Valley Gospel
A Pentecostal church experience.
Valley Gospel
Deception in the Church
What happens when Christians mistake material prosperity for spiritual blessing? Pastor Bob delivers a powerful message addressing the dangerous deception of the prosperity gospel that has infiltrated many churches today.
With biblical precision, he dismantles the false teaching that suggests believers can have anything they want from God if they simply believe strongly enough or speak it into existence. Drawing stark contrasts between popular prosperity preachers and the actual experiences of Jesus and the apostles, Pastor Bob reveals how this doctrine has led countless Christians to disappointment and disillusionment.
"In the absence of the true Word, the water of the Word, they'll drink the sand," warns Pastor Bob, highlighting how desperate people are for answers and provision in difficult times. He compassionately addresses those who have prayed fervently for healing or financial breakthrough without seeing results, offering a more biblically sound understanding of God's provision that doesn't lead to guilt or shame.
The message explores how God does indeed provide for His children—but often through conventional means rather than supernatural manifestations of wealth. What matters most isn't driving luxury cars or living in mansions, but having salvation and eternal security in Christ. Pastor Bob reminds us that God is more concerned with transforming us into what He wants us to be than with making the Word fit our temporal desires.
This teaching offers freedom to those burdened by the prosperity gospel's impossible standards while reaffirming God's genuine promises of provision, comfort, and eternal hope. Ready to embrace biblical truth over popular deception? This message will realign your understanding of faith and God's provision in powerful ways.
Not because of you, but because he is good and you will not have room to receive Him. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, Woo, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Hello, welcome to Valley Gospel Church. We are a non-denominational Pentecostal church located in Springdale, Pennsylvania. Our sole mission is to present the living truth of a risen Lord Jesus Christ to a remnant church and a lost world.
Speaker 3:so let's go into the service recorded live at Valley Gospel Church how many of you ready, many of you ready for the word of God this morning? I know this may be more of a Bible study today and as opposed to a Sunday morning sermon, but it was part and parcel of the message that God gave me last week, Lost in the House, and I promised to finish it today. So forgive me if it's a little closer to a Bible study. I know over the years we, Valley Gospel Church, has taught and preached solid doctrine concerning positive confession, concerning affirmations and the so-called prosperity gospel. But I think in all of our studies there have been some loose ends. Because the prosperity gospel, positive confession, it sounds so good and it sounds so right, so full of faith. It is the cause. The prosperity gospel is the cause and at the root of so many Christians' downfall. When the crux of the message of the doctrine says, well, God wants you rich, or just claim it, all you had to do was ask or speak it and it's yours. Some even take it so far as to say, well, if you go to a doctor, it's in disobedience to God and his healing power that's being preached today. That's something that is being preached to those who are lost in the house and I don't want you to reply today. Well, it's because I understand about positive confession, because my pastor says that it's wrong. I don't want you to do that, says that it's wrong. I don't want you to do that, or my church or our affiliation teaches that it's not of God. Regarding this subject, I want you to know, I want you to absolutely know, what your Lord has to say regarding this subject. That's where I want to take you, Chrissy. Let's go to work.
Speaker 3:By and large, the subject is that a Christian the doctrine is that a Christian Can have anything from the Lord If they just believe it strongly enough. That's the doctrine. You can have the finest things. Just believe it strongly enough. That's the doctrine. You can have the finest things. And if you don't, or if you have an affliction or an illness or an infirmity or a lack, then something's wrong with you, Something's wrong in your confession, Something's wrong in your walk, Something's wrong in your walk, Something's wrong in your faith. Because if you lack any of those things, you're not a Christian.
Speaker 3:And just so you know most of some of the teachers that you might know or have listened to that preach positive confession or the prosperity gospel Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Andrew Womack, Joel Osteen, TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer. And you're saying why do you have to bring all that up? Because I want you to know. I want you to know what they're preaching. You can judge for yourself, but I want you to know what they're preaching.
Speaker 3:Benny Hinn, Paula White I understand Benny Hinn had a conversion, so many more. But they all share one thing is that there's kind of a neo-Pentecostalism to them. Full gospel, they call it. That is at the underlying root of their ministries, root of their ministries. And my absolute favorite is Mike Murdoch Boy, great songwriter, Great songwriter, Great storyteller.
