Q.
I would like your opinion on the Christian’s responsibility regarding voting.
A.
I’m not a good person to ask. I am very conflicted over my own behavior in this issue.
I used to be intensely involved in politics, being a reporter/editor of a weekly newspaper and covering all the politics there was. I had and still hold a firm belief that the US is the best country to live in, and that an aware and involved citizenry is what’s best for America. However, I ingested a little too much of local politics back then covering it for the paper, and now I have a healthy distaste for all politics! The level of greed & corruption disgusts me, and the news media’s current hatred toward all conservatives doesn’t help. It’s a minefield trying to educate myself on the local referenda or the national issues because of all the blatant fake news.
I do vote for President and usually Senator/Representative. But that is about it. I don’t do a lot of research into local ordinances, zoning, or ballots any more because it all still turns my stomach.
I also believe what John MacArthur preached as the Christian’s responsibility toward government involvement. Here is the opening of his part 3 sermon on the topic, and of course he went on with scripture and biblical examples.
My point is not that Christians should remain totally uninvolved in politics or civic activities and causes. They ought to express their political beliefs in the voting booth, and it is appropriate to support legitimate measures designed to correct a glaring social or political wrong. Complete noninvolvement would be contrary to what God’s Word says about doing good in society: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10; cf. Titus 3:1-2).
It would also display a lack of gratitude for whatever amount of religious freedom the government allows us to enjoy. Furthermore, such pious apathy toward government and politics would reveal a lack of appreciation for the many appropriate legal remedies believers in democracies have for maintaining or improving the civil order.
A certain amount of healthy and balanced concern with current trends in government and the community is acceptable, as long as we realize that that interest is not vital to our spiritual growth, our righteous testimony, or the advancement of the kingdom of Christ. Above all, the believer’s political involvement should never displace the priority of preaching and teaching the gospel.
I am always trying to find that balance between what Dr MacArthur Mac phrased as “pious apathy” and the Bible’s concept of “responsible involvement.” I don’t think I’ve hit it. And I always hold my nose whichever course I take. So those are my thoughts! What are your thoughts?
Yesterday I wrote anessay describing the preeminence of Jesus and how God in Hebrews 1:1-2 said He has spoken through His Son. What this means, for claimants of direct revelation, is that once God said He has spoken through His perfect, holy, supreme being of His son, God then chose to speak to and through Joe Blow in Peoria and Jane Q. Public in Waco? No. Jesus’ preeminence means God has the perfect vessel through which to speak, He has spoken, and He is no longer speaking through prophets, bushes, donkeys, mountains, or men. I’d made the bold claim that if a person says they have heard directly from God or Jesus, they do not believe Jesus is preeminent.
This post is a PS to that thought regarding direct revelation. It involves the content of these supposed revelations.
One thing you notice about these revelations, visions, dreams and intuitions, is that the content of them is small. They usually involve advice on jobs, careers, or other personal mundanities. If they involve biblical content, the revelations do not usually align with the Bible. Sarah Young, author of Jesus Calling, comes to mind, where the totality of her revelations are strikingly similar to one another and to what a middle aged white woman in America would say or think, not God’s grand redemptive plan. For example,
Softly I announce my Presence. Shimmering hues of radiance tap gently at your consciousness, seeking entrance. Though I have all Power in heaven and on earth, I am infinitely tender with you…
Like He was with Saul/Paul? Thrown to the ground and blinded?
The Conversion of Saul, by Michaelangelo
My face is shining upon you, beaming out Peace that transcends understanding. You are surrounded by a sea of problems, but you are face to face with Me, your Peace… ~Sarah Young, Jesus Calling
‘Beaming out peace’ to even one of His believers?
The angel strikes Zechariah mute
In the past, when God spoke to people or through intermediaries, did He dispense personal advice? Suggest jobs or where to buy a house? Promise career success? Give tips on how to resolve that prickly relationship with the mother-in-law? No, He only spoke of His redemptive plan or addressed immediate circumstances if it affected His redemptive plan, not the minutiae of personal life. See these excerpted thoughts from the Titus Institute. (Other than this one article I am not familiar with the Titus Institute, though it seems to be a good resource on first glance).
After the fall, what we see throughout the Scriptures is God communicating with specific individuals at specific times for specific purposes that always involve his redemptive plan. He only addressed personal sin or other personal issues when it involved his redemptive plan.
God spoke to our forefathers (OT believers) through the prophets and has spoken to us (NT believers) in his Son.
God spoke to the people of Israel through intermediaries, the prophets. When he spoke to the prophets, it always had to do with his redemptive plan, not personal issues in their lives unless it involved his redemptive plan.
The pattern in both the OT and NT is God speaking to his people through intermediaries and those intermediaries receiving revelation only regarding matters involving God’s redemptive plan. Those intermediaries were then to speak to God’s people about righteousness. This involved preaching about what is good and right before God and about what is sin and evil before God which we as God’s people are to apply in our lives.
Those intermediaries then wrote that revelation down which became the OT and NT.
Even when God spoke to these intermediaries, we see infrequent communication rather than frequent regular communication.
He spoke to Noah 5 times over 950 yrs, Abraham 8 times over 175 yrs, Isaac 2 times and 1 time to Rebekah over 180 yrs, Jacob 7 times and 1 time to Laban over Jacob’s lifetime. These are just some examples.
We also see that God does not address personal issues, only issues that involve his redemptive plan.
In the New Testament,
Two major things we notice, the revelation from God was infrequent and it was purposeful, always concerning Peter and Paul’s ministry, not personal matters.
Most of the time, Peter and Paul were ministering for the Lord without receiving direct revelation from the Lord.
Even at important times of decision the Lord did not always speak to them. In Acts 1:21-26, Peter used the casting of lots to determine the Lord’s will. In Acts 6:1-7, there is no record of revelation regarding the selection of men for the widow’s ministry. In Acts 15, there is no record of revelation in the first doctrinal crisis of the early church regarding what is necessary to be saved.
We see that man forfeited at the fall, direct communication with God on a personal basis. He then only received direct revelation through intermediaries. God communicated infrequently and only as He deemed necessary to fulfill His redemptive plan.
When we get to heaven we will have direct communication with God again. That is part of the blessing of redemption.
Now Ladies, if you would, please think of how often we hear and see today’s ‘Bible teachers’ claim they heard personally from God. Then please compare with God’s actual activity recorded in the Bible. Think about how infrequently He spoke and about what kinds of things He said.
Beware of ‘teachers’ who claim to have had revelations apart from the Bible. If you think you have had a revelation yourself, please re-think that and refer again to the scripture in Hebrews 1:1-2. God spoke through His Son, who appeared in the flesh on earth to seek and save the lost, to die in our place for our sin, and who rose again to take His place next to the father. He is THE Word. His life and teachings are recorded in the Bible, which would take years and lifetimes to learn, understand.
The Bible is enough. More than enough, it’s a gift beyond measure. When we are glorified we’ll have an eternity of direct communication with our Savior. For now, rest on His written word, and do not seek vain communiques from a disembodied voice.
Women have for at least two generations now, grown up in the faith with famous or celebrity women Bible teachers claiming to have had personal revelations and interactions with Jesus. They say “God told me” or “God laid it on my heart to tell you” or “I want to share some of the messages I have received” or “I heard Him specifically say…” Their persistent claims of direct revelation outside of the Bible has normalized it when it was never even normal in Bible times! Worse, it has accomplished two things:
–de facto declared the insufficiency of the Bible
–made a generation of women illiterate, because why do the hard work of studying the Bible when it can just plop down from the sky?
God is not speaking today to people outside of His word.
Whenever I or any of my friends say this, we receive tremendous push back. We are charged with proving it. We are told we’re wrong/bad/ignorant of scripture or history. Or, demands are made for scriptures that say so. But when provided, those very scriptures are dismissed. We are given the excuse that we must not “put God in a box” because, after all, He has the ability to do anything He wants, including speak to us in any way or at any time He wants.
It’s true that in the past He spoke in many different ways. He spoke directly to man (Adam, Noah, Moses et al), through rituals, ceremonies, from the sky, from the mountain, a donkey, angels, prophets, and a burning bush.
I want to come at this from a different tack today. I was listening to Steven J. Lawson preach Hebrews 1:1-4. This is the classic text that declares that God has ceased speaking because, though He spoke in many ways in prior ages, He has spoken finally in this age, through His Son. WHat came to my mind as Lawson preached was this:
Jesus is the Supreme Being of the Universe. He is the unrivaled supreme one.
And that is why God is not speaking to you.
The previous ways God spoke to man described above are indicative of His progressive revelation. God was building revelatory knowledge of His redemptive plan thread by thread, weaving a picture in His tapestry of redemption through the ages. The pinnacle, the capstone, the zenith of that picture, is Christ. Jesus is God’s exact imprint. (Hebrews 1:3). He is the ultimate. He is the highest. He is all-authority. He said and did everything the Father wanted, perfectly. God’s words, His concepts, and His principles are supreme overall, and represent His final word through Christ.
People who insist that God or Jesus speaks to them, do you really think that after having set Jesus up as His apex, declaring Himself pleased, that God will then will go lower and speak through you? When He has Jesus He’s spoken through, He will speak through you instead?
Will God choose to speak through sinful flesh, when He has His own exact imprint of glory and perfection through which He has already spoken? What a ghastly thought! May it never be!
If you believe Jesus is speaking through you, or your favorite Bible ‘teacher’ or author, you do not hold Jesus as supreme. It is as simple as that.
No, the superiority of Christ drowns out every other voice!
~Steve Lawson sermon on Hebrews 1:1-4 The Unrivaled Supremacy of Christ
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:15-20).
On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ Mt 7:22.
How many is many? The word for ‘many’ is:
polýs – many (high in number); multitudinous, plenteous, “much”; “great” in amount (extent). (Strong’s).
This is terrible to think. It seems that the visible church is filled with believers, but the verse is saying that many aren’t believers after all. I worry for others, but also for myself. “Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith“. 2 Corinthians 13:5.
Do business with Jesus today, this very day, while there is still time. Here are some resources
Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. (James 3:4).
Our boat circa 1995
I was watching my Twitter follow count the last few days. Surprisingly, I was nearing 1,000 followers. That isn’t a lot, but it’s a lot to me. 1,000 is a new and exciting level.
I have two blogs, mirrored on two platforms, (Blogger and WordPress) so that means 4 blogs. The End Time which is this one, with Christian content, and The Quiet Life, about art, crafting, cooking, etc. I’ve got Twitter. I have an Instagram account with a minimal amount of followers. I have two Facebook pages, one called The End Time and the other is the personal one. I have a GoodReads account. I use email. I text to my GroupMe church and sundry church small groups. I have a Pinterest account. I have a Disqus commenting account.
I’ve learned modern terms like ‘reach’ and ‘impressions.’ I have ‘stats’.
Some years ago John MacArthur said that he has never worried about his reach (influence). He focused on the depth and knew the Spirit would take care of the reach.
I was concerned from the very beginning about the depth of my ministry, and I said if I take care of the depth of my ministry, I can leave the breadth of it to God. You know, if it’s something He can use, then He’ll take it where He wants it to go. So I’ve never done anything to take it anywhere.
I took his words to heart and I’ve never done anything overt to push any of my social media. I’ve had The End Time blog for 9 1/2 years and The Quiet Life for 12. I don’t do SEO, I don’t request friends to go look at it, I don’t concentrate on the statistics. I know that the Spirit will put whatever He wants of what I write in front of whom He wants to. I’ll write a little PS to this thought I’ll add at the bottom, though.
I listened to a good sermon this week, twice. We all have a God-given desire to communicate, said Chris Hamilton in his sermon Taming the Tongue on Social Media. We want to be heard.
He said that until recently the opinion making and influence reach was in the hands of a very few people. I remember that time before the internet distinctly. Prior to the internet the Average Joe or Jane remained obscure all his or her life. The only times someone would be guaranteed to get into the paper was when they were born, married, or died. Sometimes your name went into the paper if you went to jail, or were derelict in paying property taxes. That’s it. Opining on the culture wars of the day, publishing books or poetry, presenting your photography portfolio, announcing things on television, wase left to others, a very few others. Cut to today:
The agenda of public thought and discourse is no longer set by a few people in the news networks [and newspapers]. It’s set by just about anyone, such as wannabe celebrities, rap artists, actors, or minor journalists. There has been a rush of human beings to become a source of data, perspective, leadership, and influence with words…~Chris Hamilton
Now, billions of people every day say things on any social media that they want.
Before we’re saved, the desire to be heard is a sinful desire. Even when we have good intentions, our sin-nature means that the desire to communicate is always self-glorifying at some level. We can’t help it. The utter depravity of man is never more on display than when posted on social media. ~Chris Hamilton
“The tongue is a restless evil and a poison.” (James 3:8b).
After salvation, the Bible is clear on right speech and wrong speech, giving over many verses to the subject. A major series of verses are in James 3. Here is Chris Hamilton with 12 ways the Bible says we are to use our tongue-
1. Confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord. Romans 10:9
2. Teach God’s word (we all teach in some capacity. Deuteronomy 11:19; Heb 13:7
3. Speak of God. Psalm 71:8
4. Preach the Gospel. Matthew 28:20, Romans 10:14, 1 Timothy 4:12
5. Speak truth. Ephesians 4:25
6. Building each other up. Ephesians 4:29, 1 Timothy 5:14
7. Admonish one another (warning using the word of God, not our opinion). Colossians 3:16a
8. Sing. Colossians 3:16b
9. Expressing thankfulness. Colossians 3:16c, Ephesians 5:20
10. Pray. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
11. Confess sin. James 5:16
12. To make a defense and give a hope that is within us. 1 Peter 3:15
God gave us a tongue and told us how to use it, but we are unable to comply without the saving grace of God.
The tongue is a rudder. This is the rudder on our boat. The boat weighed 23,000 pounds. A small shaft running through the rudder and connected to the steering wheel was all that made the yacht go where we wanted.
the boat out of the water, exposing the rudder
As for participation on the internet and social media: it calls for WISDOM.
James 3 goes from a discussion of the tongue straight into wisdom. Think about why that might be for a minute…
This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. (James 3:15-17)
Is our conduct on social media:
pure,
peaceable,
gentle,
reasonable
full of mercy ?
Or is our conduct on social media
earthly,
unspiritual,
demonic ?
At minimum we should be thinking about that before we press send.
As Mr Hamilton preached, And then there is the case of silence. Not speaking. Saying nothing. No words. Silence can be an expression of worship, humility, wisdom, chastening, etc. God did not give us a tongue in order to remain silent. Obviously. No command in scripture says to not use words. But consider our contribution to the internet and whether, in some cases, a response might not be necessary. Silence can reign supreme sometimes. It’s OK. (Ecclesiastes 3:7; Ecclesiastes 5:2; Revelation 8:1).
Silence also protects our own ignorance. Let us (me) not put our own ignorance on display. (Proverbs 10:19).
We can and should remain silent in response to the foolishness and sin of others. (1 Peter 2:21-22, referring to Christ’s trial, where He remained silent). And a case is made to remain silent in the face of conflict. (Proverbs 26:17).
Mr Hamilton was tough on Christian participation in social media. His stance was that using social media to promote the name of Jesus is good and fine, but if we do that, we are entering territory that is teaching. And the scripture says not many of you should become teachers. He is right. He said to his immediate audience, “some of you should stand down.” He is right again.
I thought about it for a long time, and as appropriate, applied the scriptures and the warning to myself. Should I stand down? How is my tongue? I meditated.
On the other hand, we do have this marvelous opportunity to, within our sphere, encourage, lift up, share verses, learn of others’ burdens so we can shoulder them, and so on. I do feel called to teach and I employ that online. (My foremost priority are the real people in my real church life though).
These are some of the stats of the most popular ‘Christian’ teachers online today. Their evil influence reaches millions.
PS: As for my own reach & influence, I am not concerned with the reach or the stats but I’m highly concerned with my content- that it’s accurate and edifying.
With all the false out there masquerading as truth, how can I NOT promote Jesus, share credible ministries, offer true interpretations of the Bible’s words, with every means possible? The world will always love its own. But as long as I have a tongue in my head or an online connection, here I speak, I can do no other.
With the Lord’s help and Chris Hamilton’s words and admonishments ringing in my ears, I pray that as I do speak, it’s pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy. I face a stricter judgment. And that does give one pause.
The thread of Christianity depends on a unity from one generation to the next of mutual understanding of our important words. Hence the Word of the Week.
The word orthodox comes from two Greek words, ortho + doxa, meaning “right opinion” or “correct thinking.”
In Christianity, it generally means adhering to the accepted or traditional historic Christian faith. Some see “orthodoxy” as that which is defined by the early ecumenical creeds which would include the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, popularly known in the West as the Nicene Creed, that was formally accepted by the second Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D.
Orthodoxy is the belief in the standards of accepted and true doctrines taught in the Bible. That which is orthodox agrees with Biblical teaching and the interpretation of the Christian Church. False religions are not orthodox. They are heterodox.
No one person is completely orthodox because that would mean they are completely correct in all their thinking about all that God has delivered for us to know. Only Jesus was totally orthodox in His thinking.
It is also true that as we define ‘church,’ which are really only segments of the one Church, no local church is totally orthodox, though all churches in the one true Church should be as orthodox as possible. The standard is higher for churches than it is for individuals, because the Spirit dwells in the church in fuller measure. However, without right thinking in highest standard, individual churches would cease to be a segment of the divinely given organization it is called to be.
But even as we see a microcosm of churches across Asia Minor in the first century, as viewed by Jesus in Revelation, none were completely orthodox.
Now and in the past, sme churches attempt to create creeds, declaring a standard of ecumenical orthodox thinking across denominations, and this is acceptable as a method of describing orthodoxy. Others drill down the doctrines of God to essentials, to which an orthodox denomination, church, or individual must adhere, and this is acceptable too.
The mystery of orthodoxy, in my opinion, is at most, difficult to define and at worst, impossible. But the soul knows it when it see its, and rejoices, Similarly the discerning soul knows when it doesn’t see it also.
One day, all will be perfectly orthodox as Jesus claims His bride from the world, raises us to His abode, and glorifies our body. We will know as we are known, and we will no longer see through a glass darkly. We will be perfectly orthodox.
Illustrating orthodoxy is difficult but I am going to use the biblical concept of straight vs. crooked this week. Straight, of course, representing orthodox.
The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace. (Isaiah 59:8)
Author Gregory Cook in his commentary on Nahum (Severe Compassion: The Gospel According to Nahum), said that we tend to judge Israel harshly when we read the Old Testament. We think, ‘Oh those silly Israelites, how could they defect from the faith so quickly!’ But Dr. Cook said that we, in the church age, have an even greater responsibility. We have a better Mediator than Moses, who is Christ. We have the completed canon. We have the fuller revelation. We have the explicit Gospel. Cook wrote,
I have sought to demonstrate from Scripture that those of us who have received the full Bible, who have Jesus as a mediator, and who have known the gospel commit a much more serious sin than the Israelites when we love the world more than God. Does the television fascinate you more than the Bible? Do you care more about success at work than God’s glory? Do you willingly suffer shame and scorn for the sake of Christ? Ask yourself hard questions and be willing to answer honestly. Is there anything in your life that excites your passion more than Jesus? If so, you need to consider that the sins listed in the Old Testament are specks, while yours is a log.
Log, meet eye
Further Reading:
This is a good interview with Dr. Cook about his approach to writing about Nahum. He also offers advice for reading the Minor Prophets.
Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
for they are a graceful garland for your head
and pendants for your neck.
Proverbs 1:8-9
For sale (in 2016): Gorgeous waterfront Home on Galveston Bay. This stellar property comes with TWO lots! One includes very rare private sandy beach for total land of 10,000 square feet.
Deep water right up to the dock, four bedrooms, and a guest suite downstairs. The Master bedroom has its own fireplace, wait, there are TWO Master bedrooms! Ensuite bath, whirlpool tub, double sinks, kitchen has granite countertops. There’s a fireplace in the living room, too. Screened-in porch, showers outside, covered patio, on a cul-de-sac. A must see! Listed for $827,001 – $947,000.
That property I described, based on publicly available information, sold on June 21, 2016. Guess who bought it?
When Beth Moore tweets fun tweets like that, about being unglammed in A bay house, she isn’t telling you the whole story. It’s not “a” bay house, it’s Beth Moore’s bay house. A fact she neglects to mention in her carefully crafted tweet. At the date of that tweet, they had bought the home just three weeks prior.
When you think of the outrageously wealthy televangelists and preachers, your mind would likely go to Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, or Creflo Dollar. Those are some of the guys that have been under investigation by Congress. Those are the guys who flaunt lavish toys, private jet travel, and multiple homes sprinkled around the US. You likely wouldn’t think first of … Beth Moore? But you should. She is climbing up to their level, and fast.
Beth Moore’s errant doctrine is well established and well known. She channels books, an occult activity. She blasphemes. She preaches to men. She twists the Bible. She claims direct revelation & visions from Jesus and comes back to teach what He “said,” (making herself a prophetess.) She is all about man-centered, pop-psychology, self-esteem preaching. These statements are supported, with proofs. They are not made up out of thin air.
She is a false teacher.
But part of discernment is knowing that false teachers who teach false doctrine also have lifestyle issues. Always. Where one sin exists, the other will exist. I wrote about this phenomenon with mega-rich pastors before. See additional note below in the quote about heresy and vain living.
That got me thinking. How well is Beth Moore doing? How much do these royalties pay? How much is she earning in salaries and gifts from Living Proof Ministry?
Apparently, a LOT.
Let’s examine the benefits Beth Moore and her family enjoy from her Non-Profit company and her royalties, gifts, and honorariums. First, the salaries.
Beth Moore’s Living Proof salary is about $250,000. The ministry received $500,000 in honorariums last year. Royalties came in at about $400,000 last tax year. Sponsorship income came in at $520,000. Investment income was $127,000. (Apart from salary, the other figures don’t go directly to Beth Moore but are funneled through Living Proof for operating expenses etc.) Living Proof total assets on the latest Tax Returnis $14 million dollars.
The personal royalties separate from Living Proof that Beth Moore earned from her movie appearance in the War Room movie is unknown.
Note: Beth’s daughter Melissa is also supported by the ministry, her salary is about $130,000.
Note: The Vice-President of Living Proof Ministries, Ivan Keith Moore, is Catholic.
A woman who said she works for LifeWay, tweeted,
“No one’s products provide as much revenue as Beth Moore’s.”
Luxuries: She owns a boat. When she travels, she travels by first class or, private jet. On the 2014 tax return, it stated that when Beth Moore flew to Houston with her daughter Melissa to preach at Hillsong, she bumped herself and Melissa up to first class cabins. Hillsong paid for the coach fare, the Ministry paid for the extra luxury to go first class. After that, she began to fly in a private jet, with LifeWay paying half and Living Proof Ministry paid the other half. The Tax returns state they fly in a private plane “as the ministry sees fit.”
Houses/Property
–House #1: on 45 acres in wealthy Tomball TX. Many custom builds both indoors and out, several toys such as golf cart and multiple tractors.
–House #2: on 45 acres in Tomball TX. Keith Moore’s parents lived there, his dad passed away in 2015. Total home square footage is about 6600 between the two.
–House #3: Menard TX, a newly remodeled ranch with farmhouse and large barn. The Assessor parcel information states, “No building information on record for this property,” so, determining square footage or how many structures are on the lot was not possible.
–House #4: Waterfront double lot with rare private beach in Galveston. Also, a boat. House is, 5500 sf, not including the land or the lot next door with the beach.
–Three storey office building in Houston: 8000 sf, tax exempt.
–Previously owned (sold in 2013) cabin in Jackson WY at gateway to Yellowstone at foot of Tetons. Turpin Meadow Loop subdivision. At the foot of the Tetons in Bridger-Teton National Forest.
Four homes and a huge office. Let’s take a photo tour at all of Beth Moore’s homes.
House #1: The Moore’s main residence, Tomball TX. (*see note at bottom)
House #2 Tomball TX. This home is also on Beth Moore’s 45 or so wooded acres in Tomball.
On her blog Beth Moore talks of a ranch they own. That’s in Menard, TX. The deed is dated 9/9/2015. It’s actually two lots, 3.3 acres and 2.8 acres for a total of about 6 acres. The property has a ranch house and a barn. The photos are from Moore’s twitter account. She tweeted the pics out when boasting of her husband’s talent in restoring the German farmhouse on the property to pristine condition.
House #3- Menard TX. House #3 property has large barn also. In the second picture, notice the two satellite dishes by the tree.
Living Proof owns a large office complex in Houston, for which she is exempt from paying taxes due to the listing of it as religious use. It is three floors and about 8,000 sf.
Nice boat. This was taken at the Galveston bay house.
House #4: Galveston. The white house. Waterfront, double lot. Also see photo at top.
House #5 (sold in 2013)
These cabins are on National Forest Service land at the opening of the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Moran, Wyoming (near Jackson). The homes are privately owned but the land they sit on is the Forest Service’s.
Abusing the Gospel has brought Beth Moore a best life now. False teachers are greedy. We know this from 2 Peter 2:3,
And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2:3)
For such as these are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. (Romans 16:18a).
As you know, we never used words of flattery or any pretext for greed. God is our witness!(1 Thessalonians 2:5).
Heresy, of course, involves the teaching of false doctrine, but false teaching always extends itself into the behavior of its adherents. It will always have a negative impact on the lifestyle of those infected “for as a person thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). As these false teachers stand in opposition to the truth, so they will lead lives that are “detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed” (1:16). Source
Beth Moore’s Living Proof Ministry is a non-profit organization. It is exempt from paying certain taxes because they are listed as a religious organization. As such, there are some ethical considerations that non-profits should adhere to, especially the religious ones.
Appearance of Impropriety- “Sure, it’s not illegal; but that doesn’t make it right.” There may not be an express law or rule prohibiting certain conduct but “the sector would look down upon the behavior” or it “might be perceived in the wrong way.” There are certain examples; for instance, the AFP Code gives the example of “a fundraiser directly benefiting from a benefactor’s estate gift.” Otherwise, it requires an intrinsic moral compass. Sadly, not everyone has that these days. Source
Here are the IRS rules for personal gain in a non-profit:
IRC 501(c)(3) provides exemption from federal income tax for organizations that are “organized and operated exclusively” for religious, educational, or charitable purposes. The exemption is further conditioned on the organization being one “no part of the net income of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.” This article examines the proscription against inurement and the requirement that an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes by serving public rather than private interests.
I don’t know from which sources Beth Moore has amassed all this property and wealth. Perhaps her husband’s father’s fabulously famous plumbing business brought in millions. Perhaps the royalties from the War Room movie are more hefty than we know. All I do know is the real property, the income, and the lifestyle. Given that her life and occupation are based on false doctrine, the lifestyle is also a cause for concern.
Does this matter? Of course it matters. It matters to Congress, who has investigated seemingly-too-wealthy non-profits. It matters to the IRS, who audits non-profits when the accumulation of wealth seems out of whack with their stated exemption. It should matter to Christians. Any ministry whose main figurehead seems to be using the Lord’s monies for personal luxuries or exhibiting a lifestyle that could cause a stumbling block to believers, is a concern.
But Moore is private and coy just at a time when fame and celebrity should being openness and transparency in order to alleviate suspicions of an extravagant lifestyle. Ministers and teachers of the Gospel should be extra eager to be seen shepherding the Lord’s blessings carefully and generously. Her 2-year-old tweet sharing her 4th of July vacation at “a bay house” tells you of her coyness. Her blogs about her new home in Tomball explicitly downplayed the wealthy aspect such as the enclave-like atmosphere, the fact that it’s the largest lot in the area, and up-played the ‘smelly brook,’ dusty roads, etc.
In 2010 Moore was interviewed by Christianity Today. One would think that any minister of the Gospel would be eager for publicity for His name and fame. Not Beth Moore. The reporter wrote:
Each question had to be submitted and approved beforehand, I was told, or Moore would not do the interview. Follow-up interview requests were declined. I was permitted to see the ground level of her ministry, where workers package and ship study materials. But Moore’s third-floor office, where she writes in the company of her dog, was off limits.
But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. (2 Corinthians 4:2)
Her image is a careful one. It has gotten her to a place where just last month people were clamoring for her to become President of the largest Protestant denomination in the world. If they knew of her false doctrine, they never said. If they knew of her lavish lifestyle, they never said. But now you know.
It matters because this video taken in March 2018 at the Holmes Center in Boone NC at a Living Proof conference is devastating. These 9000 people (mostly women) at this conference are having poison poured into their spirit. Repeat that scene throughout all of 2018. Beth Moore’s influence is NOT passe. It is actually growing. If only one woman comes out from under her false teaching, the angels would rejoice, as would I.
Friends, we need to shepherd our resources carefully, no matter if they are a little or a lot, so as to appear as we are- earnest workers for the glory of God’s name. Sadly, Beth Moore appears to be on a different path, one that Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Joyce Meyer, and Creflo Dollar are taking.
From Joyce Meyer up, the wealthiest American pastors, in order.
Copeland is nearly a billionaire. This is not a Board you want to be on.
*Google Maps and Google Earth allow reposting of their material/photos/maps as long as proper attribution is made. They even have tutoring pages on how to export maps, edit, add labels, and ‘save as’. I read their terms of use very carefully.
My internet went out at 4:00 yesterday afternoon. I took a quick nap, did some other things, and after an hour or so saw it was still out. I turned the modem on and off, still no internet. I called my company and they said it was a widespread outage due to node failure. No word on when it was coming back.
It’s certainly disconcerting to be disconnected. All my lectures, sermons, entertainment, notes in the cloud etc. require online connection. I have no TV or stereo. Absolutely everything I do is online.
I have some downloaded lectures on my laptop from Todd Friel, in a series called Drive By Discernment. I bought them about ten years ago and went through them all at that time, about 70 lectures, delivered by various men. It’s one of the only and in my opinion, best, series on actually teaching what discernment IS and how to practice it. 70 lectures sounds like a lot but it isn’t. Drive By is the series, and it’s so named because the lectures are 7-11 minutes each. It’s to be listened to, you guessed it, as you drive to work or wherever. So they made the lectures fairly short so people can grab a listen on the go.
Two of the men on the series have since fallen. RW Glenn and Art Azurdia. It is so sad to see the progression of sin and the devastation of what it does to a man and his ministry. Here are a few of the quotes and thoughts from lesson #1 of Drive By Discernment, Todd Friel, speaker:
False teachers hate Jesus. They hate the Bible.
They carry a Bible around on the stage. They put it up on the big screens behind the podium. They claim to love Jesus, but the Jesus they love is the Jesus of their imagination, or the Jesus that makes their bank account better. It is the Jesus that gives them power. It is the Jesus that allows them to live a licentious life- which are all the markings of false teachers.
Believe it or not, there are some positives of false teaching-
1. Heresy clarifies orthodoxy.
2. Heresy sharpens believers in being able to give a reason for the hope that lies within us.
3. It increases the suffering of false teachers. This one is harder to swallow, but given God’s hatred of sin and His vengeance against those who draw His beloved people away from Him, it makes sense.
There are 3 reasons to practice discernment
1. Love of truth
2. Love of people
3. Love of God
Thomas Brooks said, “False teachers are hell’s greatest enrichers!”
During the offline time I did spend time of course in my Bible and in prayer. I started the Book of Nahum. I finished the book of Nahum. It’s only 3 chapters, lol. I love the Old Testament prophets, Major or Minor. Yesterday I’d heard a sermon from the wonderful series from Grace Community Church, Sundays In July, about the Major Point of the Minor Prophets. For my Bible reading, I decided to spend some time renewing my acquaintance with some of the OT Minor prophets again.
I say again, because I’ve read them all. I read through the OT when I was first saved and I focused a lot of my time on the OT prophets. I love the OT Prophets. I can’t say that enough.
There was a new book on sale that I’d bought back along, a Nahum commentary called Severe Compassion, The Gospel According to Nahum, by Gregory D. Cook. The commentary is so easy to read, insightful and biblical. I also have all of Roy Gingrich’s OT Prophet outlines.
Roy Gingrich contributed uniquely to the faith by making outlines of most of the books of the Bible. Instead of lengthy prose treatment explaining all the aspects of the verses, his outlines succinctly state the main point of each verse in one or two sentences. In his introduction to the book of Nahum, Gingrich wrote:
The book has great value because of its teachings concerning God’s righteousness. It teaches that God ultimately destroys the wicked and delivers the righteous. It teaches that God is severe to His enemies and good to His friends. It is majestic in its moral descriptions of God—No other Bible book excels Nahum in this respect. Gingrich, R. E. (2003). The Books of Micah and Nahum (p. 28). Memphis, TN: Riverside Printing.
As I read through Nahum, I was so moved by the poetry, the images, the contrast of man who thinks he is mighty and the true Mighty One. The OT Major and Minor prophets are majestic pieces of work. Nahum is particularly known for its poetic imagery.
If you are new to the faith, Minor Prophets are called that not because they are of less value, for all scripture is good for correction, edification, and reproof. But they are simply shorter books. Nahum, as I mentioned, is just 3 chapters.
We’re familiar with Jonah, mainly because of the strange tale of the runaway prophet who was swallowed by a great fish. Jonah was sent to Nineveh, the capitol city of Assyria, to preach that God was going to destroy the city. The Ninevites heard the message and repented.
They remained in God’s good graces for a few generations, but after 100 years passed, the Ninevites were back in the same boat. They were committing atrocities, they were boastful, they were spiritual adulterers. God determined that the time had come. He sent Nahum to preach to Judah that their oppression and harassment by this nation was about to be over, and gave Nahum an oracle to deliver. That message comprised the book of Nahum.
Nahum is a straightforward book, offering no interpretive challenges. Its history doesn’t bear a lot of digging into because it’s not complicated. Assyria & Nineveh, your time for destruction has come. That’s it.
Nahum is one of the most beautiful of the prophetical works, being the most vivid in imagery and poetry. Give Nahum a try. Better yet, read Jonah, then Nahum. I think you will learn a lot about God.
the-end-time.org 