Everything we have that is good comes from God. This includes our personal capabilities - our "talents." So there's no legitimate defense for self-pride, since I didn't create myself or even give myself the motivation and strength to work to improve myself - all good things come from God, so if I'm honest, I must thank Him for every opportunity I'm given to cooperate with His Holy Spirit in doing whatever good I do. If we do not use our talents to do good (that is, what is pleasing to God), then we are sinning. God promises to give us only what is good for us, and that can be something good for us in this life and/or in the life hereafter. If I am given material wealth, as a Christian I will please God only by using it to help spread His Kingdom of divine love in this life as I see best to do so, given His guidance (as provided by the Sacred Scriptures faithfully-interpreted by His Church and my conscientiously-well-informed intellect.)

TO HUMANITY:

Thank God that God has a Plan.

We, as humans, sure can twist the TRUTH.

Take care, be ready, see you in the Kingdom [the new heavens and the new earth] but remember night is coming but so is the dawning of the seventh day.

Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.

Hope, I expect there are scriptural references to everything "Reverend" Dollar preaches. It's just a different "knowledge" of God among the many. Having been a Lutheran for 46 years, I've a good "understanding" of scripture myself. And having several pastors in the family, a wife two years into theology graduate studies and a mother-in-law who's a Presbyterian minister to boot, I too could refute what he preaches.

However, let's not be too quick to judge the man based on his belief. As a former Christian, I was looking forward to that "gift" of eternal life, that 100-fold reward for my perserverance. It was a joy knowing I'd be "saved" (even though billions of others might not be, and I could piously give a saddened nod to those who didn't know the truth or who wouldn't accept it and realize it was just because of their fallen and sinful "free will.") Jesus: House with many rooms? City with streets of gold? Sounds like prosperity to me...

My Christian employer has framed in her office the prayer of Jabez: "Oh that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested. (NKJV)

To me this basically sounds like "Lord make me rich, but help me be nice about it." She's as pious as they come.

Now from purely secular frame of view I think the man is despicable, preying on the innocent and vulnerable. But we need to realize that there's a whole lot of people who think that "earthly" rewards are because they have asked and thus received, given and had it returned a hundred-fold and have scripture to back up their claim.

I personally think it's a self-preserving and self-serving huge and worldwide business, whether we're a pious little congregation with self-congratulatory poverty, or members of the Crystal Cathedral.

Anon, you are mistaken about the Prosperity Gospel judging those who do not have wealth as being undeserving (and, therefore, not advocating help for those that are suffering). Ken Copeland (a principal teacher/leader in the prosperity movement) saw me in poverty and gave to me, personally. You might be mixing the old "Protestant Ethic" idea that not only should one work hard but wealth is a witness of God's favor with the "Faith Movement" idea that those in the Covenant should take advantage of the Covenant Blessings. The current movement seems to be more utilitarian than judgmental.

The emphasis on prosperity is a correction to the Church from the Holy Spirit: the Church hadn't been using, sufficiently, God's "cattle on a thousand hills" to resource (please, excuse the gov't lingo) the advancement of the Great Commission. As Ken says, "God gave Abraham the power to get wealth, in order to be a blessing to the nations." The blessing of Abraham (including the prosperity that is used to advance the Kingdom) became available to the gentiles through the Cross.

Of course, there is more to the Cross than just the prosperity blessing; however, the current emphasis has been a needed correction to the "poor me" mentality that had lessened the effectiveness of much of the Church.

Will hedonistic, materialistic and narcissistic people grab hold of this teaching for their own ends? Yes, just as they used the "Protestant Ethic" to excuse class injustice. The devil comes to kill, steal and destroy (using any teaching) while God works all things (including any teaching) for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to God's purpose. God's purpose in this current emphasis on prosperity is to further strengthen the Church for reaching the world, and to bless his children with good things (Christianity is materialistic, in a good sense, and brings us back to the prosperity and the responsibility that was mankind's in The Garden).

