An Open Letter to James Black of the Open Door Christian Bookstore in Cartersville, GA

Dear James,

Today, you accused me of having the “Spirit of the Pharisees”.  I’ll never forget the little smile you had on your face when you said it.  I’d like to tell you something about the Pharisees.  Rather, I’d like to have Jesus tell you something.

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” Matthew 23:13-15

For years, you’ve sold books by prosperity preachers and false prophets such as Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, TD Jakes, John Hagee, and Jesse Duplantis.   I’ve seen their books in your store.  They were there today.  For years, men and women have come into your store looking for spiritual bread and you’ve sold them the leaven of very men who devour houses.  Prosperity preachers sell a false gospel and false hope to people who don’t have a whole lot.  You help them.

You see, you’re the one in the mainstream in our Bible belt society.  You’re the one who owns the “Christian” Bookstore.  You sell the books to people who buy them hoping can understand how to live godly lives.  You do that, not me.   You do the job of the Pharisees, not me.  You are the very kind of person that Jesus Christ and his Apostles confronted and rebuked. ..and you’re just as stiff-necked.

You own a store full of Christian books and you can’t even apply the scripture to know what a Pharisee truly is.

Two years ago, I came to your store to confront you about the heresy you sold to people for a profit.  Selling what you sell is like selling whiskey to a drunk.  I asked you to reconsider.  You wouldn’t budge.  You wouldn’t repent.   You still won’t.  Today, I came to tell you that I was glad your store was going out of business.  I know it’s more likely competition from Amazon than God’s judgments that put you in there but I’m glad your little shop of theological horrors is gone from my city.

I was the only man in your store today when I walked in.  Everyone else was an older woman, your typical customer.   You’ve been devourer the houses of these poor old ladies for years.  I hope you never do it again.  I hope your going-out-of-business reception is the last time they ever get anything from you, unless it’s an apology.

I hear you go to New Covenant Full Gospel Church over by Walmart.  If that church believes in all the prosperity gospel you sell, I hope it goes straight out of business.   If not, I hope that body calls you to repent.  I know you have a lot of preacher friends.  It’s said none of them seemed to have loved you enough to call you to repent of what you do.  All your preacher friends should be ashamed for supporting you and your store all these years.

May God be the Judge Between You and Me,

G. Seth Dunn

PS

You’ve had Matthew 18:20 on your sign for as long as I can remember.  You were applying it wrong. It’s not about geting together to read books about God and drink coffee.  It’s about church discipline, something any biblical church would have put you under long ago.