Page 97 - The Remnant Bride

The Radiant Bride

A friend of mine related a modern proverb he had recently heard. It is a lamentable
proverb, but one has to recognize the accuracy of it.

“What began as a movement in Jerusalem, became a philosophy in Greece, an

institution in Rome, a culture in Europe, and a big wealthy enterprise in America."

Christianity in America has indeed become a big wealthy enterprise. There are money
changers in the temple once again. Believers have fallen from the simplicity of devotion to

Christ. The church still espouses her betrothal to Christ, but she does so while clinging to
her idols. In our nation, the greatest of our idols is money or mammon.

Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or
he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

The scriptures tell us plainly that we cannot serve both God and mammon, but that

hasn’t kept us from trying. We have even coined a term for the type of preaching that tries
to wed the two together. We call it “the prosperity gospel.”

President Clinton made an astute remark while running for election. Commenting on
what the people of the nation were really interested in, he said, “It”s the economy, stupid.”

Above issues of personal integrity or morality, the citizens of our nation are concerned
about the economy and their own financial well-being. This is true of the church, as well.

In the church, there are whole groups of pastors, from many different denominations,
that preach financial blessing, material gain, and a man-centric gospel week after week. The

overall impact of this type of preaching is to convince people that God saved them so that
He could bless them with the things of this world. A focus on the pursuit of Christ and

heavenly reward is entirely missing.
Across this nation the gospel of Yahshua the Messiah has been mixed with the

message of prosperity. Passion for Yahshua has been mixed with a passion for things. This
causes the world to wonder what the church is really pursuing. By adding other pursuits