2 Peter 2:1-3:

 

1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 

 

2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;

 

3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

 

David Cerullo's lakefront home. Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

David Cerullo, son of Morris Cerullo, and president and CEO of the Inspiration Network, which was formed from the rubble of what was once PTL, is building a two million dollar lakefront home in South Carolina while his ministry struggles to pay the bills.  Can this type of indulgence be justified, not only in these hard economic times, but in any time? 

Check this out:

SALEM, SC — The president of the televangelism empire that rose from the ruins of the former PTL network is building a $2 million lakefront home in Oconee County even as critics say the ministry exhibits outward signs of financial trouble.

David Cerullo, president and CEO of the Inspiration Network, and his wife, Barbara, are building an approximately 12,000-square-foot home, including 2,000 square feet of enclosed porch, at 138 Blue Water Trail in Keowee Falls South, near Salem.

The building permit was issued Dec. 1, 2008, for the home on the one-acre lot. Records indicate the Cerullos bought the land for $950,000 in 2006.

The revelation of the Lake Keowee home comes as critics of Inspiration Network point to job cuts, wage freezes and a halt to matching employees’ 401(k) retirement accounts as evidence of rocky finances. These cutbacks began in late 2008, according to former employees.

The critics have been most vocal in pointing out that the Cerullos have shown no sign of cutting back on their own lifestyle at the same time the network has generated hardship for others.

The Cerullos currently live in a reported 12,000-square-foot, $1.7 million home in Charlotte. David Cerullo draws a reported $1.5 million salary as president and CEO of the Inspiration Network and both his wife and children are also reported to be on the network’s payroll.  (Online Source)

When sticky-fingered preachers promote a doctrine of wealth at the expense of the truth of the gospel, it shows in the outward manifestation of greed and excess.  Instead of showing a man or woman who is blessed from God, we see that their material goods are an indictment against them.  The evidence of ungodliness in these minister’s lives is so clear, yet many don’t see it.  Those who donate to ministries such as these don’t stop to consider the greed laying before them, they see what Cerullo and others like him has, and they want it too.  Covetousness in all its glory.  Thus, the focus of their passion is not the Lord Jesus and the power of the gospel, but the lusts of the flesh.

Cerullo continues to build his kingdom, despite the fact that his ministry is struggling financially.  He builds this on the backs of the poor, fatherless, sick, and widows who, through economic and physical desperation, feel that if they give they will not only please God, but will be given a return on their investment that will parallel what Cerullo and others have managed to maintain.  How wicked is it to make money the focus of a ministry when God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is the central focus?

Money is the root of all evil.  Truly.

Benny Hinn maintains that while people may not like to hear him talk about money, money is necessary to do “God’s work.”

Hinn recently lost $2 million on his crusades to Uganda.  In the article you can read by clicking here, Hinn apparently has no qualms about charging an entrance fee to get in, which amounts to fifty American dollars.  Does this show that Hinn’s passion is God’s Word, or turning a profit?

He laments a loss of revenue, not need of the gospel.  When God commissioned the disciples to preach, He didn’t ask that they starve.  The Apostle Paul even said that if you preach the gospel, you should make your living from the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14), meaning they were given support by the church.  God didn’t expect them to go without food or clothing.  However, Paul did not always excercise this right for fear of hindering the gospel.

What a far cry is the contrast between Benny Hinn and the Apostle Paul.  Benny Hinn’s motivation is to make money…the Apostle Paul’s passion was the gospel and edifying the church.  Benny Hinn has no problem with taking money from people to turn a profit; the Apostle Paul took nothing for the sake of the gospel.  See the contrast?

It is never okay to charge an entrance fee and justify it by saying it takes money to spread the gospel.  The face of greed is an ugly sight, isn’t it?

Creflo Dollar finds himself at the center of a lawsuit.  According to an article at BET.com, Dollar is being sued by a California business man, Devone Lawson, who claims Dollar stole his idea for charging donors a monthly fee for receiving devotional text messages.  You see, the Word ain’t free!

The article says:

Also named in the lawsuit are Dollar’s son, Jeremy, whom the plaintiff, Devone Lawson, alleges reneged on the deal, pilfered his trade secrets and launched “Word on the Go” three years ago.

