Do you agree or disagree with this?

Question

In the November 26th edition of the TIME magazine I was reading of an interesting article called' Going after the Money Ministries" Where a Senator Grassley will be looking into the high spending of TV evangelists such Joyce Meyers, Benny Hinn, Eddie Long, Paula White, Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Copeland. Personally, do you believe the lifestyle and living of these brothers and sisters matches the kind of life a christian should be living? We live in the New Testament dispensation.. in the dispensation of Grace and of the Church. What New Testament pattern, from the Lord Jesus to Peter or Paul, or any of the believers did we see such an extravagant kind of lifestyle? Personally I feel bothered about this. What are your honest views as CHRISTIANS on this kind of lavish lifestyle. Some use the Old testament examples to support their lifestyle. What do you think?

In Christ
sandy

While I agree that God Blesses His Children,is this only materially? By way of Wealth? There are some members of these congregations that go hungry. We use the Lord ONLY as our example. How rich was He? He had no where to rest His own head. Brother Paul made tents to support himself. I just do not see why a simple car would not do.. or a simple seat on a plane.. Why the extravagance? Why try to make a name for yourself? Why even put your name on a ministry? Why not just be a simple brother and sister and follow the way of the early church? I love all my brothers and sisters.. no matter what.. I would keep praying for them. THe fact of the matter is, they are there imparting something of Christ to others in the word, but should their own living be so different from the average believer? After all.. we have only ONE head.. Christ Jesus.. We are all the many members and all of the royal priesthood to serve God and men.What is the real blessing here? Riches or God Himself?

Wef.. look at the verses quoted from Got air above you. Quite striking.
I am not judging anyone brother.. do not get me wrong. I am just putting this forward to fellow believers. If this is an attack on the church because of a few that have brought it on by their own extravagence then we need to truly pray to the Lord to keep the gospel free. Do not be fooled dear one.. the enemy will even use the word to mislead us. The church is not multilevel marketing. Where you preach riches and make me richer. The CHurch is not of and for this world but altogether OF CHRIST, This Christ who lived the simplest life known to men and women.

Answer 1

Jesus said to the rich man who did everything the Law commanded of him, "Sell all your worldly possessions and follow me." The rich man could not.

Jesus said he had nowhere to lay his head. He had neither home, family nor material possessions. And he told us to follow in his footsteps.

Jesus denounced all the worldly powers and riches that could have been his had he just bowed his knee to Satan.

Jesus lived to do the will of his father. He came to give comfort to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted. He GAVE, not took.

The so-called prosperity gospel is a travesty of Christ. Those people who believe God will make them materially rich will find themselves spiritually destitute. What's worse, on the final day of judgement, they will have to account to a holy and righteous God for deceiving others.

Answer 2

Disagree

Answer 3

Hi Sandy,
I to am bothered by these ministries. I wonder how much of their salary's are given to the poor. Because as you and I both know there are many, many people in this world who have little to nothing. I think they could take some of the monies they invest in golden chairs and extravagant accessories and give it to the people in need. I know that there are people in the world who take advantage of help, but there are also truly people out there who are in need. I am disgusted with a lot to things that happen to older folks who have to decide whether to eat or buy medicine. Do you even know how much the furniture on their sets would buy. The Lord never intended for us not to help those in need. That's why the Spirit of God was so strong in the early church because they all came in one mind and one accord and gave so that all would have what they needed. Can you imagine being in your 70's, being a widow, and having to live on $650.00 a month. I know women who do because their husbands are gone, they don't get the two SS checks anymore. Oh! they can take the largest of the two but their monthly income still shrinks, so now your having to live on less with the same amount of bills. So if your a Christian who has millions of dollars, more than you would ever need in a lifetime shouldn't you try to help those women. Or lets take for example a person who has a slight mental illness. Works until his plant shuts down. Unemployment only last so long then what does he do. He has only known that job, now he is living where ever he can find a warm place to sit down. How sad is it that these multi-million dollar ministries can't find a place to help the poor. I'll bet if you were to call them and tell them that you are poor and can't afford one of their Cd's, but you would really like to have one. They would most likely tell you that they would pray for you, but can't send Cd's for free. The words greedy and christian are two words that should never be put together. We have a food ministry at my church and I have seen, need. We try to help people when ever we can, and have helped alot of people along the way. We are only a small church, just think what a large ministry could do.

