# 233: Supply and Demand

In all things, supply will not appear on the scene unless there is a demand. That fact implies that for every single commodity we have with us at this time, we as a nation/world have created a demand. When the demand slows down, out of necessity, the supply will have to slow down also. This is kindergarten truth, and yet this principle spills over onto spiritual matters.

There is a constant tug-of-war between our human nature and God—the New Testament uses many verses calling our human nature our sinful nature. We all, at one time or another, have experienced the strength of that nature we were born with. The reason it is called sinful is because it is self-centered. And that is sinful in God’s eyes.

In Holy Scripture there are multitudes of verses that do not sit well (are unpleasant) with our self-centered nature. And there are just a few verses which seem to pander to our human nature. This is what religion per se has done out of necessity: It favors hearing the verses which are pleasing to our human desires, and neglects many/most of the verses that demand we make every effort to adhere to, what I call hardcore, distasteful verses.

What the clergy—not all of them—does in a sneaky way is to talk about worldly things that are pleasant to listen to, and then they make them sound spiritual by mentioning the Bible and then injecting the name of Christ or God, or some trivial spiritual matter. On top of that, to make the laity feel good about themselves, they pile up numerous accolades such as “God has many blessings just waiting for you,” and that they (the laity) are the holiest people in this city, etc. A person who is a master of this technique is Joel Osteen. His church is the largest in America, over 30 thousand paying members. When people hear what they want to hear, they come back again and again. The demand for this type of preaching has caught on like wildfire. Preachers aren’t stupid—although, in God’s sight, they are—they go where the money is. Therefore, the supply is great.

It was inevitable that an easy-to-live-by gospel would eventually come to pass. Scripture gives several warnings to us to be on our guard against such preaching and teachings. 2nd Timothy 4:3 predicted this type of gospel, which is no gospel at all. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers, to say what their itching ears want to hear.” Romans 16:18. “Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.” The apostle Paul says in Acts 20:29-30, “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and will distort the truth in order to draw disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning you night and day with tears.” It was easier for these early disciples to be led astray, because the New Testament was not yet formulated in the first century. But, there is no excuse for modern-day Christians/disciples to be deceived. Christian Bibles are everywhere. Exposing that type of teaching is what this blog is all about.

Now take a church that preaches what is needed for Salvation; their members are few and far between. The only ones who can tolerate the truth of the good news are genuine disciples of Christ. The demand for this type of truth is not very great; therefore, there is a small amount of supply (Godly preachers who don’t value money). Church leaders are/must be the least in their congregations, and most likely the poorest. Many will say, “That is absurd.” Jesus said in Luke 9:48, “. . . For he who is the least among you all—he is the greatest.”

Another trick is to preach on things that build up individuals in their comfort zone: things like politics, sports, entertainment, current events, etc.; of course, don’t forget music with a worldly beat and a funny story to get everyone in the desired mood. The only distasteful subject most churches bring up is that they need money to meet their expenses. And guess what? The knuckleheads oblige, since the Bible says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” Yes, but not to every phony who claims Christ as his Lord, but to alleviate genuine need. One can quickly spot a phony: those who do not stress obedience to all the teachings of “their” Lord.

I really can understand why modern Americans demand that their devotion to God through Christ be easy and effortless. Most things in our “people-pleaser culture” are “I want it now,” and “I don’t want to pay too much for it,” and “I want it to be effortless,” like putting it in the microwave, or going to a restaurant which has fast service, or driving instead of walking or biking. We have been pampered for so long that we are spoiled rotten. That is why this effortless form of Salvation has caught on, especially in the last 20 years or so.

What can be done about it? Have you ever tried to take a dish of ice cream away from a small child until they eat the healthy food first? If Christ came down to earth in person and preached against the vast majority of people-pleaser Christianity, He would have little or no effect. This blog has been preaching Biblical Christianity for over two-and-a-half years with very little results. I am certain Christ’s teaching would be similar to what this blog teaches.

It is extremely difficult for anyone to change their mind concerning what genuine Christianity is. Even if Christ performed mighty miracles, just like the Pharisees, they would/could not change. There is little hope for the vast majority of easy-does-it churchgoers. What angers me is that Satan is so effective in how he operates. For those who cannot change, one thing I would suggest to these gullible people is to spend their money and devotion on things that give earthly benefits, instead of feeding the clergy the delicacies of life. The New Testament guarantees that all those who don’t live as Scripture dictates will end up in hell to spend prime time with the mastermind of this easy-to-take deception.

Mega-churches are the main culprits for these false Gospels, regardless of the fact that they are increasing by leaps and bounds. They are on a roll. For those who may be slightly aware of their suspicious messages, I strongly recommend this: Read or listen to the New Testament every day. Many will say, “I just don’t have time.” That is a poor excuse. Time can be made by negating things that are important to you now, and making learning what is taught through God’s instruction book for life, a priority. While reading, highlight all the verses that seem unreasonable, unpleasant or impractical for anyone to adhere to. They are the ones of greatest importance, which many never have heard before. No better advice can be given by Christ or this blog. Of course, this reading/listening must be inspired by God’s Holy Spirit/the right motive, which will allow some to change course.

In ending, yes, to a small degree, we can change this supply-and- demand syndrome. But first we must become aware of the demonic deception which is dressed up in godly silk and satin with soothing words of comfort, which so many are engaged in. The best part is the result of those who decide to take the straight and narrow path, where not many travel. For them, the final result will mean a gigantic transformation: eternity with God. My continual prayer is that many bloggers wise up and realize the potential seriousness (a hot burning hell) when going the easy way, where the supply and demand is great.