Speaker 3:Doctrine's a little weak. See, if we read Jesus' words, especially in the early church, we see it was characterized a whole lot more by perseverance, by strength of character, by faithfulness, and that in the end we may face some difficulties in life, we may go through some things, we may not have everything that we want in life, but in the end everything is going to be okay. That was Jesus' teaching, as opposed to earthly riches and good times and prosperity and perfect health. As a church now let me flip this around here and now you're going to go what? As a church, as this body of believers, we certainly concur with the promises of God of believers. We certainly concur with the promises of God. I'm going to ask Chrissy to begin with reading a few of those in the scripture. So if you'll first go to Philippians, we have three short readings Philippians 4 and 19. And when you get there you'll be able to find all the other ones really quick. They're all easy ones. Philippians 4 and 19 is our opening scripture.
Speaker 2:But my God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory, by Christ Jesus.
Speaker 3:All right, you'll just flip back to 3 John. That's right in front of Revelation Jude. Revelation 1 John. 2 John, 3 John, jude. Revelation so easy, one defines 3 John 2. Only one chapter, so that's the verse.
Speaker 2:Beloved. I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
Speaker 3:All right now back to Luke, the Gospel of Luke 6 and 38.
Speaker 2:Give, and it shall be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom, for with the same measure that you met with, all it shall be measured to you again.
Speaker 3:All right. So if we believe those things, if we concur with those writings, the readings that Chrissy just read, if we preach those things and teach those things, why are we suspect? Let me put it a why am I suspect of a prosperity teaching? Why am I bringing this message this morning, calling the so-called prosperity doctrine error? And that's what we'll explore this morning, that's what we'll look at this morning. This is part two of Lost in the House, subtitle, if you like Deception in the Church. Amen, let's pray, heavenly Father. Thank you, lord, thank you for this word, thank you for this revealed truth, lord. I ask nothing more, lord, than to allow me, anoint me to rightly divide your word. Let it be a lamp and a light in Jesus' holy name. Amen and amen. Please be seated. Please be seated Again. Just to repeat. This is a very difficult message. It's not a preaching message, it's a teaching message. But I am confident that the Lord has given it to me. Why are we calling the positive confession doctrine a false teaching, but teach and preach it as solid doctrine in the scriptures, the verses that Chrissy just read? Great question, glad you asked, asked why does the Lord feel it's so important, so paramount to our walk with him, that he not only gave me this message as part of an ensemble a week ago, but ordered me to finish it today. But ordered me to finish it today. Look, I'm sure, if we're all honest, we might remember when you prayed for something really long and really hard and it didn't come to pass and you thought maybe you weren't getting your prayer answered because you didn't have enough faith or you were misappropriating your faith or you didn't follow the rules completely, because you've heard teachings that said you can write your own ticket and our God is obligated to fulfill your desire, bound by his word, because God can't break his word or his promise and really maybe one of the promises that Chrissy opened. With that, you feel let down because and not with God, I know you're all strong believers but let down because maybe you didn't have enough faith or you didn't do it right or you didn't exercise that faith, the scriptures that, quoting that formula's work, I pray the Holy Spirit reveals to you some truth this morning that might remove some of the confusion, some of the disappointment, and give you a really clear faith and a clear understanding into what God's doing.
Speaker 3:One of the greatest biblical truths, maybe the greatest biblical truth is pointed to in Hebrews 11. Without faith, it is impossible to please God right. To please God right. The author, probably the Apostle Paul, describes faith as two things in that in his writing that God is who he said he is and that he rewards them that diligently seek him. All right, whole lot there. We pass over that very quickly and easily that he'll show you. He rewards them that diligently seek him.
Speaker 3:That means if you believe, not only believe but you follow him. If you follow him, he will show you his strength, his mercy, his favor, his blessing. And the caveat is if you believe and follow. If you believe and follow, we stop at believe. You know, the Bible says that even the devil believes, not doing him any good. Believing is pretty straightforward Accept his word, his truth, his promise, what he said and whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Pretty straightforward.
Speaker 3:Follow is a little more difficult and something that Christians who believed tend not to do Follow. What's it mean to follow? Follow means to leave the trappings of this world. Follow means to leave the standards of this world. Follow means to lay aside the worldly lusts, not accepting the world's ways or standards or what we think is okay.
