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Romans 2:11 (KJV) For there is no respect of persons with God.
Galatians 2:6 (KJV) But of these [ministers] who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me...
Ephesians 6:9 (KJV) And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
Colossians 3:11 (KJV) Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
Colossians 3:25 (KJV) But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
James 2:9 (KJV) But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
1 Peter 1:17 (KJV) And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear...
In these days of self satisfaction and pleasure seeking we see a great host of preachers who want to teach us how to become prosperous. There are many “ministers” telling folks how God wants them to prosper and that if they develop the God kind of faith and learn how to sow money seeds they could reap a harvest of God’s powerful blessings on their finances.
Many of these popular ministers are exceedingly wealthy. They live in multi-million dollar houses and mansions, and drive expensive luxury and sporty type cars. They travel around the globe in jets and planes that cost millions supposedly preaching the gospel. And, if you look at them, they seem to be living lifestyles that would make an NFL superstar envious.
They tell you things like, “I am experiencing God’s blessings in my life.” And “God gives me favor because I have faith in Him and I am doing His will.” And this classic, “All I have is a result of my obedience to God’s word and I am reaping from what I have sown.”
These ministers want you to know how much God favors them and they want you to believe the more they have, the more in tune with God they are.
Is this true? Could this be true?
One minister gets on international television and tells everyone how God got him a Rolex watch. Another asks the viewers to help him get another twenty million dollar jet which he says will only be used in ways that please the Lord. Yet another tells people his next house will be one that even King Solomon would be proud of. And let’s not forget the one who bought a convertible Bentley for another rich preacher.
Some would say that the royalties from their books and music rightly belong to them and they can do with it what they will. But is that so? Can they do with it what they will? The bible says not to lay a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in our brother’s path (Romans 14:13). Many, many people stumble and fall because of wealthy preachers.
Could they have had so much success were it not for the audience they have acquired because of ministry exposure? How else could they sell their books, novels, movies, music and more if they didn’t have popularity with “Christians?” Yet the bible says...
2 Peter 2:3 (KJV) And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
They shall make merchandise of you! You will become a means for their gain. Face it, who in the world would have even heard of any of these people were it not for the ministry exposure they get? They come in poor and go out rich! Something is terribly wrong with this picture.
Many of these false proclaimers offer answered prayers, double anointings and the salvation of loved ones if you will send in your money. Still others tell you that when you send your money you are “taking part” in their worldwide ministry of the gospel! [See The Anointing the most overused, overworked, misunderstood, misinterpreted term in use today.]
By Sharp Contrast
Since the bible so obviously describes God as not having respect of persons, why does there seem to be a sharp contrast from these modern pleasure and prosperity preachers and the preachers of old?
Does God love and bless “brother mansion dweller” more because he is so “on target” with his faith? If what the rich preacher says is true, that God blesses him/her because they have great faith and can stand on the promises of God, then shouldn’t it have been the same for Paul, Peter and the other apostles? Shouldn’t they have lived in mansions and been exceedingly prosperous? Or does God love these current day ministers more than Peter and Paul and the others?
The early preachers shared such truth and revelation of God’s word and will, that it turned the whole world upside down and produced such things as the bible and the church as we know it. Yet isn’t it odd that these men of God were not exceedingly rich and prosperous like many of today’s preachers?
Look at what Peter said in the bible to the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple...
Acts 3:6 (KJV) Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
Did Peter lie to this man or did he in fact have no money? Weren’t Peter and John well beloved of the Lord? Why then did they not have any money?
Paul had more revelation of the truth than any other disciple of Jesus could ever hope to have and his life was anything but glamorous, pleasure filled, and prosperous!
These men of old labored abundantly for the Lord and poured their lives out for Him and most of them were eventually martyred. If today’s preachers are pouring out their lives in any way close to our early church fathers, why do they live so differently from them? Do today’s preachers really think they deserve such immense wealth and blessing and big salaries?
If God is no respecter of persons, why do some preachers enjoy the “blessing” of a multi-million dollar house while others can only rent a modest home? Is one doing the will of God more accurately than the other? Has the less prosperous minister not “arrived” yet?
