The Unjust Steward

The Unjust Steward

If I might just be strait with you, I sometimes don't know where some of the Media Ministers are living. I'm speaking of the sort that are always preaching condemnation against others who have not yet attained sinless perfection in their every mental response and emotional reaction when facing attacks, afflictions and infirmities. The Ministry of condemnation is being done by the workings of Satan through ungodly men in order to keep struggling Saints oppressed and turned in upon themselves as if they must reach some invisible standard before they can ever expect to receive an open door to be blessed and/or used by God.

And more often than not, the struggling Christian's financial status and social standing in life is most often brought into question by these money motivated media Ministers as a means of determining the degree of God's blessings and/or Satan's curse upon the Christian's life. And these carnal leaders always seem to teach cunningly devised theological systems of thought in order to doctrinally reason and explain their heresies as being logical and true. Yet attaining riches and a social position was and never has been a Biblical standard whereby one's acceptance and/or blessing by God is determined. Nor does the lack thereof suggest that one is cursed. Yet as we know from Paul's own testimony, being financially challenged and not yet perfect never meant that the Apostle Paul was cursed nor did it stop him from ministering the Gospel. For it is written:

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Phillipians 3:7-21

The Apostle Paul calls these men enemies of the cross and yet there they stand telling us about “good stewardship” and how that God will not ever give us what we need, until we first learn how to attain prosperity in order to handle what ever circumstances come our way. The problem is that you can be suffering and handling things just fine by faith without all the external trappings of perceived success. That is until one of these counterfeit leaders comes along putting you under a damning guilt trip of condemnation for being a poor struggler. When in fact they are only after what little money you have. Because if he is not telling you to send in a financial gift to break the devil’s curse, he is trying to pawn off what amounts to one dollars worth of paper and ink for twenty dollars a pop by selling his latest book on getting victory over the curse of the devil.

Sadly our society as a whole thinks in such vain terms. They have even made a god of the unrighteous mammon to such a degree that a human has no value in the eyes of others unless they can prove their own worth by the financial success and materialistic trappings that they can secure. And more and more we are beholding the dehumanizing greed of this flagrant pride of life in the Church at large because there are now so many Media Ministries out there that are perverting the message of the gospel.

Yet what this whole sale scandal of money madness in the Ministry has created, is an over all demonic atmosphere of un-Christly virtues, where souls for whom Jesus died are shamed away from the liberating salvation of the cross. And those who are called to reach the lost are put under great pressure to measure up to some worldly standard of success before they are ever taken seriously. And what we have in the Christian Church at large today is nothing less than an evil spiritual empire of Media Ministries that have formed religious Monopolies over the broadcasting airways and are now controlling the spiritual direction of the Church at large. And that is in great part because so many unwise and worldly Church leaders enviously respect and follow after these Nationally known Media Ministers. I’ve left more than a few Churches where the Gospel according to Benny Hinn was taking the place of the Gospel according to Jesus Christ.

So it is my desire to hopefully help some to escape the over all religious brain washing of this system which conditions the minds of the Christian masses through indoctrination to be the spiritual slaves of a religious order which demands the glorification of and the submission to the self deification of its leaders. And so if I might strike at the very heart of their perverted teaching which they use to justify their scandalous perversions by twisting the Scriptures into conformity with their ungodly greed. Lets now get into this and see exactly who Jesus was talking about when He gave the parable of the unjust servant. For what we are going to discover is that it is these Media Ministers who ought to carry the shame that they have been heaping against the people of God for all these years. For ministers such as these all have one thing in common. They always misinterpret the parable about the unjust Steward in order to prove their error against those they are trying to get a tithe and offering from.