Speaker 3:You know, as an employer, I get it all the time. Hey, pastor, I need a job. You got any job openings? Yeah, we might have something, but I'm only going to work for cash. Or here's even a better one, and I'm sure you get it all the time. Anybody who's a contractor? You bid a job, you're quoting a job, and the customer, the client, said how about if? What's the price if I pay you cash? Now, the implication is and I'm sure you know what the implication is is that if you get cash, you can hide it from the government. You can hide it from tax, from income, from fees under the table. They call it. Even that name sounds wrong. I'll pay you under the table. I'll pay you under the table. I'll pay you under the table.
Speaker 3:I know I'm going to make somebody mad, as tempting as that might be. As a business owner, to me my allegiance has to be to my king and my redeemer Render unto Caesar. What is Caesar's? What's that mean? It means give the government what they want, give them whatever they want. Who cares? If I truly want to follow him and see him move, not only in my ministry but in my prayer, when I anoint somebody here with oil.
Speaker 3:Don't you want to know that I, that I have nothing that I'm hiding, that there's nothing. There's nothing behind here. There's nothing that I'm cheating God over. I don't want any hindrance. There's nothing behind here. There's nothing that I'm cheating God over. I don't want any hindrance when I pray. I don't want any hindrance when I'm seeking his word, when I'm asking his anointing to rightly divide his word of truth. No hindrance, nothing. That he's going, hey, pastor, but you know, oh, you're so holy, pastor, bob. Nope, mess up every day big time. I'm always only a half a step away from stupid. But I don't want something so simple. But I don't want something so simple, so simple and so, so, really, so cheap. What are we, what are we saving? What are we saving? So cheap to affect, to be on the wrong side and affect my faith and my prayer.
Speaker 3:Everything that we receive from the Lord, everything is by faith. Acts 16 says we receive salvation by faith. Amen. 1 Peter 1 says that we receive our preservation, that we're secure by faith. We're healed by faith. We're healed by faith. We're baptized in the Holy Ghost by faith. We pray in faith and by faith. We're healed by faith.
Speaker 3:The Bible tells us how important it is to be strong in our faith, an ever-increasing faith. Stone upon stone, precept upon precept, we move forward in our faith. And how do we get that? We get that by trials in our life. How do we overcome? We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, what we've been through, what we're doing, how God saw us through, constantly and continually seeking to strengthen that faith. How? By his word, by sound doctrine, by prayer. And if we err? If we err, the error should be that we believe too much. That we believe too much, and I'll elaborate on that in a bit.
Speaker 3:First John, that's the one way in the back. Five and four. Sometimes people refer to St John as first John, and it's not. There's three in the back. So when I just say John, that's the gospel. First John is way in the back. 1 John 5 and 4. For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Speaker 3:He's talking about living a faith lifestyle. Living a lifestyle of faith. Your, your people say well, I live a fasted lifestyle like that. I fast every week or every month or whatever. Okay, but this is the faith lifestyle. We live by faith.
Speaker 3:As we said, we teach and preach at Valley Gospel that God can do anything, that it's never too hard, it's never too late, it's never too hard, it's never too late, it's never too far gone that your Lord and King can step in at the 11th hour, the 23rd hour, and raise the standard, roll back the tide, cause rain to come to cease, even to make the sun stand still for his children. We believe that, we teach it, we preach it, that God does provide healing to the human body in answer to believing prayer. That he does provide all our needs according to his riches in glory, that he does intercede on our behalf, whether that's emotional, financial or legal. But throughout church history, people have taken extreme positions regarding great biblical truth and it seems that these extremes if that's the right word have increased since the Jesus revolution of the 60s or 70s. And look, many are true, many are righteous, many are holy and supernatural. These moves of God, other times believers go beyond scripture and it's caused division and destruction and deception in the church.
Speaker 3:There's a term, two terms actually Positive confession and negative confession. Both are scriptural in origin and in nature. Just Mark 11, I believe whatsoever, you shall ask if you believe you'll have it. And negative speaking if we speak negative into being by actually saying it. It's found in the Psalms. Both of those terms positive confession and negative confession both terms contribute to the deception that's entitled by today's message and I don't want you to think that we reject confession or that we're saying it's not right to confess. It's biblical and doctrinal. 1 John, we're just, I'm not going to ask you to look it up, but I believe it's first john one and nine that says that if we confess our sin, he is he will forgive us our sin. Uh, matthew 10 says if we confess christ, he'll confess us before the father right heb.
