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SignUp Now!I agree it is a big problem in the christian community. I think Joel Osteen is one of the biggest prophets of the "prosperity gospel".
I was watching one TV Evangelist named Creflo Dollar, and he was given a jet plane form his church to enable him to regularly and quickly travel to his other church in New York, to the tune of $5 million, so that his life was not adversely affected.
Then I watched another TV program the BBC World News America which broadcast in July, 2008, an item on the Kenneth Copeland ministries. Although Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey; Kenneth Copeland claims God ordained the purchase of a $20 million Citation 10 Jet. According to Copeland, "The Lord spoke to me and said to believe for a Citation 10 right now."
Paul Crouch of the Costa Mesa-based Trinity Broadcasting Network, has a Canadair Challenger 600 executive jet worth about $13 million.
In fact when you google "Greedy Televangelists!" you will be shocked at how much money is spent on a lot of TV Evangelist personal lives.
It seams to me, if Jesus was alive today, I do not believe he would accept a multi million dollar Jet, in fact, I am quite sure he would say sell it and give the money to the sick, poor and starving in African, don't you agree! So how do these people get away with saying they are being used by God to further the spread of the Good News?
It seams to me, if Jesus was alive today, I do not believe he would accept a multi million dollar Jet, in fact, I am quite sure he would say sell it and give the money to the sick, poor and starving in African, don't you agree! So how do these people get away with saying they are being used by God to further the spread of the Good News?
First of all, Lord Jesus is alive then, today, and forever.
Secondly, He would not tell us to sell the jets and feed the poor; He already given His disciples a commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
The question for us is, are we His disciples?
If we say we are, how are we using *our* own resources to make more disciples?
Don't get pulled into the temptation to condemn other people.
We are not responsible for anything that they do.
But we are stewards of the resources God has given us. And it takes Spiritual maturity to know what to do with it.
Are we growing Spiritually?
Prosperity Teaching will shipwreck your faith! Look closely ate these false teachers, they are getting very wealthy by taking advantage of christians who don't know what the Bible really says. Here are just a few name's to be prayerful about before getting involved with these people and their ministries. Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copland, Jan & Paul Crouch, Rod parsly, Creflo Dollar, Fred Price, John Hagee, TBN Tevelivision Ministries. These people really need our prayers and encouragement to draw closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 6:17, 2 Timothy 6:9,10.
Those are a few good points you made there will. but i what did jesus say to the young rich ruler when he came and asked jesus what he needed for eternal life. didnt jesus tell him to sale all that he had and give it to the poor. why would jesus change now?
I believe the difference is this: The rich ruler has kept all the commandments and because the Lord knew the man's heart, He pointed out the one thing that would put the man on the spot where he cannot escape the decision, whether God or money, was his master. Giving the money to the poor was not the main point of the passage, rather, it serves as a strong conviction for the man's sake. Were it addressed to you or I, the Lord would probably use a different thing.
And I didn't mean to say that the Lord does not love the poor and we should not help those who are needy, but in this case selling the jets and helping the poor without a change in heart, would not be something that the Lord would command us to do. I am talking about priority, change of heart first, then good deeds will follow once our Spiritual growth has reached that point.
As a contrast to the passage that you mention, consider the passage in Matthew 26 where a woman brought an expensive perfume and lavish it on the Lord. What did the disciples said? They said:
To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
And what did the Lord rebuked them with? He said:
Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
Why did He say that? I believe because He wants us to focus on Him first. If we truly have the Lord in our heart and mind, meaning it is He who occupies our mind rather then self, we will automatically do for the poor much more than we could ever be able to muster kindness out of our own strength.
But without Him, all the good that we do for the poor would just be altruistic in nature, and only serve to either ease our guilty conscience, or to make ourselves feel good. Either way, those are still self-serving.
I agree iwth what you wrote here. I am not one to judge the heart of man. But when they brag more about their money and stuff are they really putting Christ out there. i do not think so and i am not sure that their faith is in Christ.
Well jesus is alive today and i am sure that he is quite hurt with the way people have twisted his word for their own selfish ambitions. i wonder how many peope is america would stll claim chritianity if they read the bible for themselves and saw the lies being told to them. especially when they find out that in the new testament there is nothing about getting rich off of christ as it is proclaimed by these false teachers.
Prosperity Teaching will shipwreck your faith! Look closely ate these false teachers, they are getting very wealthy by taking advantage of christians who don't know what the Bible really says. Here are just a few name's to be prayerful about before getting involved with these people and their ministries. Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copland, Jan & Paul Crouch, Rod parsly, Creflo Dollar, Fred Price, John Hagee, TBN Tevelivision Ministries. These people really need our prayers and encouragement to draw closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 6:17, 2 Timothy 6:9,10.
2Peter 2:
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 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.
These people use greed to lure people.
If you take prosperity verses in context and research original language, you will find that, most often it is speaking of spiritual prosperity.