Now we have to be very careful here because keep in mind that there are many Pastors in the land who teach along these very same lines. And that is because they have been conditioned to do so by watching and listening to these hirelings over the television and radio. And their motives might be very pure with the best intentions, as they believe they are trying to help their congregations. It is not these Pastors that I have in mind here. Rather it is those ungodly and greedy Media Ministers who purposely shame Christians as being spiritual failures. Because after their listeners have already been faithful in sending in their tithes and offerings but still do not receive some promised hundred fold financial return, these Charismatic Con-Artist have to have some excuse to fall back on. Thus they bring into question their victim’s faith in their handling of their trials with the implication that until they get it right, God can't bless them. Which paves the way for more of the Media Minister's books and tapes to be sold. It's a never ending circle of give and take. God's people keep giving and they keep taking.

So without further delay we read: “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?” Luke 16:10-12

As stated: based upon the above verses, most of today’s Ministers will tell you that the reason you are facing financial difficulties is because you have been unfaithful in your tithes and offering to God and/or you have mishandled your trial. Thus, they are using the parable of the unjust steward to perpetrate a fraud by teaching you that until you are found faithful with the little that you have, you are never going to receive relief. Yet what does that really mean to the poor? Is God's Word; yea, even Jesus Christ Himself, actually suggesting that God has shut the door of His compassion and mercies to the child of God who is suffering in the midst of overwhelming financial difficulties. And until they get it right, God is going to leave them hanging?

That is certainly not what Jesus taught, but it is what these ungodly men are teaching. And our enemy Satan capitalizes upon these carnal and earthly minded misinterpretations of the Word of God. Satan even uses them to accuse God of cruel and heartless dealings with us as His people, by implying that God has placed us in circumstances that are impossible to overcome without God’s help, and yet until we overcome, God will not help us at all; and thus, we are left with a contradictory concept of the character of God who is implicated as being so cruel as to leave us hanging to be judged and condemned for circumstances that are beyond our control. And that is a perverted teaching my friend. I mean let’s face it, there’s not a lot you can do in getting yourself out of poverty and out of all of your trying circumstances that so limit your life if you don’t have the means or open doors to help yourself. And it is perverted teachings like this which only reinforces the stupid notion that “God helps those who help themselves.”

Always remember that it is not in the character of God to clip your wings and then to demand for you to fly. Nor does God cut the legs out from under you and demand that you run. Satan is a liar, and unlike man, God never places us in a pressure cooker and then demands for us to attain sinless perfection before He will bless us, and if we do not, then he will curse us. This is not a correct interpretation of the Word and/or Character of God. Such a misinterpretation comes straight out of the dark heart of Satan through the carnal lips of America’s Media Preachers who get on the radio and television and write books about surviving the coming great economic depression by paying your tithes and offerings. Sadly far too many Pastors and Evangelist are using such money grabbing ploys to get support as well.

When we rightly divide the Word of Truth, we find that the certain rich man, spoken of in Luke chapter sixteen, does not represent God at all, because God would never commend a steward for his unjust and dishonest practices. This is what we read:

“And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was ‘accused’ unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.” Luke 16:1-8

This rich man represents Satan as being the god of this world’s financial system and the unjust steward is a Believer who under the threat of poverty mishandles being falsely accused to those in financial authority. We know that he was falsely accused because the word accused in the above passage comes from the Greek: dee-ab-al’-lo; which means to: traduce: — accuse. This word traduce is defined by Webster’s as meaning: “To expose to shame or blame by means of falsehood and misrepresentation.”

Thus, faced with losing his means of financial security because of false accusations, he is put under pressure to compromise his integrity because he is physically unable to dig or do hard labor. We know that he has health issues because verse three tells us: “Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I ‘cannot’ dig; to beg I am ashamed.” And the word “can not” here comes from two Greek words: “ook;” and “is-khoo’-o;” The word ook; meaning: the absolute negative adverb; no or not: — + long, nay, neither, never, no, none, [can-] not, And the word “is-khoo’-o;” meaning: to have (or exercise) force (literal or figurative): — be able, avail, can do ([-not]), could, be good, might, prevail, be of strength, be whole, + much work.