Answer 4

I have always wondered where the humility is because they sure don't have it. I am shocked and disgusted that ANYONE of them would charge people who want to hear them speak and I'm even more shocked that people would be goofy enough to pay for it. God's word is no for sale, something they seem to have forgotten.

There shouldn't be an exceptions for them because they "claim" to preach the gospel. If they are making a buck off others, they should be watched and checked out, too. If they have nothing to hide, it shouldn't bother them to let the government see what goes on with the money they take in.

They are all frauds, out to make a buck so can live in million dollar homes and have 10 garages full of expensive vehicles.... and that doesn't begin to count the expensive furniture, art work, clothes, jewelry and other items they have. Look at the thousands of people who are on very limited incomes who send them money and then can't pay their bills or buy their medicine. These people have no conscience and it is sad that so many do without so they can live in extravagance.

These "evangelists" aren't any better than any other person on this earth (even though they think they are) and there are millions of homeless out there who would be thankful to live in a shack out of the weather with food on the table each day and a couple of blankets to keep them warm. They could so easily help care for many of these people instead of stuffing their own bank accounts as they live the life of a Pharisee. They set a bad bad example of what Christianity is truly about.

I do not watch any of them on TV or listen to them on the radio and I refuse to buy their books and other material. They are all false teachers and I'd rather sit down and read my Bible than waste it on people like this.

Answer 5

Jesus was a Nazarene and as such lived the last 3 years of his life as a traveling rabbi. He is reputed to have carried only the white robes of the nazarene rabbi's/healers on the road.
He ate only what was given to him by those he ministered to, or that what came from the land. As his ministry grew, many travelled with Jesus. It is likely that as Nazarene's, they would have observed the community rule where all possessions of those neophytes or initiates belong to everyone, and where anyone can take if they are in real need.

Christians were neither ascetics, nor headonists and believed in only taking minimal amounts of material possessions/sustenance to maintain the body for the work they had to do.

Certainly anybody whom endulges in regular glutony and un-necessary purchase or sense enjoyment for gratification's sake is not living the life which Jesus expounded.

Certainly a Nazarene rabbi would never accept un-necessarily large donations for his own needs, and such gifts would have been put in the charity box, for poor people to partake in secret as they required.

Answer 6

I believe that one cannot place a value on one soul that comes to Christ. One soul that gives their heart to Christ is worth more to God than all the real estate in the entire world.

Men like Evangelist Billy Graham and those who you have mentioned have impacted thousands of men and women to give their heart to Christ.

I don't think we should concern ourselves with their lifestyle as long as they are not breaking any laws and that they are true to the word of God.

I can't say that I am in total agreement with their approach to attract large audiences, but I don't always agree with most of the things that I see in small church ministries today. Some of the teachings or views of many today say very little about Christ and his message to this generation. I don't like the messengers who don't take a public stand against sin in the world as well as the church. I try to focus on the impact their message is making on the lives of those sincerely seeking Christ. The Power of the Gospel saves.

John 14:6

The truth shall set you free.

Answer 7

I am at present a Missionary in Korea. My Bible class today was on Jesus cleaning the temple. He did it once and He can do it again.
Personally I think the exposer of things like Ken Copelands 20 million dollar personal jet etc. only keep people from seeing the real message and ministry of Jesus.

Answer 8

What do you really know about these ministries, except what you hear from their enemies?
My city hosted a week long event for Kenneth Copeland Ministries in one of the largest facilities in the city, and the all day events were completely free of charge and open to the public.
Other more "reputable" ministries were charging like $75 per person for weekend events.
Ask yourself this - do you really want the Government telling ministers how much they should make and what they should be doing with their money? Do you like what the Government is doing with your money?
Leave them alone.
If they believe the things they proclaim, they each of them have to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ some day.

"Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. "
Romans 14:4

Answer 9

I think if you love God then having compassion and suffering when others suffer is loving God. Having a lavish life when most of the world live in dire, poverty conditions isn't being much of a Christian. I think Jesus said if you want to follow him to give all your possessions and money away. That's pretty extreme for developed countries, and you'd end up being homeless and vanquished. Buddha said the middle way is the way to God, so being moderate could be the answer in developed countries. In a country like India, it would be easy to do what Jesus explicitly said. Didn't Jesus say it would be easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle that for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven?

Answer 10

The bible warns us of these types of people. Please forgive the long cut and paste but the following passage from scripture hits the nail on the head...

1 Timothy 6:3-10 (NIV)
If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.