Prosperity Gospel

Posted on: 12/28/2007 08:16

28 Dec2007 (AP) -- The message flickered into Cindy Fleenor's living room each night: Be faithful in how you live and how you give, the television preachers said, and God will shower you with material riches.And so the 53-year-old accountant from the Tampa, Florida, area pledged $500 a year to Joyce Meyer, the evangelist whose frank talk about recovering from childhood sexual abuse was so inspirational. She wrote checks to flamboyant faith healer Benny Hinn and a local preacher-made-good, Paula White.Only the blessings didn't come. Fleenor ended up borrowing money from friends and payday loan companies just to buy groceries. At first she believed the explanation given on television: Her faith wasn't strong enough. "I wanted to believe God wanted to do something great with me like he was doing with them," she said. "I'm angry and bitter about it. Right now, I don't watch anyone on TV hardly."
All three of the groups Fleenor supported are among six major Christian television ministries under scrutiny by a senator who is asking questions about the evangelists' lavish spending and possible abuses of their tax-exempt status. The probe by Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, has brought new scrutiny to the underlying belief that brings in millions of dollars and fills churches from Atlanta to Los Angeles -- the "Gospel of Prosperity," or the notion that God wants to bless the faithful with earthly riches. All six ministries under investigation preach the prosperity gospel to varying degrees. Proponents call it a biblically sound message of hope. Others say it is a distortion that makes evangelists rich and preys on the vulnerable. They say it has evolved from "it's all right to make money" to it's all right for the pastor to drive a Bentley, live in an oceanside home and travel by private jet. "More and more people are desperate and grasping at straws and want something that will alleviate their pain or financial crisis," said Michael Palmer, dean of the divinity school at Regent University, founded by Pat Robertson. "It's a growing problem."
The modern-day prosperity movement can largely be traced back to evangelist Oral Roberts' teachings. Roberts' disciples have spread his theology and vocabulary (Roberts and other evangelists, such as Meyer, call their donors "partners.") And several popular prosperity preachers, including some now under investigation, have served on the Oral Roberts University board. Grassley is asking the ministries for financial records on salaries, spending practices, private jets and other perks. The investigation, coupled with a financial scandal at ORU that forced out Roberts' son and heir, Richard, has some wondering whether the prosperity gospel is facing a day of reckoning. While few expect the movement to disappear, the scrutiny could force greater financial transparency and oversight in a movement known for secrecy.

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bygraceiam

Posted on: 12/28/2007 17:19

Hello JRT, God bless you....

This makes me so angry, I am grateful, that the Holy Spirit has showed me, that these promises are from man and not God. They speak in the name of God, but to me it is a bunch of hogwash. There are so many people taken in by these evangelist who preach material prosperity. Send in 77 dollars and in 77 days you will be rewarded with 777 dollars. These evangelist are really good at making promises and then refuse to take responsibility when this doesnt happen.

Imagine trying to get a whole of one of them to talk to them about money sent in making people so called partners. I pray mercy upon the souls of those who try playing God in doing such things, do they not realize some day they will fall into the hands of the Almighty Living God and judgement.....

God does know what goes on....and will make amends....

Praise Jesus, He is the Truth, The Way, The Light...
IJL:bg

unsafe

Posted on: 12/29/2007 20:28

Hi JRT

I agree with you on the fact that there are some crooked preachers on tv but I also have to say that there are some who have great things to say and they have a message to get out -----------------

There are a lot of men and women who cheat on their partner so do we condemn all men and women

As Jesus said when the prostitute was brought to him to be stoned-----

---------- let he who is without sin cast the first stone----------------------------------

I ask you JRT are you without sin can you cast stones at these people----------

MR JRT---------a blessing is the empowerment to have success in every area of your life GOD gives you this empowerment to be prosperous --------there are tons of scripture to back this up --------------there is a protocol to be blessed -------

money JRT is the result of the blessing -------not the blessing itself---------your car is the result of God giving you the power to get your job which gives you money to buy your things-------

If GOD cursed you then that is the empowerment to FAIL-------which means you would have probably no job ------or you may go from job to job living from pay check to pay check -----your money is small so you can't by a car or other things you want

PROVERBS 15 V 6---------- SAYS IT ALL

In the house of the righteous is much treasure--but in the revenue of the wicked is trouble

DOUTERONOMY 30 V 9

The Lord your God will make you abound in all thy works of your hands,

HE GIVES US THE POWER----WE HAVE TO DO THE WORK TO PROSPER

The Bible also warns us of false profits

BLESSINGS

JRT

Posted on: 12/30/2007 07:36

I do not believe that God ever intervenes in our lives in any physical way. But having said that, I do believe that prayer can have the ability to focus ourselves in such a way that we can often find the inner strengths and resources that will enable us to overcome our own problems. This can even extend to the point of physical healing. This is what some now call 'the mind-body' connection. The mind can influence the body to heal itself. I certainly do not believe that there is a formula or protocol to get a blessing. I do not believe in magic.

unsafe

Posted on: 12/30/2007 09:39

emember
JRT

The Bible is not a magic book -------The Bible is a book of instructions on how to live your life in Peace----Prosperity -----Health---- Joy--and Divine Protection

To live this life you are right in the mind-- body connection what you left out is
the HOLY SPIRIT connection so it is ----The Mind-Body and Spirit connection--

when you buy a thing to put together you need instructions if you choose not to read the instructions you may very well put the item together wrong.------The Bible is our instruction booklet to life-------just like the world has rules to live by so does GOD -------IF you choose to obey Gods laws -----commandments ------then you will be blesses. IF you choose to disobey Gods laws then you will be cursed.

Deuteronomy 6 v 28-33------is clear on obeying gods laws------

DEUTERONOMY 8 V 18-------Remember it is the Lord your God that gives you the POWER to become RICH. He does this because he is still faithful today to the covenant he made with your ancestors----who are ABRAHAM---ISAAC AND JACOB

You can read all about the curses on disobedience
and the blessings on obedience yourself ---in DEUTERONOMY 27 AND-28

We ourselves choose to believe the bible or not it is all up to us ------God gave us free will he will not interfere unless we ask-----

Joyful

Posted on: 12/31/2007 14:51

I don't think there is anything wrong with a preacher having "things" or wealth. The problem I have is when the people giving the money are led to understand that they will receive blessings, wealth or happiness based on the amount they give. It seems that those who are the least able to give are the first to send in the money because they've been promised a better life. Who wouldn't want that?

RockTheBoat

Posted on: 12/30/2007 15:39

Why is it that if a business person who pedals goods and services has a big house, nice cars, a plane and lots of money, we call him a successful businessman but if a preacher has the same stuff we call him a false prophet or a quack or whatever. It doesn't seem right to me. Riches on earth have nothing to do with riches in heaven. It's just stuff. A preacher is simply a peddler of God's word. If people want to pay them well that's ok by me. We need to take responsibility for what we do with our money and discern who to give it to...and yes, if we find through investigation that someone is avoiding paying taxes and mis-using ministry money, we need to call them to task under the law.