The already very-rich Creflo and Jeremy are raking in $50 million a year through the $4.99-per-month subscriptions, which the preacher recently hiked to $5.99, James Evangelista, Lawson’s Atlanta-based attorney, claims.  (Online Source)

Wow.  Fifty million a year from subscriptions alone.  I’m thinking this doesn’t include the donations his ministry rakes in from his 30,000 World Changers church, or his church in New York, or his other business endeavors.  Creflo Dollar may not be a good preacher, but he is a very shrewd business man.  The sad part of all of this is that he’s using God’s holy and infallible Word to bilk the sheep he should be feeding out of their hard-earned money.  Is anyone surprised?  If so, they shouldn’t be.  God’s ministers are to be blameless and not even give the appearance of evil, yet when you look at Creflo Dollar, he drips with the image that is nothing short of greedy and unrighteous; and he does very little to change it.

Joel Osteen charges ticket prices for the honor of hearing him preach.  Benny Hinn has charged a fee per head for the privilege of hearing him speak.  Is it surprising that Dollar would charge a fee as well?  They have their reward.

Less than a year after Todd Bentley’s disgraceful departure from the Lakeland Revival, he is back in action.

When you click on the link to Bentley’s Fresh Fire website, you are greeted by a video message from Rick Joyner.  In the message, Joyner confirms that he encouraged Bentley to rebuild the website, and through this medium there will be open communication.

What Joyner and Bentley don’t seem to understand is that there is no “ministry” for Bentley now.  There never should have been.  Not only was he disqualified by the fact that he never taught Biblical truth to begin with, he was also disqualified by the fact that he, while ministring to others, was living an alternate life outside of the view of the camera, and cheating on his wife.  So, even if he had been qualified for ministry, he blew it!  Perhaps some consider this to be straining at a gnat, but he left his wife and children, and then married his mistress.  All of this within, not a year, but months of the time his star shot into the orbit  of the charismatic movement.  

Familiarity breeds contempt.  Ever hear that old saying?  When a religious leader falls, it’s not unusual for them to disappear for a season to desensitize the public of their sin and disgrace.  Eventually, they come back on the scene and pronounce themselves forgiven and set free by the amazing love and mercy of God.  However, when they start their run again, you soon find that nothing has changed, and they still walk the road of deception they were on before.   While Bentley didn’t stay away that long, it was obviously long enough for him to test the waters and determine now is the time for his re-entrance into the public eye.

Bentley is now taking invitations to speak and minister.  Having been “restored” by Rick Joyner, there’s very little chance that anything Bentley ministers will be Biblically sound.  A heretic can not restore a heretic to anything other than heresy.  There will be no chance that the truth of God’s Word will be central and key in their teaching.

Things are going to be very interesting.  More interesting will be to see who will actually invite him to speak.  There will be some pastors who are so undiscerning and ignorant in God’s Word that they will gladly unleash this false teacher on their flock.  It will also be interesting to see who else besides Joyner, Deere, Ahn, etc. will join themselves with Bentley and give him their endorsment as they did on the night of the commissioning at the Lakeland Revival.  Will they scatter like rats, or will they be drawn to him like flies?  Too soon to tell just yet.  Nevertheless, it will be interesting.

To read a blog about this, please click here.

To visit Bentley’s Fresh Fire website, please click here.

(HT:  Bud Press)

In the following video, Kim Clement prophecies in the name of God that there will be no recession, spiritual or financial.  This was prophesied in December 2007.  Needless to say, he was way off on this one.

More prophecies from Clement were that in 2008 God would drive fear back.  The year 2008 would also see unique miracles that have never been done before.   He also prophesies a season of great peace coming on Israel’s 60th anniversary.  He says that those who are surrounding Israel will be struck with temptestous winds and elements that will react to a great celebration on the streets of Jerusalem.  This was supposed to be fulfilled in 2008.  Did we see anything remotely like that in Jerusalem?

A prophet is justified by his success rate in determining whether or not he is from God.  Since his success rate is as close to zero as you can get, what are we to deduce other than the fact that Kim Clement is not a prophet of God, and speaks presumptuously in God’s name?

In the charismatic movement, experience is key.  But heed this warning…once the experiences begin, it becomes an endless spiral of experience upon experience upon experience, and the believer’s faith in God is not measured by how much he or she believes and grows in God’s Word, but by the frequency and types of experiences (or manifestations) they have.  Scripture tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).  Faith is what tells us that God is sovereign and supreme, regardless of the tempests that arise in our lives, regardless of the heartaches, and regardless of the false doctrine that would seek to subvert the way of truth.  Faith leads us to God’s Word and nourishes us to grow, even though we never feel the “Holy Ghost goosebumps,” the spine tingles, or dream any dreams, see any visions, or experience any trance-induced nirvana-like state.  We need no mystical experiences to grow in the Lord – we need truth, God’s truth, which sanctifies.  God’s Word is that truth (John 17:17).  If we believe this, the result is that, like Abraham, we believe God, and it is accounted unto us as righteousness (Galatians 3:6).