Speaker 3:Hebrews 4 and 14 says maintain that we as Christians are to maintain a good confession. It says profession, but the actual understanding is confession that we are able to confess and profess what God has done in our life. Profess what God has done in our life. The issue is that if we emphasize a doctrine from the Bible that goes beyond the Scripture or contrary to Scripture, we dishonor the truth, we bring reproach on ourselves and we bring reproach on the work of God. It's why the Spirit puts such an importance on rightly dividing the word of truth and studying our doctrine and revealing what is good and true, what we can accept and what is heresy and we need to reject. That's why he puts such an emphasis here all the time. Well, jesus never talked about doctrine, that's all he talked about. It's why the Bereans were so successful, because they checked out every word. It's why John and Denise putting down their notes and they're going to check me at home, that's why that's so right and so on.
Speaker 3:Point Test the prophet, test the prophet of God to be sure that it's of God. It's why the Bible says if your eye offend, you, pluck it out, get rid of the junk. So what's the difference between positive and negative confession? In the full gospel message and most of these groups and churches call themselves full gospel they teach that and again, just about every one is neo-Pentecostal and by that I mean they have that form of Pentecostalism that they believe in, the gifts that they believe in. But I think if you follow it out, you'll see that they're not Pentecostal at all.
Speaker 3:Positive and negative two aspects Negative confession Negative confession acknowledges sin. It acknowledges sin, sickness, weakness, lack and a Christian's confessing those things. If we say that, then you're destined to have them. If you say, oh, I'm broke, oh, there you go, you're going to be broke, you're going to stay broke, I'm sick. This hurts, it dooms us.
Speaker 3:The teaching says positive confession. It dooms us to endure that affliction. And you might hear it think it's strange of me to say that there's some truth to that. Alright, secondly, positive confession. That teaching says acknowledge only the good, perfect health, wealth, prosperity. And there's some truth to that. So where do we go? And it's understandable why it's so confusing and why it sounds so good. The unpleasant is avoided by not speaking negatively and the pleasant is assured by speaking positively. And simply by believing and speaking positive, you're able to rule. This is their teaching. You're able to rule over poverty, sickness and lack. They teach you that you're only sick if you confess sickness.
Speaker 3:Some go as far as to say that you won't die unless you confess death. Unless you confess it. You want to know who would be so dumb to do that. Kenneth Copeland said that his father or father-in-law only died because he confessed death. He could have went on for death. He could have went on for the teaching goes on and incorporates that God desires his followers to live in an amazing house, drive an amazing car, wear the best of clothes that you need and struggle financially. All you have to do is tell Satan to take his hands off God's money. It's all you need to do.
Speaker 3:Every believer, according to the prosperity gospel, can have whatever they want. And let me just tell you this False teaching always comes in. You've probably heard, if you've been around with me for a while. You've heard me say this a thousand times False teaching always comes in on the back of truth. A thousand times. False teaching always comes in on the back of truth. Nothing wrong with a believer having nice things. Don't misunderstand Live in a great home, drive a luxury car. Nothing wrong with that Hallelujah.
Speaker 3:Remember one of the messages that I preached when John first started to come, and it touched on the prosperity. John said oh, don't touch my car, pastor, please don't touch my car. Nothing wrong with those things. But it's only through hard work, wise investment, that our god allows and sanctions us to own that hallelujah. And when we teach it's what he wants and that he decrees for every believer.
Speaker 3:If we don't live and here's the ramifications is that if we don't live in opulence and huge bank accounts, we're somehow not trusting God, and you know what? That just lays a guilt trip on people that I'm not doing something to right. I'm not doing something to right, I'm not doing something right. If you notice, and you can check it out if you notice these mega churches that profess this prosperity gospel, it's only the leadership that drives the Bentleys or that have their own jets and live in mansions, and I guess its followers, the congregation, just don't have enough faith. I can hear that you're seeing the deception here. You're seeing the deception here. But if you keep giving then you can gain that faith to have what I have to drive, what I drive to live where I live.
