June 18
1 Kings 19:1-21 | PS 136:1-26 | Prov 17:14-15 | Acts 12:1-23
In Psalm 136, the recurring refrain is "For His mercy endures forever". His mercy means that He does not dispense the judgment that we all deserve. How often we forget, we actually deserve nothing. It is only by grace that we receive what we do. Yet, despite this there is the popular "Prosperity Gospel" message with “word-faith" preachers, such as: Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer, Paula White, Kenneth Copeland, and so many others. In this popular movement, the individual is told to use God, while in true biblical Christianity it is the exact opposite, God uses the believer. The prosperity teachers see the Holy Spirit as a power to be used for whatever the believer wills, using "positive confession" which teaches that their words themselves have creative power, while the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is a Person who enables the believer to do God's will. There is nothing new under the sun, as Paul warns Timothy of them in 1 Timothy 6:5-11, where these men of "corrupt mind" used "godliness" as a means of gain and the pursuit of riches, which in reality was a trap that brought them "into ruin and destruction".
To those who espouse such heretical views, consider the names in today's readings. Elijah, truly a prophet who has stood in the balance for God, and whom God has delivered powerful words and actions, is now running for his life after the murderous threats of Queen Jezebel. Notice his question to the Lord as he is fleeing, in 1 Kings 19:10, "So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”" When God replied to him, notice it was in a "still small voice" in 19:12. But notice, God never actually answered him. He essentially told His prophet, I am here, it's time for you to get back to work. When we move to our reading in Acts 12, we read of the death of the apostle James by the sword (12:2), and yet another imprisonment for Peter. When Peter is miraculously released from prison, it is not for a time of personal enjoyment, he is sent back to God's mission field. These men were vessels for God.
Paul wrote in Philippians 2:3-4, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." God, in His grace, does indeed send us many personal blessings in the way of relationships, employment, even the feeling of the warmth of the sun on our faces. But, we must never forget that we are sinners deserving of judgment, and if it were not for his mercy, none of us would be here today. This is why the heresy behind the Prosperity Gospel movement is so dangerous. People feel they can make God serve their will. It doesn't work that way. Sadly, after these individuals, usually after giving large sums of money, name it and never "claim it" will choose to walk away from God, despondent, for they were fed a vision of God which was false from the outset. It is a sad thing when those who were truly seeking, get disillusioned by those who profess to speak for God, but are really speaking for themselves and their own attainment of wealth. The gospel message is simple, yet these teachers, actually distort the true message, and in so doing have pushed many seekers onto the wrong path (Matthew 7:13-14)
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: