In Vain ?

“Come one, come all

for a fee you can be

taught Higher Laws”

Definition: to no avail; fruitlessly
Synonyms: useless, to no avail, unsuccessful, fruitless, wasted, vain, ineffectual, without success, to no purpose, bootless
(Source: http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/in-vain)

To all those who have taken the pilgrimage to be instructed in “higher laws” that (purportedly)  promise wealth and the realization of personal agendas, I refer you to the recent Déjà Vu ~ Time II post entitled, “Priestcraft?”¹ and share these words from Russell M. Stendal²:

If we take our God-given gifts and start using them for our own benefit, we are taking the anointing of God and pouring it over our own heads. We will short circuit the blessing of the Lord and will be guilty of taking the name of the Lord in vain. If we are just trying to stamp the Lord’s name all over the top of our own selfish plans and ambitions (individual or corporate) to dress them up and make them look nice and acceptable, we are taking the Lord’s name in vain. We may not have any literal idols, but if we are spending our time and money on good things that keep us from pursuing God’s best, these things become our idols. God wants to write His laws on the tablets of our hearts. God wants to write the essence of the Ten Commandments that the Jews could not keep on the tablets of our hearts. He wants to change our hearts. He wants to give us His feelings. He wants to motivate us from within to hunger and thirst for His righteousness, so He can fill and satisfy us. He wants to fill us with Himself. When we are full of the Lord and begin to get a little inkling of how God feels about sin, it has a tremendous impact on our behavior (Kindle Locations 876-884).

We cannot take promises that apply to His will and use them for personal gain, any more than a business manager can take the corporate funds and pocket them for whatever He pleases. The Christian church is full of people asking for everything under the sun in Jesus’ name when really it is in their own name (Kindle Locations 872-874).

Remember that the simplest definition of sin according to the Word of God is “going our own way, instead of going God’s way” (Kindle Locations 245-246).

Babylon is a type of the religious humanism that attempts to conduct the church of God according to the ways of the world, the world that according to the Scriptures is at enmity with God (James 4:4) (Kindle Locations 96-97).

Religious persons and organizations are doing their own things in the name of God, expecting God to bless them, and He won’t. He can’t  (Kindle Locations 84-85).

How much sad experience must we endure before we come to accept that there is a God-ordained Plan³ for our life and our churches and it is not to pursue the things and agendas of this world? How many times will we let ourselves be deceived by those pursuing power and gain? How long are we going to claim we are God’s good people when most of our time and efforts are focused on pursuing status and comfort in this world?

Stendal writes:

Those who truly surrender to God and submit to the authority of Christ will grieve at the status of the world around them (Kindle Locations 491-492).

His words are so déjà vu Ezekiel:

And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. (Old Testament | Ezekiel 9:3-4)

How many times must we hear and read this before we truly self-reflect?

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (New Testament | Matthew 7:21-23; bold emphasis added).

Please, please, let us open ourselves to the real purpose of Higher Laws.

--------------------------------/
1. http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2015/09/priestcraft.html
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 63:58, 61-62 ~ For this is a day of warning, and not a day of many words. For I, the Lord, am not to be mocked in the last days. … Wherefore, let all men beware how they take my name in their lips— For behold, verily I say, that many there be who are under this condemnation, who use the name of the Lord, and use it in vain, having not authority.
2. Stendal, Russell M., God’s Plan for Spiritual Battle: Victory over Sin, the World, and the Devil (Free eBook Sampler). LIFE SENTENCE Publishing. Kindle Edition (2014-11-27). “Russell Stendal was … raised on the mission field in Colombia, South America. He … heads up the work of Colombia Para Cristo which operates 12 radio stations involving more than 100 staff and coworkers and covering much of Latin America with the Gospel.” … Connect with the Stendal Ministry Website www.cpcsociety.ca  (Kindle Locations 1054-1067). Find additional biographical information at the website.
3. http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2015/03/the-plan.html ; see also http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2014/11/the-flesh.html ; http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2015/08/gods-will.html

Priestcraft ?

Recently I became aware of a man holding “life-changing,” 3-day events promoting How to use "Spiritual Laws" to create measurable "Real World" Success. Pre-registration enrollment per single ticket is $650.00 USD for “General Admission”; $895.00 for “VIP Guest”; and $1,995.00 for “Diamond.” And apparently, at the events, a further commitment for $400.00 /month/person is encouraged in order to maximize success.

Some families are thrilled with the about-face of other family members after they have begun to put these “Spiritual Laws” into practice.

BUT, here are some questions to consider:

▪ Does motivation for obedience matter? In other words: are we following “spiritual laws” because God asks it of us? or are we doing it in pursuit of money or some other real-world agenda?¹

▪ Would God be justified in asking: “When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?” (Old Testament | Isaiah 1:12)?

▪ Could impure motives be like offering “polluted bread upon mine altar” (Old Testament | Malachi 1:7)?

▪ Might an impure motivation warrant a rebuke similar to what Peter gave to one who sought to introduce money into spiritual matters, as in: “for thy heart is not right in the sight of God” (New Testament | Acts 8:21)?

▪ What do the scriptures define as priestcraft?

He [God] commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion. (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 26:29)

▪ Is this but another variation on the “seed-faith theology” promulgated by many televangelists who equate “seed” (and harvest) with the giving of money to their ministries?²

▪ What clues about priorities, focus, and motivation are given when a man presents his qualifications to teach prosperity principles as:

◦ “became a millionaire by the time he was 30 years old”;
◦ created a process that “ helped him go from making $1,000 a week to making $1,000 an hour”;
◦ “being in the top 1% in the world of income producers.”

▪ Is “your Greatest Asset... YOU!” as this man asserts? or is it God and His uncorrupted truths?

▪ Could these scriptures have application to this man, his “spiritual laws” and all his evangelical cousins?

And it came to pass that he did teach these things so much that many did believe on his words, even so many that they began to support him and give him money. (Book of Mormon | Alma 1:5)

Nevertheless, this did not put an end to the spreading of priestcraft through the land; for there were many who loved the vain things of the world, and they went forth preaching false doctrines [motives?]; and this they did for the sake of riches and honor. (Book of Mormon | Alma 1:16)

HO, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. (Old Testament | Isaiah 55:1-3; see also Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 9:50)

Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying: Depart from me? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith: Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price. (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 26:25)

Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance. Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other [without tiers or grades], and none are forbidden. He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion. Behold, the Lord hath forbidden this thing; wherefore, the Lord God hath given a ommandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing. Wherefore, if they should have charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish. But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish. (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 26:27-31)

But it came to pass that whosoever did not belong to the church of God began to persecute those that did belong to the church of God, and had taken upon them the name of Christ. Yea, they did persecute them, and afflict them with all manner of words, and this because of their humility; because they were not proud in their own eyes, and because they did impart the word of God, one with another, without money and without price. (Book of Mormon | Alma 1:19-20)

▪ Who will most people blame and what will they abandon if these “spiritual laws” (outward performances??) don’t “create measurable ‘Real World’ Success” as they were hyped into expecting?

We live in a world rampant with deceiving and being deceived (yes, even—maybe especially—in God’s vineyard), so perhaps we should take to heart God’s warning:

And my vineyard has become corrupted every whit; and there is none which doeth good save it be a few; and they err in many instances because of priestcrafts, all having corrupt minds [and motives??]. (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 33:4)

------------------------/
(All bold emphasis in quoted scripture above was made by this blogger.)
1. Consider the motives of Cain: see footnote one at http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2014/12/the-pity-ploy.html
2. See: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Televangelists (HBO) [LANGUAGE CAUTION] at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y1xJAVZxXg (Time ~ 20:05 min.);
Seed Faith, part 1(Oral Roberts) with Benny Hinn at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saIqpKRAZIw (Time ~ 10:07 min.) [TRUTH CAUTION];
Seed and Faith with Rod Parsley & Cindy Trimm, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbshUsMYxZg (Time ~ 13:37 min.) [TRUTH CAUTION];
The Word of Faith Movement and the Cultic Renewal of Indulgences by J. Danny Hone at http://www.christianissues.com/roots.html