in the body, I do not know; or outside of the body, I do not know; God knows) such a one was caught up to the third Heaven.

And I know such a man (whether in the body, or outside of the body, I do not know; God knows), that he was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not allowed for a man to utter.

Now does it sound like Paul believed a person couldn't be seperate from their body. In fact, he believed they could even witness things apart from their body. Although he wasn't sure here if that was the case, he certainly believed such a thing was possible.

Let's go even further:

(ASV) Proverbs 23:13-14

Withhold not correction from the child; For if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, And shalt deliver his soul from Sheol.

Now surely the bible isn't saying that if we discipline our children, they will never grow old and die.

But that's what we're forced to do when we take soul sleep to it's logical end.

And a final word from Jesus himself:

(NIV) Mark 12:26-27

Now about the dead rising--have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, `I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?

He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"

No Hell

Obviously people haven't been reading their bible at all. They claim the concept of an everlasting hell is a pagan idea and is nowhere mentioned in the bible.

(ASV) Revelation 20:10

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

(ASV) Revelation 14:9-11

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, If any man worshippeth the beast and his image, and receiveth a mark on his forehead, or upon his hand,

he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment goeth up for ever and ever;

and they have no rest day and night, they that worship the beast and his image, and whoso receiveth the mark of his name.

Perhaps it offends their sensabilities, but the bible wasn't written to please man. The existance of hell makes it all the more important to witness to people, to try make them understand that life is no game, and they shouldn't go another minute without securing their eternal destiny.