Ever notice that when the modern preachers of pleasure and prosperity preach, their “gospel” says nothing of sin, judgment, hell or repentance. Funny how their churches grow, huh!? Maybe, just maybe, the bible tells us of them in the following passage...
2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV) 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.
The early spreaders of God’s word preached repentance and mercy and God used them to start the world on fire with the gospel. They weren’t telling people how they could live better lives and have more things if they learned to use their faith and they certainly weren’t believing God for the finest chariots to drive and the most beautiful palaces to live in.
The Bible shares many passages that describe the humble lives of the early church ministers and how they often took up offerings to help supply the needs for the “poor saints” at Jerusalem (Romans 15:26).
God’s word also gives the “man of God” instructions concerning wealth and gain as well as warnings about the same. I can’t understand why today’s preachers, who consider themselves great men and women of the word, haven’t seemed to pay any attention to this strong warning from Paul to Timothy (who was a bishop/pastor)...
1 Timothy 6:3 through 11 (KJV) 3If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
This particular exhortation was aimed directly at the minister. Read it again...supposing that gain is godliness! Isn’t that just what they teach? God will prosper you in proportion to your faith and obedience. So, in essence, they are saying that their prosperity (gain) is a sign of God’s favor in their lives (godliness). Yet the apostle Paul tells Timothy, a minister of God, to flee these things! He tells him how they can lead him into a trap and how they can make him err from the faith. Friends, today’s prosperity teachers are in direct contradiction of God’s word!
We use other exhortations Paul gave Timothy to pattern our ministries after, so why not this one? In fact this recent trend of calling some ministers “bishop” comes from these letters to Timothy and many of today’s so-called bishops are quite rich! How ironic.
There are some preachers who have several multimillion dollar homes and get salaries in the six figures! Why? What have they done to deserve that!? Well some would say that the bible tells us to reward the elders that rule well with double honor (1 Tim. 5:17), but come on!! Pay them well okay, but turn them into millionaires!? Someone who labors for Christ sacrifices much of his/her life to serve God and should be duly compensated but where do you draw the line? How much is necessary? Paul says we should be content with food and raiment, but hey... what did the apostle Paul know?
An Early Example
Acts 4:32 through 34 (KJV) 32And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold...
Do you think this would happen today? Do you think these prosperity preachers would seek out under privileged ministers and Christians and sell their mansions and cars and penthouses and distribute to them according to their needs? Hardly!
There are some ministers struggling to just have some land and build a modest church while others have $200,000.00 water sculptures in their lobbies! Some televangelists have offices that cost over a million to build and decorate and there are pastors out there that have to work secular jobs just to help make ends meet! Where’s the justification in that!? Why must some of our “brothers and sisters” (and I use those terms loosely) in the Lord tower over others in wealth and fortune?
Two times in the beginning of the book of Acts the idea of the equality of the disciples is brought out. The passage above and in the following...
Acts 2:44 through 45 (KJV) 44And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
We don’t see this in the church today. But why, I ask? Why is this early church attitude so mightily passed over? Perhaps the bible can help with this question also...
2 Timothy 3:1,2 & 4 (KJV) 1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud...4 lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God...
I don’t think people today pay enough attention to the term, covetousness. Quite a few years ago I heard a popular faith teacher say, “Why should the devil’s kids have all the wealth!?” “Shouldn’t the Kings kids have even more?” Some might say that makes sense, but I sure think it sounds purely covetous! And you know what? It is! It’s coveting through and through. What ever happened to thou shalt not covet (the tenth commandment)?
I don’t care what the devil’s kids have and I do not envy them in any way!
When Paul told Timothy that a minister who covets wealth would err from the faith (1 Tim.6:10) he couldn’t have been any more accurate. Ministers today who teach and preach pleasures and prosperity are not spreading the original gospel but an altered, perverted doctrine they claim to be God inspired and Holy Bible backed. Nothing could be farther from the truth. They are just trying to cover their covetous ways by getting others to buy into what they believe is the truth. “Get others to learn to prosper so I can justify my wealth in their eyes.”
