Six Women Leaders to Avoid by Lee Grady part 1

I saw this the other day and thought of Joyce Leiphon.  Lee Grady is the author and it's lengthy so I'm breaking it up into three parts.  If you want to read the entire article you can find it here:  http://www.charismamag.com/life/women/10176-six-women-leaders-to-avoid?showall=1


A popular female evangelist arrived at an airport and was escorted to the baggage claim area. After she retrieved her luggage she was taken to the passenger pickup lounge where she met her hosts from a local church, who planned to take her in a comfortable van to a nearby hotel so she could rest before speaking at an evening service.
The members of the welcoming team were not prepared for this woman's icy response to their greeting. When they opened the door to the van, she told them bluntly: "I will not ride in that." Then she stormed back into the airport with her entourage. After making inquiries, one of the church staff was informed by the woman's assistant that Her Highness must be transported in a certain type of vehicle.
The stated choices were a Bentley, a Mercedes-Benz or a Lincoln Town Car! Nevermind that Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. This regal woman of God insisted on arriving in luxury.
When I heard this story I didn't know whether to start a petition drive or just vomit on the spot. I was outraged, bewildered and nauseated.
For the last seven years I have given my life to help empower and release women leaders in the church. I have dedicated my life to ending gender discrimination—especially when it limits women's spiritual gifts and callings.
Yet when I hear of poor examples of women pastors and preachers, I must confess I fight discouragement. Yes, we need many more trained women church leaders—but we don't need any more bad examples!
In my travels I have observed all kinds of women leaders, some who are stellar role models and others who would do us all a favor if they pursued different careers. If you have aspirations to pursue leadership in ministry at any level, I pray you will avoid becoming like the ones I am about to describe.

1. THE DIVA To this woman, ministry is all about her. She is the star. Surely she started out with genuine passion for God, but today her message is not defined by her unseen prayer life but by what people see on stage. Greed and pride have deceptively lured her into compromise.
She knows how to move a crowd. There is obviously a strong anointing on her life, but it has been subtly fused with a carnal agenda. She can inspire people to success and wow them with her own accomplishments, but there is nothing in her sermon that brings true repentance or brokenness. Her message may be loud, and it can elicit shouts at the altar. But the people don't realize they've been drugged with a spiritual form of cocaine that triggers a religious high but can't bring them closer to Jesus.
The diva is known for her demands. Someone must carry her Bible, her water bottle, her purse and her cell phone. Those who ask her to preach in their church soon learn that she is "high maintenance." She will require the priciest hotel rooms and the biggest offerings—which she will collect with plenty of manipulative arm-twisting.
Her Christian values were once admirable. But the holy fire that burned in her heart a few years ago has been quenched by greed and an addiction to the crowd's approval. She stopped studying the Bible and now focuses more on what she plans to wear at her conferences. She stopped spending time in God's presence and began craving the glow of television lights.
The diva loves grand entrances. She comes into the meeting late and is whisked off the stage as soon as she has delivered her sermon. She doesn't associate with common folks or spend too much time praying for them. A strange atmosphere surrounds her: A mixture of the Holy Spirit's irrevocable gifting and a disturbing aura of self-importance. Only those who are discerning can recognize the difference.
2. THE CONTROL FREAK If you saw the movie The Devil Wears Prada you know the type of leader I am talking about. Unfortunately the main character of that film, the fearsome fashion publisher Miranda Priestly, has a few counterparts in the religious world.
Beware of this woman if she is in any church leadership position. She rules with an iron fist and leaves a trail of wounded bodies behind her. Somehow she missed the elementary Leadership 101 class, which teaches that every Christian leader must learn to serve. To her, authority is about dominating people.
This woman does not know how to delegate. She is not a team player. The control freak believes she knows all the answers, and therefore she must sign off on all decisions, no matter how petty. People line up outside her door night and day to get her approval, and anyone who needs an appointment is first advised to obtain a "weather report" on her shifting moods.


Somehow this woman never took care of her anger issues when she was a young Christian. Now that she has a position of power, no one is brave enough to challenge her ungodly behavior. She surrounds herself with yes-men and yes-women who dislike her authoritarianism but are too intimidated to admit that her ruthless temper is a sin.
The control freak has no peers and doesn't have a relational style. She may claim to have an older mentor (who usually lives in a distant city) but she doesn't open up her life to those who work with her. They are her subjects, and she demands obedience and long hours of work to prove loyalty. Her employees usually resign on a regular basis because of her harsh criticism and abusive words.