So we see the dilemma that this steward is faced with. On the one hand he does not have the physical ability to do hard labor and he just can’t get a job anywhere. And on the other hand he is ashamed to beg. This word “beg” being the Greek: “ep-ahee-teh’-o;” meaning: to ask for: — beg / to ask besides, ask for more, to ask again and again, importunately to beg, to ask alms.

Here is where the steward becomes unjust and he says: “I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.”

Now notice that after this steward took dishonest, illegal and sinful actions to gain a means of survival after he was put out of his stewardship, it was then that this lord “commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely.” Did you catch that? This same rich man who had demanded an accounting of his stewardship when he was innocent, now commends him when he compromises and becomes dishonest. Is that not how it is in the world? They honor those who practice dishonesty and promote them who are undeserving while persecuting the righteous in the work place? And it really disturbs your sense of reality, common sense, equality and justice in the work place. And it is very disturbing that there are such blatant contradictions going on in the job world and the only ones who care are those who have been railroaded by others only to suffer the consequences of the blame.

Yet Jesus exposed the underlying spiritual trap that awaits us if we are not walking by faith when he said: “…for the children of this world are in their generation “wiser” than the children of light.” Is Jesus now flip flopping and complimenting the dishonest, lying, cheating, stealing, false accusing, and persecuting children of the devil? Not hardly. This word “wiser” comes from the Greek: Phronimos (fron'-ee-mos); and it simply means: "intelligent, wise, prudent, mindful of one's interests."

In other words Jesus is contrasting the actions of the wicked in looking out for their own financial interest with that of the children of light who fail to use wisdom in looking out for their own spiritual interest when faced with such contradictory circumstances.

This is about taking up your cross daily and choosing between spiritual life and spiritual death. It’s a choice between saving your life in this world or losing it for Jesus Christ. Yes, here it is again, I just keep coming back to it again and again in my teaching. But if we plan on escaping the self condemnation of a world that is bound for everlasting destruction in hell fire, then we must reckon with the true meaning and implications of the cross. As it is written: “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:34-38

This concerns our very spiritual survival and we dare not sell our souls to Satan for job security when faced with such a trial. You can’t allow yourself to fall into the snare of the unjust steward and live like the animals in this dog eat dog rat race and still remain a child of God. Because the lord of this steward may have “commended” his dishonesty but The Lord Jesus Christ “condemned” his dishonesty saying: ”And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” Luke 16:9

It is only in this context that Jesus goes on to say “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 16:10-13

Today’s Ministry demands our faithfulness in that which is least (which they interpret as our financial offerings) only because they have their covetous hearts trained on securing a financial blessing from us as soon as we get it together and cash in on our faith in God. You see how they think. Their mental disposition is warped and geared toward perpetuating the spirit of this covetous world through the very Scriptures they have twisted which denounces it. Thus what Jesus is actually conveying to us is not a demand for us to try to achieve more money or financial blessings from God. As a matter of fact, the positive aspect of this lesson has nothing to do with money at all. Only the negative aspect of this lesson concerns money. And that lesson is clear: If we trust only in the uncertain riches of this world, and seek to attain success with so much prosperity and popularity. We can achieve all the appearances of that success in the eyes of man and yet still be a total failure in the eyes of God. Why? Because we were unfaithful in that which was least. That is the tragic plight of those who esteem the riches of this world as being greater than the riches of God’s Word.

Thus, rather than being faithful to God in that which is least, until God sees fit to bless and increase them. Such people take short cuts as they cheat, lie, steal and manipulate their way to the top. They never waited on God to exalt them, because if they had, they would not be praising books like “The Purpose Driven Life” and “Your Best Life Now” which are basically instruction manuals on how to have a successful Christian life without taking up a cross and obeying God’s Word. Such leaders also think that they are doing God a service by misspending millions of donated dollars building great mega Churches in the name of God, and thus they prove themselves to be Unjust Stewards who were not only: “unjust in the least” but are “unjust also in much.”