Listen to what Jesus said about those types...
Luke 16:15 (KJV) 15And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
This is why they try to teach people how to prosper, so they can continue in their own prosperity. The fact is that very few common people ever prosper in any way that even resembles the high flying minister’s wealth.
You always hear them testify of how they sowed into each others ministries too! The rich giving to the rich! It’s amazing how they can just sit down and write a check for a hundred thousand dollars to give to brother Rolex’s ministry but when a needy pastor asks them for help, it’s “go learn the bible principles of prosperity and apply them.”
One thing I’d like to interject right here and now for those who are easily offended by these types and turned off to Christianity because of them; they do not represent the true church of Jesus Christ! They do not represent the bible properly nor do they actually hear from the Holy Spirit like they say they do.
False Blessings
2 Corinthians 11:14 through 15 (KJV) 14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
I will now make a bold statement about today’s prosperity preacher’s prosperity; it is not given to them by God, but by the devil. Why? Because it is his to give (Luke 4:6). The devil can make someone appear to be blessed by God. He can speak in someone’s ear and tell them to give sister Wantmore their car. If he can tempt us to sin he can tempt us in any way. And all of this so that people will err from the faith and be led away with false doctrines. The above scripture tells us that he can seem like an angel of light and that he has ministers who can seem like righteous men and women of God.
Let’s face it, when Jesus said that in the last days there would be many false prophets, He said they were capable of fooling the very elect (Matt.24:24). Well the very elect are God’s children and these wolves must be pretty convincing (not to mention right under our noses) if they are going to fool us. We have to wake up and look around! If Jesus warned us then it must be happening. We have simply not been looking in the right places for these false prophets. If they did not seem to be a part of our Christian camp how could they fool us!?
Jesus said you would know them by their fruit (Matt.7:16, 20). So stop looking at their so-called gifts and so-called blessings and use God’s word to measure them up. If these preachers are rich, they are opposed to what we read in 1 Timothy, chapter six. And if we find them opposed, then they are false.
Is Their Message All Wrong?
Now don’t think that I think we are supposed to be poor and needy all the time, I don’t think that way at all. But I prefer to think in a balanced way concerning needs and wants and I want to consider what God wants from me more than what I want from God. Jesus said I should do this...
Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Some of the components of the prosperity message are valid. God will bless the obedient and the generous. There are plenty of bible promises a believer can stand on and be blessed in all areas of life, including their finances. But remember, we are talking primarily about ministers. God’s ministers and pastors and preachers and evangelists are not expected to chase after wealth and worldly pleasures, but to be humble servants of a mighty, loving God, who is interested in the care and welfare of all His children. Let me site a few scriptures from the Word of God along these lines.
Matthew 6:24 (NIV) “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Mark 4:14 & 19 (KJV) 14The sower soweth the word...And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
2 Timothy 2:4 (KJV) No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
1 Timothy 6:9 & 11 (KJV) 9But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts...11But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
1 Timothy 3:2, 3 & 7 (NKJV) 2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous...7Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
When the apostle Paul told Pastor Timothy to flee from things concerning the gaining of riches and wealth (1 Tim. 6:11) he went on to say...
1 Timothy 6:17 through 19 (KJV) 17Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
These instructions are for those in Pastor (bishop) Timothy’s care. The sheep, if you will. Its one thing for the sheep to gain riches, it’s quite another for the minister to do the same.
Ministers should not be distracted with such worldly things as money and cars and expensive houses and the like. Not only do they trip people up but they consume time and precious resources that can be put to so much better use with a little research.
Not only that but it makes the minister look selfish and self-centered, thinking only of their own gain rather than the welfare of others. It makes people talk negatively about the church, the ministry, and then finally, Jesus Himself. You’ve heard them, “that’s all those preachers are after is my money!” “All they ever talk about is money!” It gives the church of Jesus a black eye. God doesn’t need any more hindrances added to what He already has to deal with.