Why is it that without manifestations and words of false prophecy, people can’t maintain a relationship with God?  It is because they don’t truly know Him.  They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge (Romans 10:2).  Without knowledge and strength, which comes from His Word, a proper relationship with God can not be maintained, and people need a tingle of the flesh, or a mystical experience to maintan their walk.  It no longer becomes a walk with God, it becomes an endless system of manifestations.

People like Kim Clement, who knows neither God or His Word, are prime examples of the above.  Not only does he not know the God of the Bible, but he enables multitudes.  With God’s Word readily available to us, there simply is no excuse for this.  How long will men and women continue to place their faith in prophets who have a zero percent accuracy rate?  Sadly, until Lord Jesus comes.

Jan Markell, of Olive Tree Ministries, gives commentary that is critical in keeping us apprised of the current state of world affairs.  It is imperative as believers that we stay abreast of all current trends that effect the church, and herald the soon return of the Lord.  Let us not be caught unawares.

You may think that headline is a strong statement so let me defend it. We have now entered the most serious “perilous times” (II Timothy 3:1) in history. President Obama’s speech in Cairo was a total surrender to Islam and a drastic turn against one of our best allies, Israel.

Because of this one-two punch, America and the rest of the world will never be what it once was. Why? Because Obama is the acknowledged leader of the free world as all American Presidents are. And he sent the world of Islam a dramatic message that America wants to be their friend and that America respects Islam — even though they continue to be at war with us.  (Read more)

Well, it didn’t work out with his son, Robert A. Schuller, so now Robert H. Schuller is looking to his daughter, Dr. Sheila Schuller Coleman, to help direct his ministry.  He made the announcement to his 10,000 member church on Sunday, and confirmed it with a public announcement.

I guess Schuller wants to keep “the Kingdom that Robert built” all in the family.  I bet this makes Thanksgiving dinner awkward this year.

In case you’re wondering, there’s little chance that the doctrine or methods coming out of the Crystal Cathedral will change.  If that were a threat, Schuller would never have considered his daughter to take his place.  He’s got to keep his vision alive, and to do that, he has to replace himself with someone who will carry the torch.  It didn’t work with his son, and I’m not thinking his daughter will make the same mistake with her brother as the cautionary tale.

But, then again, time will tell.

To read the article from Lighthouse Trails, please click here.

I would like to thank Sandy Simpson for bringing this to our attention.   Even though this was posted by Simpson in 2006, when I read it, I couldn’t resist the urge to post it here for all to see.

Peter Popoff, who was exposed as a fraud, is no stranger to controversy.  He has had years of experience in decieving the masses.  Sandy Simpson, from Deception in the Church, received a letter from Mr. Popoff, the contents of which are too rich to be missed.  There were times I read the letter in disgust, there were times I stared at the screen in awe because I can see that Popoff obviously has no fear of God.  Then there were times I busted out laughing.  No, false prophets are nothing to laugh about, but read the letter I have linked to above and you’ll understand.  Mr. Popoff is so ludicrous I can’t believe he has followers.  I’ve said that before about others, I know, but humor me here.

I would also like to say that I’m posting this for all the people who justify Word of Faith and these false prophets under the defense that “Jesus did miracles and healed, so others can too!  Don’t judge!”

There is a vast difference between the likes of Hinn and Popoff and the Biblical apostles… the apostles were God called, poor, and paid for their faith with their lives (most of them).  Popoff and Hinn rarely travel beyond an air-conditioned suite.  The apostles (and others) wrote the Scriptures, but Hinn, Popoff, and others twist them to deceive the masses and make a profit.  I really don’t see how there can be any comparison here.

With that said, I’ll give it to Sister Simpson now… LOL!!!  Okay, I know Sandy Simpson is a man, but… once you read the article, you’ll understand.

For those who didn’t catch the link above, please click here to read it.

If you want to see super (false) prophet and champion huckster Benny Hinn, it will cost you $50.00, which is 110,000 in Ugandan money.  (Online Source)

Does this surprise anyone?  He isn’t exactly the example that the Apostle Paul was, is he?

Philippians 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ…

Okay, here’s a quick and ugly run-down of this video: 

Story 1:  Apparently, an evangelist in Sri Lanka is beheaded, and a Muslim comes by and sits his head by his body.  His head reattaches to his body and he comes back to life.  To repay him for his kindness, he led him to Christ, then proceeded to lead him into town where the guys who killed him saw him, they too were saved, and a massive revival broke out.

