Posted on 02/12/2007 7:08:10 AM PST by Rakkasan1
Pastor Mac Hammond's congregation at Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park reacted strongly Sunday to his appearance in the wake of a watchdog's group complaint to the Internal Revenue Service that he violated federal tax law and a front-page Star Tribune article examining his financial dealings: Worshipers gave him a prolonged, cheer-laced standing ovation.
"Y'all better sit down; I'll get too choked up to minister," drawled Hammond, 63, pastor of the nondenominational megachurch, which has almost 10,000 members. He called questions about his financial dealings "a misunderstanding" of his prosperity-gospel ministry, which holds that following God's word leads to spiritual and economic bounty.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
Sickening...these Mega Churches are economic tax havens.
This sure wasn't Christ's message. These mega "churches" are almost like an Amway franchise...focusing on the Greed principle.
You can't serve two masters. I think someone important to pastors said that.
The Strib always takes the position that there is no condemnation more richly deserved than someone elses's religion.
They have recently been bought out by a buccaneer business organization. We will see what those who will be fired have to say about praying for success.
This dude is fleecing the flock. The Lord will deal with him.
5
They forget that Jesus said "My words are spirit and they are life." Wherever the bible talks about God making us rich, it is refering to spiritual riches, not material riches. They miss that.
A man after Satan's own heart.
Sorry, but the "prosperity gospel" is not the real Gospel. In fact, it's contrary to sound Biblical doctrine.
Thats a lie of the devil right there. Jesus was rich and became poor so that we might be rich. We prosper and are in health even as our soul prospers. Godly prosperity comes from faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Godly prosperity means money as well as health and salvation.Being prosperous doesn't mean you live by faith, but if you live by faith you will be prosperous..as your soul prospers. If Jesus was made sin so we could be righteous, if Jesus was made sick so we could be healthy then Jesus was also made poor so that we through his poverty might be rich.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!(Ignore my thread-bare suit, please. Can't have the preacher looking bad now, here is another dollar!)
My, oh my, where to begin.....better not, it would get me banned.
Hang tough for satan's minions are waiting for Believers to get snared in their traps. Expect to ganged upon, Child of God.
The fact is prosperity is a result of believing. Walking in complete soundness of body is a result of believing the gospel and being righteous is a result of believing the Gospel. Plain and simple. Sickness is of the Devil and so is poverty.
Just so I am clear, Godly prosperity comes with a changing of the heart. The truth is too many Christians think poverty=Godliness or gain= Godliness. Neither is true. righteousness is by faith, prosperity is by faith. The truth is that if God gave most of us a million dollars we would go crazy fulfilling our own lusts, but as God changes us from darkness to light, through faith in the resurrection power of his son Jesus, money increases as part of our faith increasing.
Luke 9:58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Baptist ping
that's why he's the BigMacDaddy
Amazing...simply amazing. You, and others like you might have nailed the coffin shut on Christianity as we know it...so, after all of that...it's nothing more than a get rich quick scheme...with salvation as a added benefit.
You make a lot of statments but I don't see any Chapter
and Verse.
That's because he didn't have enough faith. If He had faith, Jesus would have a Lear Jet and a Bentley.
The vows are meant to be a public witness to Gospel values. They are not meant to be restrictions on our lives, but rather attitudes toward life and signs of hope.
While our understanding of the vows grows and develops, we generally see the vows in this way:
- Poverty – a call to live for the sake of the poor, to act for justice, to advocate against oppressive policies, to embrace a simple lifestyle.
- Chastity – a call to love well and non-exclusively, to care deeply for and about others, to love totally for the sake of others.
- Obedience – a call to listen to the voice of the Spirit in all of life, to search for truth.
You might want to clue in the poor sisters that they are actually doing the devil's work.
Opposites may attract, but Like follows Like.. The "flock" wants to hear that gross materialism is from God, or it wouldn't tolerate this lie.
They all have their reward.
And a ROLEX
Really. So you think if you belong to God, you are going to have material wealth? Is that REALLY what you think?
Godly prosperity means money as well as health and salvation..
Ah, so that is what you think. Then Jesus made a mistake when He used the poor woman who gave all she had as an example of a Godly person.
And if you think Jesus was mistaken, as you obviously, do, then that's of the devil right there.
Exactly.
I've not read the Bible in-depth (as many Freepers have) but I haven't been able to find any Biblically-based statements to support wearing expensive suits and sports cars.
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I watch a Pastor on TV each week. He preaches a solid Gospel message and never mentions money. And he has a big church in the city where he is. We cannot tar all the big TV preachers with the same brush.
Tell that to the poor Chinese, Indian, African, etc. Christians that have next to nothing. Give me a chapter and verse where Jesus says that poverty is of the devil.
1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Phil. 4:11b for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
Church of the Divine Profit.
Mac hopes the IRS is content with his explanations.
"He said he buys expensive clothes because "if I look decent, I preach better, so I'm really doing it for you, amen.""
No...."I'm really doing it TO you, Amen" Screwing you in the name of the Lord!
This is what we Christians will be measured against whenever it is convenient to the Godless left....
Militant
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.(emphasis added)
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.
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
1st Timothy 6:3-11, NIV
How does one refute this teaching? Also, someone please point to one follower of The Way that became wealthy because of his/her salvation in the NT.
Only an American idiot can believe in the prosperity Gospel. Sheesh.
It is not my doctrine. It is a benefit of believing that Jesus died on the cross according to the scripture. That he was buried and that he rose again the third day. Other benefits include healing and divine righteousness.
Think about Abraham, Jacob, Job, David, were they rich? Job was very wealthy and it was God hedging him about that got him those riches. Without Gods hedge the Devil destroyed not only the wealth but his family too. When God restored that hedge, after he prayed for his religious friends, Job got it all back.
Re read my post again and consider if I said anything out of line with scripture. I said that as your soul prospers your prosperity will come. Money is not the root of all evil, the love of money is. Riches do not hinder you from entering into the kingdom, trusting in them does.
Not saying the pastor wasn't wrong. Just questioning the "mega" descriptive as though it was either accurate or distinguishing.
These are the words of God written in my heart on tables of flesh and not tables of stone like your ten commandments. Look it up. Make an effort. Do you have a concordance of any kind?
an interesting point...one that did not elude me. Nice photo.
Well I do not know what "the prosperity gospel" is but I do not deny that prosperity is a direct result of believing the Gospel of Jesus.
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