TV preachers?? God talking to them??

Question

Should these people have psychological evaluations? If any one hears voices in their head besides their own and acts on them this is a symptom of psychotic behavior, a form of schitzophrenia to be more percise. (look it up if you don't believe me)

This type of thinking seems to me to take away from peoples self confidence and sense of responsibility. If a person achieves somthing good and credit it all to what "God" told them to do. Does this deny them the satisfaction of self accomplishment. Do they not believe they had the strength to do this inside them all along?

Do they dismiss the fact that they didn't get that promotion or job they wanted because "It was not God's will" and not accept the fact they just didn't work hard enough?? I think this mode of thinking is unhealthy and should not be promoted. Sorry, this is a question, but mostly a rant any answers or comments appreciated.

Answer 1

Yes, god is talking to them, of course the Bible says the god of this world is satan.

The apostle John showed that Satan’s influence is so extensive that “the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) John knew that Satan was “misleading the entire inhabited earth.”—Revelation 12:9.

What have been the consequences of this? Satan has promoted religious systems that on the surface appear to be holy. They have “a façade of ‘religion,’” but their true condition is exposed by the evil fruitage they produce. (2 Timothy 3:5, J. B. Phillips; Matthew 7:15-20) Instead of helping to solve mankind’s problems, religion actually becomes part of the problem.

Answer 2

I think this is a great question. You are making some assumptions that you probably don't realize you are making. Such as, assuming that if you're bad, God doesn't make you rich. If you're good, God does make you rich.

This is a kind of "prosperity theology" that you'll hear from a lot of TV ministers. It is a false teaching. The Bible seems to favor the poor over the rich in most cases.

However, you'll hear TV ministers manipulate the Bible to make them give you money.

If you are really interested in this topic (not just my small answer), take a look at oca.org, especially the Q and A.

Early Orthodox Christianity (which is still alive and well) is full of saints who in a quiet, humble way, aquired the Holy Spirit. My Christianity will never be on a billboard or shouted from a TV minister. I think they're crooks.

Real Christianity is quiet and humble. It is ancient, and it is intact. Believe me, don't listen to the tripe on the TV. There are many false prophets.

If you ever get into it, Orthodox christianity has monestaries all around the US. These are full of little quiet nuns or monks and you can hang out with them. Most of them are Greek Orthodox monestaries, but you are more than welcome to visit them if you are not Greek (I'm not Greek.)

Answer 3

Televangelists are extremely intelligent hoaxers, and they prey upon the sensitivities and fears of the average Christian or believer. When a televangelist says that he/she has spoken with "God", he/she is merely playing into the psyche of desperate, misguided people who are lacking in self-worth and self-confidence. People of faith want to hear that "God" reveals itself to mortal man. It gives them a false sense of affirmation in what they believe. Like Adolf Hitler, a televangelist excites his congregation to the point of ecstasy, then convinces them that what they felt is the presence of "God" and truth. It is like a good rock concert. A believer "feels" a connection. The sad thing about this is that bigotry, hate, and intollerance, as well as the preacher's personal hates and fears, are passed over to the congregation.
The televangelist is the knowing con-man. Money is the con-man's motivation to commit the crime. The "follower" is the one with the psychological weakness.
People of faith tend to believe that their accomplishments happen through their "God" because they have been conditioned to believe that good only happens through faith and belief. The conditioning begins at a young and impressionable age, and continues throughout life. And when a person is taught to believe that anything else other than Belief is condemnation or damnation, that person usually will not look elsewhere for knowledge out of fear. Their view becomes narrow, and they become bitter toward all other concepts and ideas. A person rising above the "brainwashing" becomes an outcast and a part of society that is unnecessarily feared and ridiculed because people of faith are taught that anything outside the faith is evil and should be destroyed.
I like to substitute the "a" in "pray" wit an "e". I do that every time I happen to hear a televangelist ask his congregation to "pray". His congregation is his "prey".
There is something else that I have noticed about Believers. Most of them cannot understand the Bible that they read. It was written so complicated (and contradicting) that most Believers need someone to help them understand all of the Biblical chaos. It seems to have been designed that way. A book written for the people should be written so the average person can read it and lose the middle-man.

Answer 4

While I do think that some preachers on TV are legit and sincere in their Faith and teachings I also think that and believe that many have found the Golden Goose and USE God, Religion, Christianity, and the faith of faithful people to take advantage of them and make themselves in the process rich. For those I can't see how they can possibly actually believe that there is a God. I think for those that do that there is but one thing they believe in and that's to take advantage of tithing and money. Sew a seed, make a faith offering etc. How can you tell the fake from the true? For one I don't think you hear about support all the way through the sermon. Fake is when you hear someone preaching that you get rich by supporting his ministry. TV Preachers .. there are a very few that I respect and believe in and for the others I cannot imagine the punishment that they will find upon death and judgment for not only taking advantage of faithful believing people but doing so in God's name.

As for God's talking to people. God is Spirit and His communication (talking) comes not in human words but through revelations of His Holy Spirit that indwells and lives inside the bodies of His true Believers. What is heard is conveyed to the individual and there is no ambiguity about who it's from.

