Fishers Of Men Or Fishers Of Money?

by Van Robison

Jesus told Peter and Andrew, who were brothers and who were also fishermen by trade, "Follow Me and I will make you FISHERS OF MEN" (Matthew 4:18-19). Many are the preachers today who proclaim they are fishing for souls, all the while they are really fishing for material riches, wealth, fame, prestige, money, power and authority. The church world is overrun with preachers who have gone fishing and cast their nets for million dollar homes, multi-million dollar homes, jet airplanes, motor coaches, expensive boats, free travels all around the world, and endless other luxuries. How many self-proclaimed pastors today seek personal disciples to follow themselves and to "partner" with them so that they can live a life of royalty, all the while pretending to represent Jesus Christ?

The modern day "money changers" in the church world are much like the money changers that Jesus Christ chastised in Matthew 21:12-13. Their motives were not in serving God, but in FINANCIAL PROFITS. The "fish" (people) in the sea that get hooked on shinning lures are innumerable. Oddly, one of the most weird things about life is that those to whom people give their money to eventually become their masters. Prosperity preachers become lords and masters of their "tithe" payers, "seed sowers" and "partners", because these "fish" (people) look to these professional money fishers, as if they are God Himself. They are hooked.

Money fishers in the church world are professional fishers of material riches. They use the false tithing doctrine as a primary hook. They use the false "sow a seed, reap a harvest" hook. They use the false "offering" hook. They also very effectively engage people to attend their conferences, camp meetings and revivals which are all great money making opportunities. The glittering lures deceive multitudes. Most of the fish (people) have innocent hearts and honorable intentions, but they are actually bait for sharks. Jesus Christ is not bought with money, nor does the salvation of anyone depend upon "partnering" with sharks. Money is the great obsession of the modern church world. The church industry, which is a mega religious empire, is a great, modern day money institution. Anyone with an interest can key into the Internet and read about the massive material wealth of the Roman Catholic Church, the Mormon Church, and the entire Protestant Church world. Not only do the churches build innumerable "church" buildings, temples and cathedrals, but they also own commercial businesses, expensive real estate, land and properties, and countless other assets. All this is of course, in the name of God or Jesus Christ and the result of the never ending flow of free money from the gullible and naive.

The type of giving that Jesus Christ taught is vastly different from the teachings of the church money masters. Perhaps one of the great oddities in the church world today is that the masses of people will give to the wealthy churches, the wealthy celebrity preachers, and to the rich television preachers, while they neglect the poor, the widows, the elderly and the needy. The rich money preachers gladly rob the poor and the widows, and think nothing of taking the last dime of even those who live on social security. I personally know wealthy people who gladly contribute to money hungry celebrity preachers, while they are very stingy towards the poor. Jesus was the Champion of the humble, the meek, the lowly in spirit, the helpless, the defenseless, the needy and those who cried out to Him. The world is full of money sharks in the church world, who come as "angels of light", but who hook all the fish (people) they can.

If there is one thing Christian people need, it is discernment, because many are caught in the nets of fishers of money. Money goes hand in hand with power and control over the lives of common people. The money masters are masters at making money and deceiving the gullible. The secure way to avoid being caught in the nets of the money changers and the fishers of money, is to not swallow the bait of the fishers of money, and instead follow Jesus Christ and His teachings.