I once heard a pastor from California on TBN talk of how someone gave him a Rolls Royce and he was driving it when a couple he knew pulled up next to him and conversed with him. The man’s wife, who was in the passenger’s seat of the other car, said to her husband, “See, I told you all they want is money! Look at that car!” Well, of course, this pastor told the viewing audience how it was wrong for them to make that kind of assessment when, after all, he was given the car.
What does a minister need with a Rolls Royce!? He would probably say, “But I like cars, I love Rolls Royce’s.” Yea, well I love English castles but that doesn’t mean I should own one.
We have to remain humble before the public. We should never say or do anything that would cause people to stumble. Paul said he liked meat but if it offended his brother he would eat no meat (1 Cor.8:13).
Take that gift and sell it! Give to him that hath no cars. The sale of a Rolls Royce could pay for several cars for needy recipients and wouldn’t that make for a better testimony towards them that are without. Think about it...MINISTER SELLS ROLLS ROYCE GIFT AND BUYS CARS FOR FAMILIES THAT HAVE NONE! Now that’s the Spirit of Jesus! This is good talk as opposed to all the attention that is focused on the wealth of today’s ministers.
People Are Beginning To Notice
There are cropping up “watchdog” ministries and websites that report what many preachers make monetarily and how much their houses cost and what kind of cars they drive and how many planes they have and where they go on vacation and so on and so on and so on. It’s really quite shocking in many cases!
They throw money around like its nothing. They get huge salaries. People give them expensive things, which they keep! And all the while they think they deserve these “blessings” as a reward for their “hard” work and their deep faith and obedience. Well I just don’t see it. I don’t see any tremendous, genuine fruit bearing either.
I guarantee they will label me as a dissenter and an antichrist and an agent of the devil for saying these things but I don’t care! Someone has to speak up and thank God many real ministers are beginning to take a stand against these false gospel spreaders.
Oh yea, many appear on the outside to be doing the work of the ministry but their net worth says they love the things of this world a little too much. Jesus said for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also... (Matt.6:21). And they have amassed much treasure here on the earth so their hearts must still be that of an earthly nature.
Colossians 3:2 (KJV) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
I am not saying that ministers have to be dirt poor or take a vow of poverty or anything like that, but let’s not take it to the other end of the spectrum either.
When a preacher lives in the lap of luxury it reflects badly on those who struggle in life. And you can’t tell me that every follower of the rich preacher has more than enough money in their life. No, many faithful followers give of their hard earned money at the request of these spoiled brats in hopes of pleasing God and doing their part in the ministry. And while money is being begged for this project, or that country, or this satellite, or that TV station, millions of dollars are going into their own homes, furnishings, offices, cars, boats, beach houses, butlers, clothes, and jewelry! My brethren, these things ought not so to be!
Any preacher that feels they need to spend a million plus dollars on vases, pictures, sculptures and wood veneer needs to have their head examined. Any pastor that thinks his sixteen year old daughter should have a Porsche Boxter as her first car needs to seriously reevaluate his Christianity! Any minister that can justify the need for an 8000 square foot office for himself must really think he is something. [See Lifestyles of The Tele-Evangelists]
Galatians 6:3 (KJV) For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
Oh, they’re out there. I’m not making these things up! Are these the kind of fruit a servant of Jesus should display? Forgive me for sounding a little righteously indignant. If the Holy Spirit can be grieved (Eph.4:30) then I guess I can be too.
I suppose the most vivid passage in the bible concerning the attitudes of the prosperity preachers is what Jesus said in the book of Luke...
Luke 12:15 (KJV) And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Yet these prosperity preachers say they are “Word” people, meaning they purport to believing in, and teaching only the real word of God as found in the bible. They claim this and yet they glory in the abundance of things they possess! They call it “prospering.” But that is in direct contrast to what Jesus said here in Luke 12:15.
Secretive Lives
They don’t readily advertise the way they live either. If they were to discuss in one of their “sermons” the fact that their house cost well over a million (in some cases quite a few million) dollars, and that the car their wife drives is worth more than some people’s homes, how many people would feel very comfortable giving to their very needy causes?
