Probe Puts Prosperity Teachings Under Critical Eye

One believer is bitter that the money she donated to several prominent ministries didn't bring about the material blessings the preachers had assured would come.

"I wanted to believe that God wanted to do something great with me like he was doing with them," said Cindy Fleenor, a 53-year-old accountant from Tampa, Fla., according to The Associated Press. "I'm angry and bitter about it. Right now, I don't watch anyone on TV hardly."

Fleenor wrote checks to Benny Hinn and Paula White - two popular televangelists - and pledged $500 a year to Joyce Meyer, another prominent evangelist. But Fleenor has yet to be showered with the riches that the preachers said would come as donors give.

The three preachers preach what critics call the "prosperity gospel," a highly criticized theology that teaches wealth is a sign of God's blessing. They encourage believers to donate and instill hope that they will experience prosperity. While they do not exclusively teach that God's riches mean money in people's wallets, it's still a key part of their sermons.

The "gospel of wealth" is denounced in many Christian circles. Still, many are flocking to the multi-million-dollar churches prosperity preachers have built to hear the positive messages and are faithfully giving in hopes of being blessed.

"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, according to AP. "It's a growing problem."

Emerging church leader and author Brian McLaren says one of the prosperity teaching's attractions is that it doesn't dwell on traditional Christian themes o heaven and hell but on answering pressing concerns of the here and now, as reported by AP.

Richard Young, author of The Rise of Lakewood Church and Joel Osteen, has said that society today is overstressed and already believes they are living in Hell daily and thus is eager to embrace the messages that prosperity preachers like Osteen deliver.

But the teachings put too much emphasis on individual success and happiness, McLaren said.

"We've pretty much ignored what the Bible says about systemic injustice," he said.

Evangelist Meyer, who has improved her ministry's financial transparency in recent years, recently stressed the need for balance in the teachings.

A prosperity gospel "that solely equates blessing with financial gain is out of balance and could damage a person's walk with God," she said.

Prosperity teachings became prominent, mainly in Pentecostal and charismatic churches, with evangelists Oral Roberts and Kenneth Copeland - then, Kenneth Hagin - in the postwar era.

"What Oral did was develop a theology that made it OK to prosper," said David Edwin Harrell Jr., a Roberts biographer, according to AP. Harrell noted that Roberts and Copeland trained tens of thousands of evangelists with "health and wealth" theology - a message that resonated with an emerging middle class.

Money isn't the only thing people are blessed with, prosperity preachers say. God's blessings extend to health, relationships and being able to help others.

Six prosperity preachers are currently under investigation for allegedly abusing their non-profit status to shield lavish lifestyles. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) has requested financial statements and responses to questions about personal and organizational finances from ministries led by Paula and Randy White, Creflo Dollar, Eddie Long, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, and Kenneth and Gloria Copeland. The deadline to turn over the papers was Dec. 6.

While Grassley has stressed that the investigation is about whether the ministries are playing by the rules and not about doctrine, some wonder if the probe can strictly keep off theology questions.

"How do you determine how much money a minister like this is able to make when the basic theology is that wealth is OK?" said the Rev. Adam Hamilton, a prosperity gospel critic, of United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City, Miss. "That gets into theological questions."

Joyce Meyer is the only one of the six that has promised to fully cooperate with Grassley's probe. Kenneth and Gloria Copeland have turned in papers; lawyers for Randy and Paula White have asked for more time; recent contact has not been made by Benny Hinn who had agreed to respond by Dec. 12 but did not; and Creflo Dollar and Eddie Long have indicated they will not comply with Grassley's probe.

END TIMES PING LIST PING

. . . blessings . . . didn't materialize . . .

HELLO???

Oh, right . . . first, some truth in advertising and rock throwing . . . brought to you by the ALICE IN WONDERLAND SCHOOL OF RUBBER BIBLED THEOLOGY . . .

'This special edition of the end-of-the-year train load of rocks is brought to you by Granite Bitterness, Marble Mendacity, Replacementarian Rutile, Contrarian Preterist Calcite, Rhodochrosite Resentment, Adamite Anger, Hematite Hatred, Realgar Retaliation and a real irritating variety of Sandstone Gritchy. No refunds accepted. Mileage may vary."

