Our local Christian TV station has started airing a lot of "non-mainstream" preachers.
I use the word, "non-mainstream," because I don't know what else to call them.
One of them began this rant about how God wants all of His children to prosper.
He proceeded to equate God's prosperity with the accumulation of goods and monetary wealth.
He said we did not drive the car we want because our faith is weak.
He drives a Beemer.
He told us of how he has "visioned" in his mind the house he wants, and God has provided it for him, complete with a pool, two stories, three bathrooms for himself, his wife and two kids (why not four bathrooms, by the way?), and a two-and-a-half-car garage.
"All you have to do," he said, "is to envision the wealth God wants you to have, and He will provide it for you.
Of course, he provided plenty of scripture passages to prove his points.
"Give (to his ministry, of course...as a "seed") and it will be given to you, pressed down...", well, you know the rest.
I wondered to myself: Why is this man preaching this message to the richest people on earth?
Why doesn't he take this message to those who really need it?
He should be preaching to the Christians in India, who are prohibited from earning a significant living.
He should be preaching to the Christians in Somalia, where the next meal is very much in doubt.
He should be preaching to the Christians in China, who must worship in underground churches.
Do not the very Scriptures he was "sharing" with us apply in poor countries?
Do not the very Scriptures he was "sharing" with us apply in countries where Christians are being put to death daily for just being Christians?
What, I wonder, is the cross he bears?
What, I wonder, is the sacrifice he makes?
What, I wonder, is he doing for those poor people in China?
I'm not at all certain that he and I worship the same God.
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9 comments:
Great point, Joe.
That preacher might do well to read Mark 10:17-25.
I knew a man once who had nothing. He had this in little house. he had divided in half and put in a second front door and rented one half out to a dress maker.
The front room of the remaining half is where he kept pamphlets to hand out to folks regarding salvation as well as day old bread and old produce he picked up in his jallopy of a pickup from local stores. There was a tiny bathrom off the kitchen. The kitchen had a foldup canvas cot where he slept.
Everyone called him "Brother Michael". I didn't learn his last name until years later when the local paper ran an obiturary on him.
He had been a millionare with apartment complexes and strip malls and all sorts of investments. He sold it all, gave it all to the poor, based on the story of the rich man who asked Jesus how to inherit erternal life.
I guess many of these preachers missed that part of the Bible.
This was wonderful and I wonder if you were the same God as well. I do wonder about some of the tele-evangelists.
In Mark 10- God doesn't say he has to give everything he owns - in the greek it says the excess, what he isn't using or doesn't need to live, just give his excess. If he has unused land, give it to someone who can use it or sell it and share the excess profits.
The man didn't even believe he could do that.
What has been especially disturbing to me recently is the messages that I am hearing from certain religious networks asking for an "atonement" offering.
Who in the world do they think they are?
I too have been disappointed with what is going on the airways. I have gotten to where I can barely stand Christian television and some of the preachers on the radio grieve my spirit, lets say I am very selective.
Joe, This is excellent! Keep it up !
That's just not right. I wonder what the apostle Paul's problem was as he sat in prison, was beaten, hunted, left for dead etc...
I totally agree Joe! Excellent post!
My name for these preachers is a little difrent than "non mailstream". Joe, send my your e-mail adress. Mine is mitchwhidden@hotmail.com
Hi Joe,
Am not sure how to respond to this post.
But we (particularly believers) must grow up in our knowledege of God so that we will not be tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight and cunning craftiness of men. (Ephesian 4:14).
And any man/woman who seeks to deceive, trick and lie to people in the name of the gospel risks the wrath of the Lord.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
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