Speaker 3:It's a giant pyramid scheme, has no basis in scripture, certainly isn't reflected in the early church or in the apostles, and certainly not by Jesus himself. Hallelujah, he had no place to even lay his head. Nowhere in the New Testament are believers told or taught that self-gain, that health or wealth is to be expected or sought. In fact, the very opposite is true. Paul has an affliction that hinders his day-to-day life and he takes that affliction to the grave. Timothy battles stomach issues all during his ministry. As far as we know, he's never healed of them. Paul said yeah, take a little, have a little wine. Peter has legal troubles and family issues that hound him all the days of his ministry. John dies in prison.
Speaker 3:We're not told, nor are we taught, nor were they to claim their need, claim your need, claim what you desire, and that their spoken faith would compel God to act. Don't you think Paul would have done that? He said I sought God earnestly, with tears about my affliction. We never learned what it is. But don't you think if it was a word of faith thing and he could say Affliction, be thou gone and cast into the sea, don't you think it had done it, instead of saying I never got delivered? Those teachers today teach that what a person says determines what they receive. Positive confession Just say you have that car, that Corvette, all the money in the bank. Say that it doesn't hurt. I love Mike Warnke. He used to always say I'm not hurt, I'm just overcome with a multitude of symptoms as he limped across the stage. And if you repeat it enough, it will result in the faith required to receive the blessing Now look. It will result in the faith required to receive the blessing Now look.
Speaker 3:It's understandable why a believer would like to accept that as truth, because it promises an end to our problems, an end to our pain in our life, in our health, in our finance, in our relationship and, it seems, scripturally supported. The problem, the heresy, comes when Bible verses are isolated out of context from the whole of Scripture. Isolating a few verses from the rest of scripture is oh, this is good, you can write this down. Isolating a verse or two from the whole of scripture is almost always error. We have to see what the whole of the Bible has to say on a subject. It's the extreme that results in a distortion of truth and reality and believers get hurt, christians become disillusioned.
Speaker 3:The cause of Christ is harmed, kind of an aside, but what's the cause of Christ? Is harmed Kind of an aside, but what's the cause of Christ? The cause of Christ is to bring people to him, right To come to him for rescue. Rescue is salvation, so that's his. The cause of Christ is to bring people to him that they might be saved, even those that are suffering and hurting and poor. Salvation, eternal security. A heavenly home is at the top, at the very top. If you walk with him long enough, he may let you keep a few things along the way. It's not how much you have, how wealthy you are or even how healthy you are, I know not popular right, amen, amen.
Speaker 3:We learn, we study to show ourselves approved, a workman who needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing his word of truth. Considering the total of Scripture, all of it, the full counsel. Recognizing the will of scripture, all of it, the full counsel. Recognizing the will of God, knowing the importance of our prayer life that it's not just something that we do once or on Sundays, realizing the sovereignty of God, that he can do whatever he wants. He's God. You may not like it, it may not fit your needs, but he's sovereign, he can do whatever he likes.
Speaker 3:Accurately defining and I'm going to just touch on these words before we close Accurately defining the logos and rhema. Applying, as a Christian, the common sense test. Common sense, the Bible's common sense. It's not spooky-booky, it's common sense. So apply that common sense test whenever you're testing the spirit or an action or something that you're hearing. And I'll give you, I'm going to give you, some examples of where I got a little off base, expecting what I desired instead of what he had provided, and I won't go too far and I could actually point some folks out in church that have experienced this, but I'm not going to put you guys on blast and I'll just use myself about some things that I got wrong and misunderstood what God was when I prayed the wrong prayer, or I asked the wrong question because I thought it might have proclaimed the lack of faith or distrust in the Lord, a lack of understanding of God's word. But I've come to an understanding of what God had already supplied.
Speaker 3:I carried around a six pound tumor for almost 30 years. I prayed about it, I had others pray about it, I dumped enough oil on it to heat my house and I fully expected it to disappear Fully, completely. Wake up one fully, completely Wake up. One morning, gone A couple of years ago, a brother asked me when I was going to a doctor and I explained to him quite spiritually that I was waiting on the Lord, this nameless brother I was waiting. Brother isn't known for his subtlety. In fact, his ministry is a box of different size hammers, oh, hammers, different sizes, different weights, for whatever he's ministering, but all hammers. There is nothing small, no little screwdrivers, no little. And he said look, brother, you got good insurance, you have a good doctor. Why don't you go get it taken care of you.