The "prosperity" Gospel is quite scary. It has no place for the cross or suffering humanity.

It is lone cowboy capitalism being sold as Christianity.

People who are hedonistic, materialistic, narcissists love it.

One gets the impression that the only Commandment Jesus taught was: you will prosper in proportion to the money you give your pastor.

I have even heard that one is not expected to help anyone in need because it would spoil God's will to let that person learn a lesson from their suffering. All those who suffer material want has offended God and need to suffer...or something to that effect.

"Quite a different set of promises here: hatred by the world (John 15: 18-19), persecution (2 Timothy 3: 12) and loss of life and property, to be greeted with joy at the prospect of eternal rewards that await us. (Hebrews 10: 32-34)" and, yet, in this present age ...

Mark 10:29-30

"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.

I wonder what Rev. Dollar (interesting name, that) thinks of St. Francis of Assisi...

This tale brings to mind the fabled & magnificant con-man skills of Rev. Elmer Gantry. A classic film starring Burt Lancaster as the fire-breathing preacher, womanizer, and high-living con artist...all at the expense of his followers, of course.

In the end, if you don't number among the 'divinely scammed' members of the enthralled congregation, then it's all theater - and in this case, the theater of the truly absurd.

And of course that's what religion is really all about - the longest running play in human history...scripted and re-scripted a thousand times, it's about time for some new and innovative scriptwriters if you ask me. The same old same old is getting kind of stale!

Rev. Dollar is running the oldest shell game in town - he just moved it from the neighborhood street corner to the more legitimate confines of the church sanctuary. He still uses the same bank, I'm betting......

My advice - stay home and donate to your favorite charity.

Hope, yes, I agree: our Christian walk should be filled with joy, peace and love and we should not be seekers of material wealth. Jesus clearly stated that we should not store up treasures on earth but store up treasures in Heaven. It's really sad as this seems to be the norm of so many televangelists who preach this health, wealth and prosperity gospel which is the opposite of what Jesus taught. I'm quite sure there are plenty of Christians who watch these programs or visit their churches and ministries but it's a false gospel. Jesus clearly said; count the cost of following me, as you must deny yourself and take up your cross daily (suffering, persecution will happen to you). He clearly taught do not love the world or anything of the world for the love of the Father is not in you if you love the world (i.e., fleshly, carnal, unrighteous appetites). Also, the lust of the flesh, the pride of the life, He calls it sin. God knows what each of His children needs and we can't bribe God with money. I truly believe that people don't want to struggle but if you live here on Earth, you will struggle in one way or the other. Romans 5:1-5; Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Uff.

If you think *that's* too painful to talk about, consider they make a lot of that money calling me-in-my-frayed flannel 'too worldly.' ...and, of course, a Commie for suggesting we could consume less.

*bah, sputter. yeah, you get used to it, most churches are just less conspicuous about it.*

I dunno... but didn't Jesus say something about camels, needles, rich men, and heaven? Seems to me that Creflo Dollar is exploiting the "God as Santa Claus" lie that so many people believe in hard times. The only person getting rich from listening to Creflo Dollar is Creflo Dollar.

Hmmm... I wonder if they sing that famous hymn made popular by Janis Joplin:

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?
My friends all drive Porches, I must make amends!
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends.
Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?

TO HOPE HODGE:

Hang in there Hope, when you wrote, " and while I want to believe God holds nothing but goodness in my future, I need to know that love for Him will keep me constant in the worst possible circumstances.", you have quite a handle on what Jesus was talking about.

There seems to be plenty of people that want their lives to be "just perfect" and I suppose that is one of the reasons for all of the shopping around: spirituality, religion, philosophy, or what have you.

This is an imperfect world with imperfect people in it and those that think that we are going to "perfect" this world need to take a look at reality since some seem to want to hide their heads in some dark spot or to put on rose-colored glasses and ignore the rest of humanity.