What ever happened to sacrifice? Can these wealthy people honestly say they live lives of sacrifice?
Just try to get close to one of them. You can’t! I can’t, and I’m a “fellow preacher.” They have body guards and security monitored, iron gated properties. Is this the Spirit of Jesus? Peter tried to be Jesus’ security guard when they came to arrest Him and cut off the ear of a man. What did Jesus do, He healed the man and told Peter to put away his sword (Matt. 22:51,52; Luke 22:51). Yet many of today’s popular preachers have armed body guards!
They’re not going to tell you about their eight car garages attached to their 10,000 square foot homes, or their Jaguars, Bentleys and Rolls Royce’s. They won’t let you in on the fact that they frequently stop over in Hawaii, Fiji, Colorado and the Caribbean while flying their million dollar planes to “meetings” and “crusades.”
They are able to do things that the average believer could never do! Why? Because of you and your money. Before they ever had the exposure to you, they couldn’t have done any of these things. They have taken advantage of something placed within their trust and used non-profit offerings to help them live a life of profit.
There is also a big trend of novel writing, movie making and Christian music selling that helps line the pockets of those various authors and ministers. Again, they have made merchandise of you (2 Peter 2:3). They are using God’s people, who they are supposed to be ministering to, and profiting off of them! I have absolutely no problem with the secular author or movie maker or even the Hollywood star becoming rich from their endeavors. It’s their trade; let them do what they will with it. But when fortune and wealth comes to those who acquire it under the guise of ministry work, then it is ill gotten gain.
Again, let me emphasize; let me make it clear; these types do not represent the true church of Jesus Christ, nor are they endorsed by those clergy and ministerial personal or congregational folk that make up the majority of Christian churches on the planet. True followers of Jesus are not like that. Otherwise why would I, a true follower of Jesus Christ, be speaking out against them? Jesus spoke out against them; Paul spoke out, Peter spoke out and many others. Read the New Testament. All the warnings are in there concerning the false prophets, false doctrines and heresies that would be prevalent in these times. [See Lifestyles of The Tele-Evangelists]
A Close Call
I have to tell you, I started out my Christian life in the “camp” of many of these faith and prosperity preachers. I have seen first hand how corrupt they can be and how off these doctrines can become. I was there when the “Name it and claim it” bunch was birthed and I was there when people started trying to use their faith to make their checking accounts grow. Yes, that’s right, “speak to your checkbook! Tell that checkbook, ‘you’re full, in the mighty Name of Jesus!’” Speak to the mountain (of debt) and tell it to go. But Jesus didn’t say we should speak these things into being, He said...
Matthew 6:33 (KJV) 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
He told us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness! This means I am to dedicate my whole life to everything that pertains to, and strengthens, and furthers God’s kingdom here on earth and learn to appropriate the righteousness of Christ in and through my life. If I never take the time to examine myself and pay attention to the kind of fruit I am bearing, I will never be able to fulfill this command. Why? Because I will not be seeking His righteousness. How then is He supposed to prosper me if I don’t do what He says? If I try to find “shortcuts” to His financial blessings, I will be going around His commandments for me in my life. And believe me; the devil will gladly aid you along in this endeavor just to trick people into believing that this stuff really works.
All I need to be concerned with is Jesus, His will, and His way. God will add to me what He sees fit and He will never go against His own word in doing so.
Thanks to my honest, heartfelt prayers to the Lord to keep me on the right track over the years, I began early on to see the many problems and inconsistencies with the prosperity and faith teachings. It’s not that faith and believing are not some of our most important, powerful allies in this life here on earth, it’s just that it takes a great deal of Godly wisdom to use them correctly in the situations and circumstances that life brings our way.
The devil even tempted Jesus to use His faith improperly...
Matthew 4:3 (KJV) 3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
But what did Jesus do?
Matthew 4:4 (KJV) 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Jesus used Godly wisdom that comes from God’s word and stopped this temptation in its tracks.
It’s not wrong to want money and things with which you can help others, but when those things consume your time and interests and become the focal points of your life, then something is terribly wrong.
