They will refuse to listen to the truth and will turn to myths. (2 Timothy 4:4)
I got the greatest e-mail the other day. It announced that I had won twenty-two million dollars in unclaimed cash! All I had to do was send my bank account information to the sender and all would be over!
Yea, and pigs can fly too.
On the radio, just last week, the news reporter interviewed the sheriff of a neighboring county about a scam that a person had fallen prey to. He had received a cashier's check in the mail, which announced that he had won a monetary prize and to send some money to pay for the taxes.
Of course, the check was bogus and the sheriff was warning people to not cash these checks (they are money orders) as the current victim now owed the bank five thousand dollars. Ouch.
Maybe this verse: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with much pain. "(1 Timothy 6:10) needs to be added to the news accounts about all these scams.
I like the "eagerness to get rich" and "pierced themselves with much pain" part of the verse.
I mean, what makes people fall for these scams? The e-mail I received was full of bad grammar and lousy spelling. When I read it out loud, I about fell over laughing.
But then God's word is so correct-the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And that includes those who want to make it on easy street.
It takes two people to be scammed. One to play the con, and another to be willing to be played. Remember the movie "The Sting"? What caused the rich, powerful man to fall for the sting (con game)? His pride and love of m-o-n-e-y.
People fall for all sorts of scams. Internet myths, urban legends (seen any cats in the microwave lately?), and of course, false doctrine from false teachers.
"If any man teacheth a different doctrine, and consenteth not to sound words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; "(1 Timothy 6:3)
Just as there are money scams, there are "church scams". People since the beginning have tried to teach a gospel that was not what GOD intended. We read:
"But even if we or an angel from Heaven preach a gospel to you beside what we preached to you, let him be accursed. "(Galatians 1:8)
GOD takes it seriously when you mess with HIS Word. This is not a funny e-mail from wherever, nor is it a fake check we are talking about. This is the business of the eternal soul.
Many today still do not "get it". After all the warnings, all the love, all the teaching, there are those who still insist that they know the way and if you just send them you eternal bank account number you will win!
GOD says, no, you don't. HE is the sheriff you know.
Warnings from the scripture:
But even if we or an angel from Heaven preach a gospel to you beside what we preached to you, let him be accursed.
(Galatians 1:8)
Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
(Matthew 7:15)
For I know this, that after my departure grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also men shall arise from your own selves, speaking perverse things in order to draw disciples away after them.
(Acts 20:29-30)
But because of those false brothers stealing in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus; they desiring to enslave us;
(Galatians 2:4)
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who secretly will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.
(2 Peter 2:1)