Speaker 3:See, I asked the Lord the wrong question and I prayed the wrong prayer. The answer to my years of discomfort had already been supplied. I could have had it fixed a gazillion years ago. And my self aggrandizing faith oh no, god's going to take care of this was wrong. It wasn't in God's will. He had already supplied the answer, but I expected something different. He had already supplied the answer, but I expected something different.
Speaker 3:Other question I had why do I have to labor every day? Why isn't there a big pile of money on my porch? I've already reached my three score and ten. I'm doing what you've called me to do. Why do I still have to climb trees and shovel dirt? Shouldn't it be like manna? Wrong question how blessed am I that I can still do what I do to meet my personal needs? And I know so many of you can relate to how God has supplied what you needed, but not in a religious, spooky way. Look, I'm not going to. He told me when we opened the church and I thought everything was going to change and I was going to be a pastor now. And here's what he said to me, chrissy. He said slow down, pastor, you keep working. And I said forever.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's why I always say I'm going to die in somebody's yard.
Speaker 3:He's not going to put a pile of cash on my porch the way I asked, but he will supply me with the physicality and what I need in order to meet that need. Hallelujah, hallelujah, god's word, thank you. God's word teaches absolute truth, provision, healing authority, but they must be known and accepted in totality, in the fullness of scripture. You got to get it. That's why read eat the book. That's why it says eat the book. You got to. You got to have it all, not part of it, knowing that we live in an imperfect world, a world filled with sin and sickness and disease, where the afflictions of the righteous are many. And that allows us to grow in faith and admonition of the Lord. I want to close with this and you'll notice, of the Lord. I want to close with this and you'll notice in the positive confession there's heralded If you listen or watch or listen to any of these, they always talk about logos and rhema, right Logos and rhema.
Speaker 3:Logos, the written word, the Bible, rhema, the spoken word and rhema, the spoken word. And they separate these and you might be saying, well, why, what is that? And he speaks a rhema word and I'm getting this and I'm getting that? Uh, here's the heresy. The heresy comes in when it's taught that rhema rhema is the presently spoken word of faith. What does that mean? It means that the teaching by word of faith teachers, a word that is spoken by a preacher and it's spoken in faith, in other words, you're going to be rich Tuesday that becomes logos Logos If I speak it in faith. It becomes the written word of God, it becomes the logos word and it takes on creative power. Ah, spooky, booky. Right, it's the same creative power as let there be light, and that's not in our realm, that's not in our purview. That's not in our purview. The underlying problem is that the view isn't supported by the whole counsel of God. Not the New Testament, not the Old Testament. I won't take time to look it up, but you'll see an example of this in 1 Peter, 1, 23 and 25. 23 is Logos, 25 is Rhema, 23 and 25. 23 is Logos, 25 is Rhema.
Speaker 3:The point is the word of God, whether Logos or Rhema, whichever one, is inspired, eternal, it is miraculous. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and God doesn't really care if John gets rich. I'm sorry. He really doesn't care. He's happy that he's safe in his hand, he's preaching his word and he's got a heavenly and an eternal home. This rhema principle causes believers to be more interested with making the word fit our need as opposed to the word transforming us into what God wants us to be. That's what this positive confession Rhema is all about. It causes the believer to love god more for what he does and what he can do than simply loving him for who he is. Glory he is in.
Speaker 3:Bible study conclusion positive confession isn't supported by scripture. It leads believers to disappointment. It is a dangerous theology. It has deep roots in mysticism. Its leaders are the only ones who prosper and it is a deception in the church. I don't know if you read this. Look it up on Google.
Speaker 3:A pastor singer this week. Last week he asked the ushers of the church where he was singing to close and lock the doors and no one was to leave until they emptied their wallets. Again, google it, it'll come right up. Put Pentecostal in. See, there's that neo-Pentecostal thing. Pentecostal pastor locks the doors. Just do that and you'll find it. Not now, wait till you're done. And he asked the congregation. He said that they couldn't leave until he received $40,000 and how that would make them all rich and that in reality, jeff, he was doing this for their own good. That given it shall be, given unto you good measure. Pressed down, shaken together, running over.