A Great Commission
The Great Commission (Mark 16:15) tells us to go into all the world, but many so-called believers have all the world going into them! We are supposed to go and make disciples of all nations getting them to repent of their sins and believe in the Savior, Jesus Christ. How then has this turned into a “commission” to get people to prosper? All this big money is going to waste! All these popular televangelists are soaking up millions and millions of precious dollars and they are doing the wrong things with it.
You turn on the “Christian TV station” and all you get these days are money drives, preachers who act more like entertainers, a lot of talk about movies (which I’m very tired of, by the way), false prophesies and un-anointed, un-inspired, useless “revelations” on how to “better” our lives or lose weight or stay fit. We hear “music” now that so resembles everything the world has to offer that you can’t understand the words, don’t recognize the chorus and there’s no anointing that brings tears to our eyes. The Holy Spirit wants to move us closer to Him, but that’s just not happening with today’s Christian music.
At one point the Christian world tuned in to TBN to see a popular female preacher get married to a pastor (who feels the need to be called bishop) on an all out, over the top, over a million (according to her) dollar wedding. Over a thousand guests were there and it looked as though we were watching the Queen of Sheba’s wedding. A lot of money was spent on that event. I mean a lot! And we are all sorry to hear that that marriage union was marred by physical violence and is in trouble at the time of this writing. But I ask you, does anyone else consider this a terrible waste of money? That money had to come from somewhere. And if you consider the fact that both of these people’s sole sources of income was the ministry of Jesus Christ in one way or another, well, something is really wrong with this picture. [Details]
I’m not trying to deny anyone a beautiful wedding but that kind of extravagance is what you would expect to come out of Hollywood and such. It just goes to show you how little wisdom is used by today’s popular preachers.
All the people flock to the mega churches where the message is always about something great that can happen to, or for, them. They’re comfortable there because nothing “cramps” their compromising lifestyles. They never hear much at all about sin, judgment, hell or righteousness and that’s okay with them. As long as they can find out how to prosper, not be depressed, have better self-esteem or enjoy life everyday, they are pleased as punch. But bring them to a place where the message can actually expose some of the wrong in their lives and they’re out of there in a hurry.
I know for a fact that many, many people who go to these churches and these weekend seminars and so-called crusades lead very compromising, sinful lives. I know people personally who are no more saved than the man in the moon, but they just love “brother soft spoken, encouraging message” and watch him all the time! Are they saved yet? Hardly. They don’t see anything wrong with the way they live because “brother soft spoken, encouraging message” never brings that kind of stuff up.
That’s not the Great Commission. The Great Commission tells us to spread the gospel! Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature... (Mark 14:15). And here’s what it says of Jesus in Luke...
Luke 24:45 through 47 (KJV) 45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Do you see anything about prosperity being preached among all nations in the above passage? Let’s face it, repentance and the subject of sin is not popular with the crowds of today and today’s preachers will do anything that will draw the crowds. You know this is true!
The Great Commission is all about us going out and doing the will of God, but today it seems to be all about what God can do for me!
So, Now What?
I don’t believe for a minute that all the prosperity teachers and preachers started out trying to deceive people. I think that many had the sincere desire to serve Jesus Christ in truth and with integrity. I believe that somewhere along the line they became deceived or miss-led (with the devil’s help) and began to believe things that were out of line with truth given to us in the bible.
Face it; the bible is full of warnings about false prophets and false doctrines especially prevalent in the last days. Well, if this isn’t a major part of those, then where are they?
It’s not too late for today’s preachers to get their acts together. If they are capable of humbling themselves, praying, and perhaps fasting about these matters, and researching the scriptures that we have looked at in this message, maybe they can get back to their first love and win souls like they used to.
Many of these folks have been gifted teachers and evangelists and I would like nothing more but to see their ministries flourish with good fruit once again.
If not, be warned, you are playing with fire and to go up against the Lord and His word is a very bad thing to do.
For the time being, let us pray for a repair to this breach and let the true light of Jesus shine for a hungry world to see.
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