Money Cometh and Joyce Leiphon, an Opinon from the Internet

Bring Your Tithes and Offerings into the Whorehouse How could a Prosperity Doctrine make preachers millionaires, and no one question the morality of this doctrine? II Peter 2:3 indicates that because of people's covetousness, false prophets will be able to use feigned words to make merchandise of them. Friends, you can see what we have in the pulpit in these last days. These are not preachers, but pimps! If you study the nature of a pimp, you can then understand the nature of the false preacher. A pimp is a weak, emaciated, effeminate man who, because of his own weak and perverted nature, has refused to be productive in his own right. Having no work ethic, he lives like a parasite and leach off of women who see themselves as rejected, lonely, and unable to function as whole people in society. Their assurance of his approval is directly linked to their ability to give him more wealth. They work themselves to death in order to bring him material possessions, presenting those things to him as their god. This is the same spirit in the mind of the harlot church. People are being instructed to bring their tithe to the preacher in order to experience the manifold blessings of God. They are told that by confessing the Bible over their circumstances and chanting Scriptures, they will get a return on what they have sown into these false ministries. Consequently, we have millions of people being robbed while they wait for the multiplication of what was sown at the preacher’s footstool. They are not giving out of the joy of serving a loving God, they give only as some sort of down payment on what they hope will be a substantial monetary return.

If you sit in admiration of these false preachers, you are being taken for the longest ride in the history of the human race. You can see these telecasts all over the world as people run up to the steps of the altar dropping envelopes of money—money as seed faith offerings— so that they can receive back from that god. It is a travesty to watch people fill out checks and sign their names with the statement “Money cometh to me” over their signatures. In this way they give heed to the false doctrines being espoused by Leroy Thompson. In his book entitled, Money Cometh, Thompson states that as our covenant right, money comes to you based on the blood of Jesus acquiring prosperity for us through His death and resurrection. At minimum, all of this doctrine is stupid! At maximum, it is insane! How many of you reading this book have fallen prey to the filth espoused by these teachers? Even now there may be something rising up in the inner most parts of your being that hates the truth of what I am saying. These ministers feel the same way. In order to protect the deceitfulness of their ways, they hide behind scriptures like “Touch not God’s anointed” or “Do God’s prophets no harm.” If something in you believes that I am judging ‘God’s anointed man for this hour,’ then something in you is bound to the devil. You need to be set free from a spell that was cast on your mind by a sorcerer and a warlock standing in the pulpits and calling themselves ambassadors of Christ. In reality, these men are workers of witchcraft and sorcerers of seduction sent from the devil. One of the most tragic aspects of this Word of Faith movement is that most of the people involved have no idea about the end times, including the rise to power of the Antichrist to rule the world and the existence of a worldwide delusion and a ‘falling away’ from real Christianity. They are blinded by the very doctrine that claims to set them free. As they vigorously seek things to secure their position in this world, like wealth and prosperity, they lose the desire to end the world and see the Kingdom of God come online. The devil is preaching the world into the church so that they will be programmed to fight with him against God in the final battle. This is the ingenious strategy of a rebellious, fallen angel looking for a way to snuff out the longing of Jesus’ people for His appearing. The Bible plainly says that Jesus will appear the second time to those who long for him with all of their hearts. He says you’ll find him if you seek for him with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. When you long for His appearing, He will manifest to you. Seeking the things of this world eliminates the appetite necessary to bring the revelation of Christ into your life. We are sitting in the midst of the greatest fall away in the history of mankind, and billions of souls worldwide have no idea what is going on. Their own greed, lust, and desire to have the things of this life choke off the Word and it becomes unfruitful to them. One of the things that choke off the word of God and make it unfruitful in your life is the “cares of this world” and what Jesus called “the deceitfulness of riches.” Through prosperity teachings, you are being led as far away from Christ as the east is from the west. These delusions and false teachings are so evident in the Word of Faith movement that you would have to be almost biblically illiterate to believe them. This is why God says the whole foundation of this movement is built on silly women laden down with all kinds of diverse lusts, ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. The Prosperity market is comprised of people who don’t know or understand the Bible, and since they want “stuff” instead of Jesus, the ministers are able to make a fortune off of their greed and covetousness. Your material possessions will not get you into heaven. As a matter of fact, Jesus told the rich man that if he were going to be made perfect, he would need to sell everything he owned and follow Him. Jesus knows what is in the heart of men. In most cases, those who possess an abundance of wealth, tend to trust in material things and not in God. How have we now changed the Gospel so that the riches are now seen as a sign-off on us following Christ? This is a no-brainer! It is time for those who desire Christ to wake up, follow him, and leave the false teachings of the Word of Faith alone. If the Lord blesses you financially, He will do it based on your level of maturity and your willingness to go forth and do His will at the expense of your own. God is not into hedonism; He is concerned with saving men’s souls from an eternal destruction. Beloved, please wake up.

Joyce Leiphon and Light of the World Church, Should I Leave?

 

 

 

If you see any of these seven warning signs in your church, my advice is to run as fast as you can.
A friend of mine from England recently asked me for counsel regarding a serious dilemma. His pastor had been involved in extramarital affairs, yet the man never stepped down after the scandal. My friend grew increasingly uncomfortable. Then he became alarmed when the embattled pastor announced he was going to lay hands on every church member during a weekend service to impart “special revelation.”
This pastor had a base of loyal fans, but the Sunday crowd was dwindling because people could smell trouble. They knew it wasn’t right for this man to remain in leadership without receiving some serious personal ministry. I advised my friend to run for the door.
I’ve never found a perfect church in all my travels—and it certainly wouldn’t be perfect if I joined it. But there are some churches that deserve to be called unhealthy. While I believe we shouldn’t give up on a church too fast, there are some warning signs that should cause you to stop and ask if you’d be better off finding better pasture.
1. No accountability. There is safety in the multitude of counselors (see Prov. 11:14). There is much less safety—perhaps even danger—when a leader does not bother to seek counsel from a diverse group of his peers, as well as from gray-haired men and women who have the wisdom that comes with experience. If a pastor or church leader isn't open to correction or financial oversight, he is headed for a train wreck. If you stay in that church, you may crash with him.
2. Spiritual elitism. Healthy leaders love the entire body of Christ. Beware of any church that claims “exclusive” revelation or suggests they are superior to other Christians. This is how cults start. There is a large charismatic church in Hungary that began in revival, but the founder began teaching that their church was the only place people could truly be saved. If a pastor ever makes such claims it is time to shake the dust off your feet and move on.
3. Entrenched immorality. The apostle Paul commanded leaders to enforce biblical discipline. This must be handled with gentleness (see Gal. 6:1) but nevertheless with firm resolve, because the enemy wants to infiltrate the church with moral compromise. If a pastor has been involved in adultery or perversion and continues preaching, meanwhile refusing discipline, his unrepentant spirit will infect the entire congregation—and you can expect to see immorality spread throughout the church. Don’t be defiled.
4. An authoritarian spirit. Some leaders develop a dictatorial style and try to control people through manipulation, threats and legalistic demands. I’m amazed at how much spiritual abuse is tolerated in churches today. No pastor is perfect, and we are called to be patient with each other’s faults. But if a church leader is verbally abusive toward his staff or members of his congregation, he is in direct violation of Scripture. The Apostle Paul taught that church leaders should not be "violent" or "quarrelsome" but "self-controlled" and "gentle" (see 1 Tim. 3:2-3). It’s best to find another pastor if yours cannot control his anger.
5. Unbridled greed. Paul made it clear that a leader has no business being in the ministry if he isn’t “free from the love of money” (1 Tim. 3:3, NASB). Yet we have turned that requirement on its head today. We have given greedy charlatans access to the airwaves and allowed them to corrupt the church with a money-focused message. Your pastor does not have to live in poverty, but if he insists on living in luxury—and manipulates people during offering time to squeeze more money out of your wallet to pay for his toys—you are supporting his habit. You should leave.
6. False doctrines and manifestations. A pastor should be open to the Holy Spirit’s spontaneous work, but he or she should also protect the flock from deception. In many segments of the charismatic movement today, bizarre New Age influences have been wholeheartedly embraced—and Christians seem to have thrown away the gift of discernment. If your church is focusing on a particular prophet’s revelations, or is going off on weird tangents—at the expense of solid doctrine—then you should go elsewhere fast.
7. A culture of pride. Some church leaders are so insecure that they manufacture a sense of importance around them in order to function. They surround themselves with security guards, “armor bearers,” handlers and assistants—and never actually build genuine relationships with their church members. They think church is all about their stage performance, so they rely on volume, theatrics, clothes and a grand entrance to impress the crowd rather than just being normal, touchable, accessible servants. If your pastor is building a personality cult rather than a dwelling place for God, run for your life!
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project (themordecaiproject.org). His latest book is Fearless Daughters of the Bible. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. 

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Getting "drunk in the spirit" Joyce Leiphon style!

I'm posting this because I've been part of this "drunk in the spirit", stumbling and bumbling, crawling on the floor, laughing hysterically all the while thinking this was of God.  Joyce Leiphon encourages and leads by example in this behavior.  So the question is:

Question: "Is being drunk in the Spirit a biblical experience?"

Answer: Nowhere in the Bible does it say to be drunk in the Spirit. When the Bible speaks of being drunk, it always has a negative connotation. The only place in Scripture that alludes to the idea of “spiritual drunkenness” is Isaiah 29:9-14, and it refers to God’s judgment upon sin and apostasy.

Some leaders in the Word of Faith movement and churches associated with the Toronto Blessing promote the false idea of being “drunk in the Spirit” or being filled with “drunken glory.” Congregations are instructed to “get drunk,” “take another drink,” and cast off all restraint. Stumbling gaits, slurred speech, falling to the ground and other odd behaviors are “proof” of the work of the Holy Spirit.

The false teachers who promote being drunk in the Spirit point to Acts 2:13 as justification for their aberrant practice. On the day of Pentecost, as the apostles were preaching the gospel, some in the crowd said, “They have had too much wine.” The accusation was obviously a mockery of the apostles, and Peter flatly denies any hint of inebriation (verse 15). Yet today’s Word of Faith teachers take this jest from an ungodly crowd and use it as “evidence” that Peter and the apostles were preaching in a senseless stupor. Such twisting of Scripture not only demeans the apostles, it also dishonors the Holy Spirit.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:15-18).

Paul says that getting drunk is akin to our old way of life with its worldly and self-serving desires. Such behavior is debased and “leads to debauchery” (compare Colossians 1:21; Romans 13:13). The word debauchery is a translation of a Greek word meaning “lawless insolence or unmanageable caprice.” Paul deliberately contrasts the state of drunkenness (a loss of control) with the indwelling of the Spirit of God (a gain of self-control, Galatians 5:23).

God wants every aspect of our lives as believers to be under the complete control of the Holy Spirit. This does not come by drunkenness, and it does not mimic its effects.

Acting drunk and blaming it on the Spirit of God is sin. Those who teach spiritual intoxication are more closely allied with Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and drunkenness, than with the true God of the Bible. Being filled with the Spirit is not some ecstatic or emotionally charged experience. It is not a heavenly high or a spiritual buzz. Being filled with the Spirit is a steady submission of one’s life to the God of glory (1 John 3:24).

The Money Cometh Man Cometh to Ft Pierce to collect more money!

Yes, it's that time of year again.  Now calling himself "Apostle" Leroy Thompson is coming back to Ft Pierce to Light of the World Church (LOTWC) for another money cometh conference January 10, 2013.  I also wanted to point out Joyce Leiphon has a new website, with an audio teaching, by the way, this audio proves she believes she is god and can speak things into being just like God and a few pictures.  The church family photo is of interest.  Since I left 2 years ago, the church family hasn't grown much as I see the same faces. 

Having attended these money making conferences in the past, let me save you some time and money and let you know what to expect. There will be people there from other "Money Cometh" churches in the state. They are expected to support and travel to these conferences if they want the "Money Cometh anointing", so don't be surprised if the church is full.

Bring lots of money! For each service, you will see something strange. People will start bringing money to the platform, stage, pulpit, altar, podium etc. This is a learned behavior and part of the "Money Cometh to Me Now" money game. If you bring a large amount, make sure you put it in Leroy Thompson's hand. He'll give you recognition for your money. Don't be shy about laying your money down even while he's talking, it's ok and expected.

Be prepared to repeat "Money Cometh to Me Now!" 3 times if you want it to really work, you will have to do the "money pull" and shout as loud as you can. It is at this time, some of the cult will run up and down, jump, scream and shout! It's ok if you don't do all this, but be aware, if you don't, you won't get your money, and you will get some looks from the cult members.

Don't expect to meet the "Money Cometh Man" afterwards. He'll have some body guards with him, and will probably be escorted quickly after he gets your money. Don't be surprised to see a guy in dark glasses with a slight buldge in his coat. Yes, I hope he keeps his jacket buttoned and not let you see his Glock in his shoulder holster. Yes, it's true, and yes after all, it's Ft Pierce!

Don't bring your bible as you won't need it. What you need is your money and you will be told you can't be a blessing until you get your money!

Be prepared to see people give thousands of dollars in money they have borrowed, saved and otherwise could not afford to give to a man to build his personal kingdom. Joyce Leiphon herself will give a thousand bucks at each meeting if not more....after all, it takes $10 grand to fly your private jet here and have it parked at the airport for a few days.

Save your time and money, skip the "Money Cometh" conference. Give as Jesus gave. Help your local church, feed someone, clothe someone, love everyone.

New Year's Eve with Joyce Leiphon and LOTWC

This was what expected on New Year's Eve under Joyce Leiphon.  If you didn't participate, you would be missing god and could have an impact on how your year would go.

We would show up several hours before the midnight to set everything up.  Everyone was asked to bring a dish of food to share with the group.  We again were asked by the event coordinator to bring a gift and some money for Joyce.

Joyce would have her man of gawd favorite Money Cometh video playing on the big screen to set the mood.  We'd eat and fellowship, talk about those who didn't show up, and all they'd be missing out.

We would join hands in a circle, read a bunch of scriptures replacing what the word of God with Joyce Leiphon's name as I've covered in previous posts.  We'd go on for maybe 30 minutes or so, then as Joyce would walk around the room praying in tongues, we would follow her every move.  Some of her personal assistants would actually shadow her in case she would lose her balance.  She'd be drunk in the spirit and sometimes would be held up.

We'd do the countdown to midnight......then shout out loud, "Money Cometh to Me Now", sometimes we'd do the "money pull", we'd jump up and down, run around acting as if we were rich.

Yes, her followers would try to be the first to give her money in the new year.  She would recognize those to the rest of the group who gave much money.

Pretty exciting New Year's Eve yes?  Nothing but the money, didn't do much for the lost, the hurting, the poor.  It was all about Joyce Leiphon.

Happy New Year!

Joyce Leiphon and Light of the World Church a modern day Pharisee

Matthew 23 - Woes to the Scribes and the Pharisees

a. Jesus rebukes the scribes and the Pharisees.

1. (1-4) They lay oppressive burdens on others.

Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers."

a. Whatever they tell you to observer, that observe and do: Jesus says respect is due to the scribes and Pharisees - not because of their conduct, but because they sit in Moses’ seat. They hold an office of authority, ordained by God.

b. They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders: The first accusation against these religious leaders could apply to many religious leaders today. Many still make Christianity a set of burdensome rules to follow.

i. The early church rejected this legalism when it insisted that obedience to the Mosaic Law is not a foundation for the Christian life. Peter told the legalists in Acts 15:10: "Why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

c. Heavy burdens: The burden of the religious leaders contrasts sharply to Jesus’ burden. His burden is light, and His yoke is easy (Matthew 11:30).

2. (5-10) They do their works to be seen of others, and live for the praise of men.

"But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ."

a. All their works they do to be seen by men: The religious leaders were guilty of advertising their righteousness. Both the phylacteries (small leather boxes with tiny scrolls with scriptures on them, tied to the arm and head with leather straps) and the borders of their garments were worn in supposed conformity to the Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 11:18, Numbers 15:38-40).

b. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments: Naturally, like every person in the flesh, the religious leaders figured that broader phylacteries and larger borders on their garments showed them to be more spiritual. There is virtually no end to the way that man’s depravity cannot pervert God’s commands.

c. They love the best places . . . greetings in the marketplaces: Not content to display their "spirituality," the religious leaders loved it when people admired their "spirituality." They coveted the seats of honor at banquets and at the synagogue, and they loved the honoring titles such as Rabbi and father.

3. (11-12) The way of Jesus: service and humility.

"But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

a. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant: In the flesh, we determine greatness by how many people serve and honor us. In Jesus, we determine greatness by how we serve and honor others.

i. Since Jesus truly was the greatest among them, He spoke of Himself as a servant. Unfortunately, for the most part the church has imitated the style of the scribes and Pharisees more than the style of Jesus.

b. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted: This promise is absolutely true, but sometimes needs the measure of eternity to make itself known.

b. The eight woes.

These woes stand in contrast to the eight beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-11. Jesus speaks harshly here, but this is not the language of personal irritation, but of divine warning and condemnation.

1. (13) Woe to those who shut up the kingdom.

"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in."

a. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Literally, the word "hypocrites" refers to an actor, someone playing a part. Jesus exposes the corruption covered by the pretty religious exterior.

b. You shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: The religious leaders kept people from the kingdom by obscuring God’s word with human traditions, and by denying Jesus. Empty religion and legalism do the same thing today.

c. You neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in: It is bad for someone to not enter into heaven themselves, but it is far worse to prevent another from going in (Matthew 18:6).

