In the introduction of the following 13 minute video, by The Third Degree, you will see footage of false preaching scams that are aimed at bilking the poor; additionally, three false preachers are named; and the wealthiest one is examined succinctly: an investigation by Senator Chuck Grassley of Texas is apparently being considered.
Then Reverend Sule Prince and Dr. Tony Costa consider three points; in the process, you will see how the counterfeit preachers are twisting Bible doctrines: bilking their followers and leading them down the path of destruction.
THE NARRATIVE PRECEDING THE VIDEO IS AN ACCOUNT OF VIDEO POINTS.
YOU MAY NOT WANT TO BOTH READ AND VIEW THE VIDEO: DO EITHER OR BOTH.
ONE: Faith
The prosperity preachers would have everyone think that they can make their faith big, real and effective by “planting a seed,” giving a lot of money; that if their faith is effective, they will become healthy and wealthy….
This is a lie because it is twisting biblical truth.
Biblical faith is a gift from God (see Ephesians 2: 8 – 10). A believer’s faith has no power in itself; when one has faith in God, he takes his concerns to God. God is all powerful and can “move mountains” and do whatever else He chooses to do; heal cancer; provide a job…in answer to the prayer of the faithful believer.
Therefore, it is God that has power, not faith.
The believer’s faith ENABLES him to trust in God to sustain him in his pilgrimage through this earth (Psalm 18 is one example of a believer leaning on God for protection, salvation…).
Also, giving money to prosperity preachers does not grow one’s faith. It only makes one poorer; and shows that he does not understand his Bible.
TWO: “I can do all things through Christ”
Prosperity preachers, athletes, new believers…take this verse out of context most of the time. They use it to say that Christ will make anything they plan to do, successful….
In the Bible, when the apostle Paul said those words, he meant that by trusting in Christ, he was able to endure whatever circumstances God brought into his life through providence. That is, when Paul was depending upon Christ to enable him to endure hardships, Christ sustained him (he could endure, see Philippians, especially, 4:12, and 13).
Christ did not make Paul prosperous, healthy…like the prosperity preachers say He will do for all those who have that strong faith.
Christ upheld Paul through all of his hardships to show everyone else that it is right to believe and trust in God, to be able to endure all things; that real faith does just that.
Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
The following verses say the same as the above: If: Mat_10:38; Mar_8:34, Mar_10:21; Luk_9:23-27, Luk_14:27; Act_14:22; Col_1:24; 1Th_3:3; 2Ti_3:12; Heb_11:24-26
Jesus is describing what real faith does; gives its life for others as He was doing.
Prosperity preachers call one to indulge all of his selfish lusts like they are doing via their luxurious lifestyles. They are on the ANTI-Christ Way; not the narrow, self-denying Way of Christ.
Lastly, the planting of a “seed” to grow a strong and effective personal faith, is a scam to enable them to bilk those who follow them and believe their unbiblical truth twisting.
THREE: The prosperity preachers say that since they have sowed to their audience’s spiritual lives, then their audiences should sow to them physically, by giving them money; making them millionaires and billionaires….
In the Bible, Paul used that verse to state that the preachers and teachers deserved to be supported because their work was the preaching of the gospel. That is, their preaching was occupying their time and prohibited them from having another livelihood wherewith they could support themselves (although Paul did do his tent making on the side, so he didn’t have to burden the church, he believed that other preachers should not have to do that — apparently).
For example, I have heard Todd Friel, of Wretched TV, call his ministry, a “para church ministry.” That is, it is not a local church where a believer’s offerings should be firstly given, to ensure that the house of worship, the preacher’s salary…is sustained.
Supporting TV ministries is a secondary concern, and should be done when one has extra money after he has supported his local church (Christians should belong to a local church, support it, fellowship there…).
Furthermore, Paul in no way indicated that preachers were to be made rich from their work. The Bible is not against wealth; but to acquire wealth by bilking widows and orphans, is sinful: all prosperity preachers do that!
They fly their personal jets to Africa, to bilk the poorest in the world, so they themselves might go on living in luxury.
Those false teachers will likely know the most intense form of hell a second after they pass on to the next world: Matthew 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
According to Jesus’ words above, damnation has levels of intensity, those false preachers, who robbed widows and poor people will be in the hottest level. (I recommend reading the gospel accounts of Christ’s life in Matthew and Luke to be familiar with many such statements).
What do true biblical preachers do with money they earn from books and speaking engagements?
I recently heard someone say that the money that Dr. John Piper earns from speaking and writing books goes to the Desiring God Foundation, which is a teaching ministry for Christians.
That is, he didn’t buy a new jet or a Ferrari with the money he earned from all the books he has written. He was a wise steward, and stored up heavenly treasures instead of the earthly ones that we all see the prosperity preachers storing up.
Each of us is given a lot in life by God the Father, which includes our treasure, time and talents. We are to be good stewards, giving to God’s work from each of those categories.
The Video:
I cut 42 seconds off the introduction of the following video because it was a lengthy website intro. The video begins with site identification then displays prosperity preacher imagery very quickly thereafter.
I thought their images were very appropriate and indicative of those ministries.
Jesus said the following about false teachers:
Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits….
The narrow gate is repentance / faith; the narrow way is continued repentance and faith and abiding in scripture; hearing biblical preaching of the true gospel; fellowship around the word of God; and taking the Lord’s supper; learning self-denial is a huge part of the narrow way; receiving the providences / afflictions that God sends into one’s life….
The word of faith and prosperity preachers are preaching a message that is totally Unbiblical; that can easily be recognized if one is familiar with Jesus’ words in the New Testament. Just read and reread Matthew through Acts and pray to God for the motivation you need to begin abiding in the whole of scripture.
Unless you begin reading scripture, you may hear the following from Jesus on judgment day (see Matthew 25: 31 – 46 also).
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
CONCLUSIONS:
*****Prosperity preachers; the mystical church; the emergent church; the purpose-driven church; the seeker-friendly church; the market-driven church; the Roman Catholic Church…are all unbiblical churches and do not lead one to the narrow way, but lead to the broad way.
All of these churches err because they make up their own way to God. They add to subtract from or pervert in some way the words of Christ found only in scripture — both Old and New Testaments.
That is, they have a different Jesus and a different gospel.
One cannot recognize that unless he knows the real Words of God, the Holy Bible.
*****To do the will of the Father, one must know scripture. Prosperity preachers always pervert scripture; therefore, their followers do NOT know scripture and are bound for hell if they do not turn to the true word of God found only in the Bible.
*****For other posts on prosperity preachers in this blog, see Categories: Prosperity Preachers.