And likewise, today’s average Christian would think they were doing God a service by saving their money towards some religious vanity at Church, rather than being faithful in that which is least by simply buying a poor neighbor a bag of groceries or offering them a ride when they are in need. The concept of going the extra mile and actually sacrificing for another for the sake of true Christ-like love is totally lost on this last day generation of Christians. The very fact that evil and godless men actually get on television and the radio demanding money for God as a seed of faith with a promise of a hundred fold return on their giving, is bad enough. But when you see Ministries becoming Global Media Ministry Empires like the The Trinity Broadcasting Network, because so many millions are actually responding to these reprobate men and are giving to them out of their own greed to get the promised pay back. It is then that you begin to realize just how warped the Church at large really is. Every word, deed and action seems to be motivated by selfishness. That is why it is so very rare to ever hear today’s Preachers ever teaching from or quoting Jesus, where he spoke of dying to self and taking up a cross.

The parable of the unjust steward is very encouraging for the true Believer who is facing persecution and financial problems and feels condemned because he or she is not able to do more for Jesus. And He is telling you and I that if we are faithful to Him and His Word in the circumstances and situations that we find ourselves in, even though we would desire to do so much more. He will still account our faithfulness in that which is least as though we are faithful in that which is much. Meaning that even if you feed a neighbor’s hungry child and share the gospel of Jesus with them though all you have is a few groceries and a Bible, and yet you are unable to reach the entire nation. Your faithfulness in that which was least shall be accounted as being faithfulness in that which is greatest.

Thus, we need not fear the condemnation of the leaven of these modern day Pharisees whose prosperity politics have corrupted their minds. For even more blessed is the promise that if we are faithful in that which is least, we shall be given: “the true riches.” These true riches are not riches of money, but they are the riches of God’s grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus our Lord. Covetous men do not treasure the true spiritual riches of Jesus Christ, but rather they only respect that which is highly esteemed of men just as Jesus said when ending His parable about the unjust steward. As it is written:

“And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” Luke 16:14-15

And that is one sure way to recognize a wolf of Satan who comes to us transformed as a sheep of God’s fold. They will always turn you away from the true self denying implications of the cross of Jesus Christ toward a counterfeit cross that will land you in the everlasting habitations of hell. Speaking of having “Your Best Life Now” which is the title of one of the latest best selling religious books. We find that immediately following the parable of the unjust steward. Jesus told of the Rich Man and Lazarus dying. And He spoke of the rich man opening his eyes in the burning flames of hell saying that he cried out for water, but was subsequently told:

“Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”

This rich man had his “Best Life Now” while alive but he found that “His Worst Life Awaited” him after he died. And is not the very title of this book “Your Best Life Now” a frightening admission that what awaits such Cross-less Christians is that which is not best? Think about it! If you were going to heaven, would not you agree that “Your Best Life” would be after you die and not “Now?” Hello?

The Rich Man and Lazarus

“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Luke 16:19-31

Unprofitable Servant - Unworthy am I

“And the apostles said unto the Lord, increase our faith. And the Lord said, if had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself , and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” Luke 17:5-10

When the world shall begrudge thee for their own selfish desires

and thy efforts to do right are sorely despised

Say unprofitable servant, I am an unprofitable servant

unprofitable and unworthy surely am I

Then go thou quickly and wait again on thy Master

for after thy labor He shall require of thee thy time

Therefore ye shall say unprofitable servant, I am an unprofitable servant

for I have only done that which was a duty of mine

Thus unprofitable servant, unprofitable servant

when returning from the field thy own bidding do not

But when thou returnest go wait again on thy Master

to break him His daily bread for this is thy lot

Then say thou not: “I am now worthy to go do my own bidding

after all these things I have yet done”

But say: “I'm an unworthy and an unprofitable servant

for it is not my will Lord but Thy will be done.”

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