Given that the ALICE IN WONDERLAND RUBBER BIBLE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY has not had any authentic Bibles around from which to be blessed and challenged with the following Scriptures from the authentic Bible . . . they are posted below for the edification of those with eyes to see and hearts to hear.

Malachi 3:10
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Only be strong and very courageous that you may observe to do according to all the law, which Msoes my servant commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper whithersoever you go. Joshua 1:7

NIV:
Psalm 1
BOOK I : Psalms 1-41
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

13He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. PROVERBS 28:13

17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. ISAIAH 54:17

Isaiah 55:11 (King James Version) King James Version (KJV) Public Domain 11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

3 John 1:2 (King James Version)
King James Version (KJV)
2Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

THE MESSAGE
3 John 1
1-4The Pastor, to my good friend Gaius: How truly I love you! We're the best of friends, and I pray for good fortune in everything you do, and for your good health—that your everyday affairs prosper, as well as your soul! I was most happy when some friends arrived and brought the news that you persist in following the way of Truth. Nothing could make me happier than getting reports that my children continue diligently in the way of Truth!

AMPLIFIED:
2Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.

YOUNG'S LITERAL:
2beloved, concerning all things I desire thee to prosper, and to be in health, even as thy soul doth prosper,

Given the Contrarian Preterists' seeming genetic incapacity to read the UNrubberized Bible and take it at face value, we should be compassionate toward their mystifications about such Scriptures. However, we do well to speak boldly against their seeming blindness about such authentic Bible Truths and Principles being propagated abroad in the world.

Of course some simpletons believe that God is the great VENDING MACHINE IN THE SKY and that regardless of their HEART MOTIVES--whenever they put in their wooden nickels in the GREAT VENDING MACHINE IN THE SKY, they expect a gold nickel's value returned . . . and that usually yesterday on a silver platter.

Thankfully, God Almighty of the UNrubberized Bible is NOT goofy enough to fall for such craziness.

However, HIS WORD IS TRUE AND FAITHFUL AND HE IS FAITHFUL TO HIS WORD TO THE UTTERMOST.

WHEN WE ASK NOT AMISS God Almighty is very faithful to perform His Word in His way in His time to the nth degree.

The "prosperity doctrine" as PRACTICED is typically rather flawed. And, often Kenneth Hagin's disciples, including his son, imho, take various aspects of various Scriptures and rush off the cliff with them spawning all manner of excesses and silliness.

HOWEVER, Kenneth himself tended to be very balanced and Biblically kosher. And folks who earnestly applied Scriptures in good faith to the best of their earnest ability with a proper heart attitude reaped the Scriptural rewards as Kenneth Hagin taught they would.

It's not really rocket science.

God insists that our SOUL PROSPERS FIRST AND FOREMOST.

This is, after all, boot camp for leaders--NOT a Hawaiian vacation.

God's perspective is refining us and firing us for ruling and reigning with Christ through countless ages and galaxies, evidently.

CERTAINLY HE'D RATHER that we be abundantly provided for in great splendor and comfort as David and Solomon INDEED were.

But it's not His first priority for us. It may not even be in the first 7 priorities for us . . . or the first 12.

But the Scriptures are faithful and true. And applied fittingly, the results accrue just as Scripture declares they will.

I have NEVER seen them to fail in the least degree.

Clearly, there was something amiss in the woman's expectations, prayers, attitude, heart attitude, . . . something. God's Word simply does not fail--even in terms of material blessings.

Do we have it all figured out? Certainly not. Did Kenneth Hagin? Certainly not. But there's a reason that his ministry had an uncommon number of healings and deliverances. He had the faith to take God at His word; apply it faithfully and expect results accordingly. And God honored that.

I don't have all the answers about how some folks are born into poverty etc. But I do know that even regarding their lives . . . . there is a degree of Biblical truth about them which probably only eternity will show.

And, there are mysteries. Is it possible that before birth, some folks agreed with God to endure a life of suffering that they might bear a greater weight in glory from the spiritual disciplines learned therefrom? I certainly cannot say such is impossible or UN-Biblical.

And, we know that the children of the righteous are blessed while the children of the wicked are cursed through no fault of their own . . . at least unless and until the Blood of Jesus is applied and the generational curses are lifted.

But, hey, I don't need to get in the way of the rock throwing party much longer. Have at it. I'm sure God is keeping very careful score of every throw.

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