Story 2:  A guy is murdered, and his body is dismembered… cut into five pieces… and sent a limb to five different villages and put them on display as a warning to Christians not to come in there.  After a few weeks, they buried they guy.  The church begins praying, and his limbs reattach and he comes back to life.  I have one question… who dug him up, and how did they know he was alive?  Did they hear him screaming from the grave? 

The deeper you get in the charismatic doctrine, the bigger and bigger your stories have to become to be important.  Notice the cheering in the video… if only they would cheer like that because Jesus is alive and on the right hand of the Father. 

(HT:  Bud Press)

Here is another nail in America’s coffin.  What God has called an abomination, our nation is ready to call “PRIDE.”  They do this in defiance of the God of Heaven… can we escape the judgment to come?

President Obama isn’t doing enough, quickly enough to suit many gay Americans, but yesterday he did issue a proclamation for “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month.”

In the proclamation, Obama mentions the legislative priorities, including overturning the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman and allows states not to recognize gay marriages performed in other states, and the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which bars gays from serving openly in the military.  (Online Source)

I will not take pride in what my God abhors.  I will not love something my God despises.  I will follow God and His Word, and I will follow the paths and the truths He has set before me…nothing else.

Think these days are dark?  They’re getting darker at warp speed.

This is from FoxNews:

President Obama backed Iran’s claim that it has a right to nuclear energy — but only if the country proves by the end of the year that its aspirations are peaceful.  (Online Source)

WHAT?!?!?!

For anyone who was wondering if Obama would turn his back on Israel, there you have it.  Does he need to say it any clearer?  Netanyahu must know by now that Israel is on her own.  But, given that we believe Scripture, that’s no surprise, is it?

Regardless of what Obama says, I stand with Israel.

A Wichita abortion doctor, who was one of a few who performed late-term abortions, was killed while in church where he served as usher.  There is something seriously wrong with this picture. 

First, abortion is murder…period.  Late term abortion is unconscionable.  Yet, this man served as usher in his church.  It makes me wonder about the spiritual health of his pastor and fellow congregants.  He wasn’t a pew warmer, he was an active participant in the church services.  According to news sources, this wasn’t the first time Dr. Tiller was attacked.  While I am sorry that his wife and family are hurting, I also grieve at the lives lost at the hands of this doctor.  Innocent children have been slaughtered by this man’s hand.

Secondly, I wonder how long it will be before Christians are given the blame for this man’s death.  If not Christians directly, then in a second-hand way.  Acts like this slowly chip away at the reputations of faithful Christians, making us seem like right wing zealots who murder those with which we disagree.   While you and I know that is ridiculous, there are some who will more than likely blame our beliefs for emboldening the type of person who could carry out an attack such as this.  It’s not Christian…it wasn’t a Christian who did it… and it’s not right.

“Stolz said all indications were that the man acted alone, although authorities were investigating whether he had any connection to anti-abortion groups.”  (Online Source)

Operation Rescue has already renounced the attack.

“We are shocked at this morning’s disturbing news that Mr. Tiller was gunned down. Operation Rescue has worked for years through peaceful, legal means, and through the proper channels to see him brought to justice. We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning. We pray for Mr. Tiller’s family that they will find comfort and healing that can only be found in Jesus Christ.”  (Online Source)

Times are dark…stay alert.

I gound this article by Dr. Thomas Ice to be most informative and helpful to shed light on the current state of affairs this country finds itself in.  Here’s a small snippet, but please take time to read the article in its entirety.

Former Clinton advisor and commentator Dick Morris announced:

“On April 2, 2009, the work of July 4, 1776 was nullified at the meeting of the G-20 in London.”[1]That is an amazing statement and a tragedy if true. One of my best friends in the ministry, with whom I have co-authored two books, Mark Hitchcock wrote a book, which was finished before last November’s election, entitled The Late Great United States.[2] There are two other books listed on amazon.com with similar titles. Why are many concerned that our great country is on the verge of extinction?  (Online Source)

This country, once known for evangelizing the world, is now being known for being the nation who refused to allow the gospel to reach Muslims.  According to reports, the United States military is burning Bibles that were intended for Afghan Muslims to prevent them from being proseletyzed.

How can this country escape the judgment of God?

Check this out, and then follow the source link to read the entire article.

Last May, dozens of Afghan language Bibles sent to a soldier in Afghanistan were confiscated and then destroyed by fire because the command believed the Bibles were intended to proselytize Muslims, which is a violation of military rules and Afghan law.   A Pentagon spokesman said the act was a “force protection” measure to preclude Afghans from perceiving the U.S. military was trying to convert Muslims, which could lead to a violent anti-American reaction.  (Online Source)