Impact of the Counterfeit: Enrichment and Destruction

Webster’s Dictionary defines counterfeit as, “an imitation of something genuine so as to deceive or defraud; pretended; sham; feigned; an imposter; a cheat.” Benjamin Franklin designed America’s first money, the continental dollar using a mysterious anti counterfeiting device called “the nature print.”

Consisting of an image of leaves, using a plaster cast of a leaf, a lead plate was made to print the notes. Because of the complex web of veins, the notes were difficult to counterfeit. In a recent ceremony, treasury secretary, Timothy Geitner, and federal reserve chairman, Ben Bernake, showed off the new high tech hundred dollar bill designed to frustrate twentieth century counterfeiting.

With over a half trillion dollars in “Benjamins,” in circulation around the world, the existing hundred dollar bill has attracted the attention of countless counterfeiters. Most have been sophisticated criminal gangs, but there is a considerable body of evidence linking the most dangerous conterfeits, the so called super note, with the North Korean government.

Prior to the Koreans, the Nazi government and even Russia have counterfeited U. S. money. Counterfeits have had a two fold impact. They enrich the perpetrators, and they defraud, producing a destructive impact. Over the process of time, forces have risen up in opposition to God and have defrauded and counterfeited some aspects of the work of God.

The only recorded episode where Jesus became violent, was when he overthrew the tables of the money changers and the seats of them that sold doves. He then taught saying, “Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? But ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Mark 11:17)

There was a need for money changers, because there were two types of currencies in circulation at the time: Roman money and temple money. The Roman money had the image of the Roman emperor who was proclaimed to be their God. Because of this reason, the Jewish people would not give Roman money in the temple. They made their own temple money, which created the need for money changers to convert from Roman to temple money, not unlike a Mexican border transfer of dollars for pesos.

However, the rate of exchange was convoluted to such an extent that the worshippers of the house of God were defrauded through a fraudulent counterfeit operation. The money changers were enriching themselves at the expense of the people and the house of God while moreover their actions were damaging the Lord’s intent for his house which was to be a sanctuary of holiness and prayer.

It was probably not coincidental that prior to this episode, Jesus passed the unproductive fig tree (a metaphor of Israel) saying, “No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever.” (Mark 11:14) The following morning when they passed by the same tree, the astonished disciples saw the tree dried up from the roots. As the fig tree became lifeless producing no fruit, likewise the spiritual vitality of the money changers had become lifeless even counterfeit.

How did they lose faith and fear of God? What had made the precious things of God commonplace? When had the holy become profane and counterfeit? Indeed, how was their faith destroyed? Was it discouragement, disappointment, disillusionment, despair, an offense, envy, or simply greed that caused these people to lose out with God to the point of becoming counterfeit?

Just as Benjamin Franklin built a hedge of protection within his continental dollar, to mitigate the counterfeit, similarly, our Lord Jesus Christ has a plan for his followers with a hedge of protection to mitigate the mountainous forces that have potential to damage or counterfeit his kingdom work.

He says, “Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast east into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark 11:22-24) When the enemy comes in like a flood, we can raise up a standard of faith filled prayer claiming and receiving the promises of God, living victorious lives in his kingdom, lives that are at the same time, authentic, powerful, and fruitful.