Answer 5

God speaks to man through HIS written word.
Often times I have prayed asking for guidance and shortly the scripture would come to me or I would just happen to turn to it.
As far as the rest of your rant ( your words ) I do believe that there are Christians that say, " Oh well, it wasn't God's will for me." when in all reality it was their lack of planning and execution that caused the failure.
There are certain things that God is responsible for and there are certain things that man is responsible for.
I guess it's easier to blame GOD or Satan for your failures than it is to accept the blame yourself.
As far as TV preachers go I must say that there are a vast majority that are in it for the wrong reasons.
That doesn't mean that GOD can not use them to HIS purpose.
After all HE can use a jackass if HE so chooses.
And some of the TV preachers are evidence of that fact.
By the way I'm a Born Again, Bible believing Evangelical Preacher.

Answer 6

There are some good and solid TV preachers like Charles Stanley but many of them aren't great. If they are preaching Jesus that is something but many do feel they hear directly from God. This is dangerous ground. He does make His will clear at times and we have the Word of God, the Bible, but He doesn't speak audibly. This is a hard area to explain in a short time.

When I give God the glory, it is because I see Him as my Creator and Father. Just like football players say "Thanks Mom". It shows you appreciate what He has done in your life. He is intimately involved in our lives but He does give us free will. We are not puppets but rather in a family relationship.

It is easy to see why you would feel this way. When you aren't involved in a situation or in this case in a belief, the unfamiliarity of it can pose a lot of questions. But please don't take television preachers as your only source. If you do watch any, just for info, watch Charles Stanley or go to his website. You could read the book of John and see if you can glean any reasons why we believe what we believe. "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell is a really good book to answer your questions. He went looking to disprove Christianity and found overwhelming proof that convinced him otherwise. He asks some hard questions in there and then gives the answers he found. A pretty quick read.

Answer 7

No. God talks to prophets, not to TV preachers. Preacher preach. Preach what? What Jesus asked them to do (I think you can find the reference) make disciples of all nations.

But how do you know that the person who is talking is a prophet. A prophet never lies (mades a mistake). So far, none of the TV preachers that I have seen meets this test.

Just to set the record straight, God heals not man. And if you ever forget who you are read Psalm 100.

Finally, I have just one more quote 1 Cor. 10:23-24 with emphasis on verse 24.

Answer 8

Wow, honey, you got some really interesting answers out of this one, it was a good question, and one that those of us involved in organized religion don't often think about. I am not going to be the best answer by any means, but I always enjoy throwing my two cents in.
One of the ten commandments is "Don't take the Lord's name in vain" (I'll skip the "thou shalt not" part)
In my opinion, and from my studies, I don't believe that this is about saying naughty words. I believe that people take God's name in vain every time they claim to speak for God when they aren't, and every time they say something was or wasn't God's will when they really don't know. Taking God's name in vain is using God and the idea of God to further your own agenda.
This is a gross sin, and has caused most of the pain and suffering in the world today. What you're talking about is simply that.

Answer 9

they have hit on a surefire way to make money from the gullable. I had a neighbor years ago that spent a fortune ordering prayer cloth and other items to help his arthritis.
He had very little money to spare as it was, and the radio preachers got it. When he died he was still suffering terribly from his disease. One of the few times I wished I believed in hell, so I could imagine those preachers going there. They always had a direct line to God.

Answer 10

I do not agree with what you have said because you don't understand perhaps that we as Christians believe that in God we live, move and have our being. I fully trust that God leads me in this life and its a good thing cuz I don't want to be on my own and I never have. Left up to me my life would be in shambles and this is so from a young age. When I was about 9 my family and I were all crammed into a two bedroom apt with my sister and her husband and her two kids....it was me, my brother and my mom. My own mother was very abusive and neglictful and so was my sisters husband. I was terrified of him. My brother and I would take off sometimes for days and wonder the nieghbor hoods of down town and suburban Ft.Worth. We broke into a shut down school building one time and were almost nabbed by some homeless guys. Another time we snuck in to a Dillards department store and slept underneath a bed in the furniture department. Eventually my sisters husband kicked us out and we had to go live in a flea bag motel where my mom was a maid in exchange for a room. We were starving pretty much living off of white bread, baloney and peanut butter and honey packets from the KFC accross the street. I smarted off to my mom about something one night and she lit into me and knocked me around pretty good so I took off and my brother after me. I ended up sitting on the edge of an empty pool 3 or 4 blocks down at another hotel and I prayed like mad.."God please get me out of this". Two days later, the social services people showed up at the hotel. Someone had reported my shiner and fat lip and our living conditions. We ended up going to a Christians childrens home that day called Christs Haven for Children in Keller, Texas (you can check it out on the net). Since then I've always relied on God and time and again, He has led me in the right direction...with jobs, schooling, my husband and kids, the house we just bought (way under the banks appraisal) and vehicles that never seem to break down..etc...the list is endless. Needing money for something and it just sort of coming from nowhere? Even my friends who are severe skeptics have commented on it saying we are charmed. Looking at the mess in their lives which we are often called upon to help with, I tend to agree except that I used the term blessed. So...you may scoff if you like...but with God..its better to need and have than to not need and to not have. I do need Him and I hope to feel and think that way for the rest of my life because on my own I can do nothing and why would I want it any other way? Love in Christ, ~J~ <><