3. (14) The religious leaders steal from the vulnerable.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation."

a. You devour widows’ houses: They stole widows’ houses in the name of good business and "stewardship", and made long prayers for the sake of big donations.

b. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation: Jesus reminds us of the concept of greater condemnation; no one will have it good in Hell, but we can trust that some will have it worse than others will.

4. (15) The religious leaders led their converts on the wrong path.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves."

a. You travel land and sea to win one proselyte: Zeal in evangelism does not prove that a person is right with God. These religious leaders went to great lengths in their evangelism, but they brought people to darkness, not light.

i. Paul had the same idea in Romans 10:2, where he observed that some of the Jewish people of his day had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

b. When he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves: In this respect, the religious leaders were similar to Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses today. They were courageous and energetic messengers, but with a false message.

5. (16-22) The religious leaders made false and deceptive oaths.

"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it."

a. Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing: Out of obedience to God’s word, they would not swear by the name of God (Exodus 20:7). But they constructed an elaborate system of oaths - some of which were binding and some were not - a way of making a promise while keeping your fingers crossed.

b. He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it: Jesus reminds us that every oath is binding, and God holds the oath-maker to account, even if they excuse themselves.

6. (23-24) The religious leaders are obsessed with trivialities, and ignoring the weighty matters.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!"

a. You pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin: Their tithing was meticulous and noteworthy; but not if it only soothed the guilt of their neglect of the weightier matters of the law.

i. Tragically, the church is often distracted with trivialities while the world goes to hell.

b. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel: Jesus illustrates their folly with a humorous picture of a gnat which could not be swallowed because it was not bled properly in accord with kosher regulations, and swallowing a whole camel instead.

7. (25-26) The religious leaders are impure both inside and out.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also."

a. You cleanse the outside of the cup: Many are satisfied with a superficial cleansing, and the appearance of righteousness before others. God looks for a true cleansing, so we can be clean before God and man.

8. (27-28) The religious leaders have the appearance of good, but without spiritual life in the inner man.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

a. You are like whitewashed tombs: Before Passover, it was the custom of the Jews of that time to whitewash the tombs in the city of Jerusalem so that no one would touch one accidentally, thus making themselves unclean. Jesus says these religious leaders are like these whitewashed tombs - pretty on the outside, but dead on the inside.

b. You also outwardly appear righteous to men: God is never fooled by what we show on the outside. He sees what we actually are, not what we appear to be to other men.

9. (29-36) The religious leaders honor dead prophets, but murder the living prophets.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation."

a. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous: They professed to venerate the dead, but they rejected the living. In doing so, they show that they really are the children of those who murdered the prophets in the days of old (you are sons of those who murdered the prophets).

i. We express the same thought when we think. "I wouldn’t have denied Jesus like the other disciples did."

b. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt: Jesus prophesies about how these leaders will complete the rejection of the prophets their fathers started by persecuting His disciples, whom He will send to them.

c. Serpents, brood of vipers: This phrase has the idea of "family of the devil." These religious leaders took an unmerited pride in their heritage, which was really of the devil, not of Abraham.

i. This is all pretty tough stuff. Why did Jesus utter such scathing rebukes? Because He loved these men. These men were the farthest from God and they needed to be warned of coming judgment. What Jesus really wanted was their repentance, not their judgment.

1. (37-39) Jesus laments for Jerusalem.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’"

a. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem: Luke 19:41 tells us that Jesus wept as He looked over the city of Jerusalem, contemplated its coming judgment, and said these words. Jesus wanted to protect them from the terrible judgment that will follow their rejection of Him.

i. It is written that Jesus wept two times: here, at the pain of knowing what would befall those who reject Him, and at Lazurus’ tomb, weeping at the power and pain of death.

i. This heartfelt cry is another way to see that Jesus didn’t hate these men He rebuked so strongly. His heart broke for them. When we sin, God does not hate us, He genuinely weeps for us, knowing that in every way, our sin and rebellion only destroys our life.

iii. May we share God’s broken heart for a lost humanity!

b. You shall see Me no more till you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" Jesus here reveals something of the conditions surrounding His Second Coming. When Jesus comes again, the Jewish people will welcome Him as the Messiah saying, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

i. It will take a great deal to bring Israel to that point, but God will do it, and Israel will welcome Jesus back - even as Paul said in Romans 11:26: And so all Israel will be saved.