Speaker 3:He used the prophetic. He was, as I said, a neo-Pentecostal. He used prophetic words like overflow, you reap the overflow. Here's one. If you ever hear this, if you hear someone Run, run Prosperity for all. He used phrases like it's your time now. I listened to the message Prepare for abundance. Change is coming, receive it, claim it. None of it, none of the message that and I listened to his whole message none of it was scriptural, none of it was eternal, it was self-serving, it was greed, it was selfish. Lord have mercy. He called it a prophetic word. Lord have mercy. He called it a prophetic word.
Speaker 3:In fact, let me touch on the Neo-Pentecostal just one more time. During his message, he spoke in tongues, just to put a point on it. And here's what I couldn't believe and why I'm so glad God gave me this message this morning. I couldn't believe that a congregation, 5,000, 6,000 people were there. They just loved it, they just gobbled it up. Everyone was pulling out wallets. And maybe you ask why and this is where I promise I'm close Because, in the absence of the true word, the water of the word, they'll drink the sand. Amen, amen, I'm finished. Thank you so much for listening. Would you stand please?
Speaker 2:Thank you for listening to this week's podcast. We pray it was an encouragement and a blessing to you. You can contact us at Valley Gospel Church, 1069 Butler Logan Road, Springdale, Pennsylvania, 15144. We invite you to listen to this week's worship service that follows and tune in for next week's podcast.
Speaker 1:Holy Spirit, take my hand now, lead me down in the living water. You're the wellspring, you're the stirring, you're the light for your sons and daughters. Eyes are open to the unseen and my faith is arising within me. Bless the Lord now. Bless the Lord now. Sing it out loud. Lift your hands, give the Lord his glory Deeper, deeper still. You're calling me deeper, deeper still. So I'm going deeper, deeper still Into your love, because your love keeps going deeper, deeper still. You're calling me deeper, deeper still. So your love, because your love keeps going. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name, make known among the nations what he has done. Hallelujah, hallelujah, holy, holy. Give them all the praise. Holy, holy God Almighty Emmanuel. Sing it again Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy God almighty. Hand now, lead me out in the living water. You're the wellspring, you're the stirring, you're the life for your sons and daughters. Eyes are open to the unseen. Empathy is arising within me. Bless the Lord now. Sing it out loud. Lift your hands, give the Lord his glory. You're calling me deeper, deeper still. So I'm going deeper, deeper still Into your love, because your love keeps going Deeper, deeper still. You're calling me deeper, deeper still. So I'm going deeper, deeper still. So I'm going deeper, deeper still into your love, because your love keeps going.
Speaker 1:Hallelujah, hallelujah. Praise you, jesus. On the authority of the Holy Word, I rise up, I take my stand. Oh, I'm a blood-bought child of a living God who is the great I Am, I'm an heir to all that heaven holds and no principality will ever take away my royal crown, given on his authority. Yes, lord, thank you, jesus. Hallelujah to the Lamb. Oh, let's sing that chorus again. Let that be your proclamation this morning On the authority of the Holy Word. Yes, lord, on the authority of the Holy Word, I rise up and take my stand. Oh, I'm a but-but child of the living God. God who is the great I Am. I'm an heir to all that heaven holds and no principality Will ever take away my royal crown, given on His authority. Hallelujah, father, you're 40 of me, but lifer still. Crown given on his authority.
Speaker 1:Hallelujah, bobby, you're 40 of us. You're calling me deeper, deeper still. You're calling me deeper, deeper still. So I'm going deeper, deeper still into your love, because your love keeps going deeper, deeper still. You're calling me deeper, deeper still. So I'm going deeper, deeper still into your love, because your love keeps going. Hallelujah. Thank you, jesus. I will exalt you, my God the King. I will praise your name forever and ever.
Speaker 1:Whatever you need this morning, if you need freedom, if you need healing, if you need victory, if you need deliverance, it all starts with praise, hallelujah, thank you Lord. If you need victory, if you need deliverance, it all starts with praise, hallelujah, thank you Lord. Up to the walls of Jericho, he marks with a spearing hand, a gobelet that'll ram hard the Joshua crack Cause. The battle ain lay in my hand. Then the lamb ram, sheep horns began to blow, the trumpets began to sound and then Joshua shouted glory and the walls came a-tumbling down. Holy, holy, sing it out. Holy, holy. Give God the praise. God Almighty Emmanuel, sing it again. Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy. God almighty Emmanuel, sing it again. Holy, holy, holy, holy. God Almighty Emmanuel.