God's Plan is unfolding before our very eyes and being a Christian as opposed to calling yourself a Christian is part of God's Plan which God has had since before creation.

Some people are Christian in their hearts where it is important and don't even believe that Jesus is Who He Is, while there are others that claim to know that Jesus is Who He Is and yet twists everything that He said and have no idea that not only did He become one of us but that He died for ALL OF US.

We have free will and we will all be judged, so many people seem to get so upset with this statement when all it is saying is that: WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT WE DO, whether we take responsibility or not.

God, in giving us free will, cannot keep us from building our own hell and occupying it upon physical death and we will realize that we have no one but ourself to blame, not God, not satan, only ourselves.

That is why God came up with His Plan for the SALVATION OF ALL HUMANITY, which is unfolding before our very eyes and will come to Fruition at the dawning of the seventh day.

As Jesus told us there is work to be done and if we take up His invitation to "Come follow Me", remember He also said He would be there with us to help us and also that He would send the Holy Spirit to guide us and comfort us.

When Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished", which translates as, "PAID IN FULL", that is to let us know that God's Plan will come to Fruition but also that we are called and/or chosen to be active participants in His Plan.

God is a Being of Love, Pure Love, and The True, Living, Triune, Triumphant God is a searcher of hearts and minds, not of religious affiliations or lack thereof, which will probably come as quite a shock to some people, of course this is referred to in Revelations, is it not?

It is important what you do and why you do it and what you know.

Take care, be ready, see you and the rest of humanity in the Kingdom [the new heavens and the new earth].

Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.

Greg, what's your concern with tithing? The money isn't for you anyways. Money is neutral. And if I remember correctly, is is what the Bible says:

Matthew 23:23 (New King James Version)
New King James Version (NKJV)

Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
[NKJV at Thomas Nelson] [Thomas Nelson, Inc.]

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."

To people who are looking to avoid tithing, you read only the part that says "...and have neglected the weightier matter of the law: justice, mercy and faith." And I'm here to encourage you to FINISH READING! "These you ought to have done, WITHOUT leaving the others undone." You see, Greg, it's not difficult to read the Bible, but I tell you what, you should be careful to look for a reason NOT to give your money to God. It's not a very "selfless" act to keep your money.

And, hey, no one is asking you to give somewhere you don't feel led, but think about this for one minute: How ELSE will the Gospel be shared? Do you think only the secular world should use TV? And if you think "Yes" then you are one strange cat. But if you think God just may be able to use a neutral media, just like print, radio, and internet, then how does a church, or God Himself, get the Good News to people? Does He come down and NOT pay for airtime, because He's God? Don't you think he has the ability to "find" the money needed to get His Glorious message to the masses? Or do we have to watch people and cross our fingers that they're convinced enough to actually give a buck or two to further the gospel?

Why do we let our personal visions and hang-ups about money stop God? He uses gold to pave the streets in Heaven. He's fine without money on earth, but He's NOT fine with us leaving the airwaves full of perverse, twisted MTV-driven Sex-fiend shows that promote godless lifestyles. He wants people to know Him, and He will use ANY means necessary. Scripture even talks about "...the rocks will cry out instead" if we don't praise Him. He'll use TV and Internet just like He will a rock.

Please use the 3% of the brain that God gave you to look for hope, not cast your personal judgement. Creflo Dollar is not your issue. The Bible says, "Where your treasure is, so your heart will be also." And if you think a man of God can't handle money, what would that say about YOU? Perhaps you should quit your job, sell all you have, and move somewhere where you don't need food, water, clothing, and can "preach the Good News." I don't know who you will convince with your message of "hope." Being a Christian doesn't mean selling everything you own. It means use it for His Glory. That's a simple and BIBLICAL answer to all these concern about material possessions.

The Lie of the Tithe must be fought and taught on a daily basis. I have committed my energies to do just that. There is no command to the New Testament Body to tithe anything.

God Bless.