JAMES 5: 1-3:
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
I’ve covered Benny Hinn for years at this blog and his ministry never ceases to be a source of shame for the visible church. According to the Daily Mail Online, Joshua Hinn, Benny Hinn’s son, allegedly assaulted a man at a crusade in Brazil who is both deaf and dumb. Taking the man to a trailer nearby, Joshua Hinn and two of Benny Hinn’s body guards beat him mercilessly. Afterwards, Joshua Hinn was detained, but no charges were filed after the victim’s father entered into an agreement with Hinn’s representatives. (Sources say that alleged agreement included a large sum of money.)
This is from the Daily Mail:
According to police, Mr Araujo, a local pastor, was sitting in the front row of seats at the event, in the city’s Povos da Amazonia arena when, during Mr Hinn’s sermon, he got up and approached the stage.
Mr Araujo, who was carrying a bottle of water, later said he only wanted to receive a blessing from the famous evangelist, who claims he can heal the sick.
But he was allegedly pounced on by Mr Hinn’s son Joshua and two bodyguards, Caleb Shirk, 26, and Konstantins Konstantinovs, 34, who claimed they thought he was about to throw water at the preacher, who is worth an estimated £27 million ($42 million).
The men took Mr Araujo to a trailer parked near the stage where they allegedly held him captive inside, beating and punching him as they demanded to know who he was.
Because the man could not hear or respond to their demands, the physical aggression continued, police said.
Tactical squad officers burst into the trailer after concerned members of the public called police.
Mr Araujo was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he received medical treatment and was later released.
Manaus’ Civil Police confirmed the three men, all Americans, were arrested and taken to the city’s 3rd Integrated Police Department for questioning.
The men reportedly claimed they didn’t know that Mr Araujo was deaf and dumb and wanted to know why he had approached Benny Hinn during his sermon.
According to police, Mr Araujo’s father, a sign language translator, entered into an agreement with Benny Hinn’s representatives to not press charges against the men.
Police sources told Brazilian website Portal do Holanda that the agreement involved a “large sum of money”.
The Civil Police said an investigation will still be launched into the incident.
After being released, Joshua Hinn and the two bodyguards reportedly continued to Manaus’ international airport from where they flew directly back to the US.
Benny Hinn has a gaggle of bodyguards, that’s nothing new. I’m just wondering what the apostle Paul would have done in this instance – oh, that’s right – he was stoned, beaten, whipped, and all for the glory of Christ Jesus and for the sake of the gospel. He wasn’t a regal celebrity who couldn’t be approached or touched by the common folk. But, then again, the apostle Paul didn’t make merchandise of those with whom he was responsible for sharing the gospel.
Hinn is financially able to buy himself out of compromising situations now – but, what will he do when he stands before the Judge of the living and the dead and all of his riches are cankered and moth eaten? What will he do when he stands before the ONE who cannot be bought with filthy lucre? Sobering thought.
Click here for the article at the Daily Mail.
Click here for the article at the Christian Post.
