"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. - Matthew 6:1-4 (ESV)
I am always amazed at how easily we pay absolutely no attention to what God is saying to us in His word. A false prophet says something and we pin it to our refrigerator in case something vaguely close happens ten years later but specific instruction from the bible? No chance. The above instruction from God is not vague. It is not murky. We know exactly what God is commanding us. We are not to practice righteousness before other people so that we might be seen by them. Period, full stop. If we ignore this then we will have no reward from God. When we give to people, we should not be blaring it like we are sounding a trumpet - look at me! Look at how great I am to be helping these poor people! If you do this you are nothing more than a hypocrite because you are seeking to be praised by others instead of helping people with a pure heart. So, when we give to the needy, it should be done secretly and then God will see your motives as pure.
I say this because it seems like every church broadcasts their good deeds. Even locally I see videos always posted online about outreach ministries, feeding the poor, or providing clothes. So, in your efforts to help people you feel it is best to use them as propaganda and pawns to gain free advertising for how great you are to help people. Beyond local, we see this from every false teacher as well. I remember years ago Creflo Dollar made a big thing about giving free backpacks to needy kids in the Bronx. Mind you, it is nice that he chose to do it but after fleecing the flock for 30 million dollars and free Lear Jets, maybe throwing a couple of thousand dollars worth of backpacks to needy kids is not something that should be trumpeted.
That brings us to Jenny Weaver. Keep in mind please that the work she seems to be coordinating to feed people in her neighborhood after Hurricane Milton is fine. The church should be doing these deeds. What they should not be doing is posting seven videos in a day and a half showing off how much you are doing for people. That is exactly what the key verses say not to do. We should not forget that Jenny Weaver shakes down her sheep to the tune of over three million dollars per year just in the recurring fee to be part of her "core." She additionally milks them for thousands more through her new fake supernatural school and is even hawking wellness products. So, like Creflo Dollar before her, yeah it is nice that you are doing something for those devastated by the hurricane but maybe you should not be trumpeting it so loudly. By the way, the video Jenny has pinned to the top of her Facebook page is the one begging for people to send her money to rebuild her "Core Center." The grift is always center stage and do not be deceived. The seven videos bragging about how much she is doing is part of the grift.
Beloved, it is great that people are helping the victims of Hurricane Milton. Remember that Weaver also guilted people into staying when they should have evacuated. She claimed they should show "faith over fear," butchering scripture in the process. To broadcast your good deeds after fleecing them for millions of dollars is unseemly at best and a clear violation of what the Lord has commanded in the key verses. Be not deceived.
Reverend Anthony Wade - October 13, 2024
