Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don't be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned. -Jesus (Matt 7:15-20)This article (Believers Invest in the Gospel of Getting Rich) chaps my hide. A ministry that takes in $100 million annually...really? I was made aware of a recent group of local pastors that have special monthly clergy rates at a local Golf Club that nearly exceed our monthly budget as a church. The issue is growing and the damage to the credibility of the local church is ever expanding. The slick hair, crest strip teeth, the flashy clothes and sports cars and sooped up Motorcycles, not to mention the expenses accounts, helicopter transportation and a host of other gross misuses of hard earned cash is atrocious.
It makes me ashamed to be called a pastor at times.
This "prosperity gospel" feeds upon peoples unmet needs, it promises the moon while it pit-pockets your shorts. It's a delusion that weaves itself into the legitimate hierarchy of needs. It's a bait and switch like the professional street thieves use...they get you looking at one thing while they pull a fast one on you. So they are walking off with your cash and you are left scratching your head.
The prophet Daniel saw a statue that embodied all the fallen kingdoms of this world...and guess what the head of this statues was made out of...yes, you guessed it...gold.
When will we ever learn....we are such suckers.
3 comments:
“Because we’re partners with Kenneth Copeland, for every soul that gets saved, we get credit for that in heaven.”
Puhleeze! Let's mark another one up on our spiritual scoreboard! We're gettin good stuff when we get to heaven!
I have never understood the philosophy that in order to make money you have to give it away. To me, this is making God into Santa Claus. Actually, more like a wishing well. Let's all throw our coins at God and he'll grant all our wishes!
There are two things that worry me most when it comes to the "prosperity gospel".
1) The teachers are deceived and are teaching that deception.
2) They aren't.
I won't point fingers or name names, but I truly believe that some men (and women) who teach those lies know it's wrong but teach it anyway as a means to get rich.
Then there are those who listen to these teachings and believe it is truth. This is usually out of no other education of the Bible and it's message. Sadly, I've also seen how hard it is to try and "un-educate" a lie that you've been taught is truth.
A pastor who drives a Jag who's church "motto" is "Success Begins On Sundays!" Multi-millionaire tv preachers who are frequenting prostitutes and sleeping with their secretaries. Tv preachers who are "told by God" who has what medical problem while having a small recieving microphone in their ear telling them who has what affliction in the congregation that day. Yes, we need to realize these men & women are just human and certainly God forgives them as we should. Yes, they have confessed and, in most cases, turned their life around. Yes, how dare I cast stones while living in a glass house myself. But the fact remains that when a high profile Christian pastor who is rolling in the dough gets caught in sexual sin or rips off his flock, it casts a very dark cloud on the thousand of pastors who are on the front lines. The ones who struggle to pay the bills all the while not being afraid to embrace the vomit covered addict fresh off a 5 day bender. THAT is why I cast stones. THAT is why I stayed out of church until I was in late 30's. It truly ticks me off and I have disdain & pity for those who choose to pour money into their so-called ministries.
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