Peggy’s progress continues. But instead of telling you, I’ve uploaded a couple of clips from today’s physical therapy session (March 8). And while it did tire her some, she was not totally exhausted as she was the first time she walked.
Go out to my Facebook page and take a look at the clips. And here.
I have a question for you:
What’s the difference between the pimps and pimpettes who claim “a great anointing from God” and the rest of us?
Not much, apparently.
These guys and gals claim great anointing (which of course they never define in terms other than they’re more spiritual than you unwashed sheeple), and claim to be living in the power of God, and claim to pretty much be plugged right into the holy power source. Then it happens.
Earl Paulk is nailed for lying to the cops and being the father of his nephew…or the uncle of his son…or…well, let’s not try to untangle that particular family tree. And he sexually abused some of the women in his congregation.
Jimmy Swaggart gets caught with a sort of ugly prostitute…twice.
Ted Haggard gets connected to a male prostitute (and drugs).
Paula White and her husband divorce.
Jamal Harrison Bryant and Zachary Timms have what we will call spousal “difficulties” and barely avoid the marital train wreck.
While fussing at Bishop Weeks, Juanita Bynum gets just a little too close to her husband and he tries to show her how he loves her.
And now Benny “There’s Nine of Them” Hinn and his wife are divorcing.
Why do I bring this stuff out about these people? Don’t we all have difficulties of one kind or another? I’ve said before that no matter how together a person’s life might seem to be, that person has some kind of issues or difficulties somewhere in their life. They have a relationship or two that just aren’t what they could be. They have blind spots that they may never EVER see.
I bring this stuff out on these people because they claim to be really different. They claim to be taking advantage of the “power” of God to live victorious (and prosperous) lives.
But let’s look at their lives:
For decades, the Paulk brothers lived lies. At a minimum, Earl Paulk was a sexual predator. And for years he lied about his son…er…nephew. But at the same time he was going on about the special power he has as a prophet, as an anointed man of God. Rather than showing any power of God in their lives, these men demonstrated the power of the fallen nature of man and promoted lies about the true nature of Christianity and spirituality. Instead of encouraging men and women to trust in God, they promised access to a cosmic bellhop.
Jimmy Swaggart went on about the power of the Holy Ghost, proceeded to build quite an empire along the way, and got caught with a really rough looking prostitute. When his denomination called him on it, he kind of stepped down for a bit but refused to submit to the leaders in the denomination. A few months later, he got caught with another rough looking prostitute. But all the time he is touting the usual Charismatic/Pentecostal bilge about an experience giving you great power and great anointing.
Poor Ted didn’t even have the pleasure of gathering enormous amounts of wealth before getting nailed. But as a part of the health and wealth crowd, he preached the same thing and it came to the same results. He, it turned out, was actively involved in some pretty shady stuff on a consistent basis. His doctrine said that wasn’t supposed to happen.
And of course Paula White and her husband preached about God’s power to overcome problems. They told us that if we read this book (which we could get for a seed offering), or if we showed our trust in God by sending in a sacrificial offering, then we would be able to live in victory. They divorced due to, get this, irreconcilable differences.
Though I haven’t made a big deal of it, both Mr. Timms and Mr. Bryant have gotten in a bit of trouble for wandering where they shouldn’t have. Yet they preach that they are men of anointing (and integrity). I guess I’m not real clear on what their anointing is supposed to do.
Junie B and her husband spent close to a million dollars getting married and sold DVDs of the marriage. They made hundreds of thousands or more going across the country presenting the “Teach Me How to Love You” seminars. Despite their claims to great anointing, it became very obvious that neither of them knew anything about love, true love (I keep hearing the bishop in “Princess Bride” whenever I say that). Again, they sold themselves and people who are “God’s anointed,” as possessing some special God given powers.
And finally, the man who claims to be so anointed he can knock down crowds with the power of his coat, and the woman who says she’s excited about God so she doesn’t need a Holy Ghost enema, have decided to call it quits. Why? Because of irreconcilable differences.
I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but it seems to me these people are a bunch of fakes; fakes who have no idea of Ephesians 5 or most other portions of scripture that speak of putting yourself second and others (especially your spouse) first. And what do they say? I can’t stay with him because of “irreconcilable differences.”
Each of us has an anointing. But it’s there to guide us and strengthen us in hard times, in times that try our patience and our determination to follow God. The men and women who are living large (usually at your expense) will tell you to sacrifice for God (i.e. give them money and do without). But how many of them are willing to sacrifice their lives, on a daily basis for their spouse? Take a look around you and see if you can figure out the answer. I don’t think it’s very many.
(PS: The wife is still improving exponentially. While they are weak, she has 70% of the use of her hands. She walks to the bathroom with someone standing near, and she got her hair done this past Saturday. More details to follow.)
It’s been two weeks since my wife fell down the stairs here at home. It has been two rather strenuous weeks.
The bright spots:
1. Immediately after the fall, Peggy was pretty much unable to use any appendages. Now, while she is still weak, she can use her legs and, with care stand on her own. She even walks with the aid of a walker. Her first effort at walking got her 38 feet and total exhaustion. The next day she walked 100 feet, twice, without the total exhaustion.
2. Touching the skin on her arms and hands caused excruciating pins and needles pain. Now there are no painful sensations now. Just normal ones.
3. She couldn’t move her arms or legs without a good deal of exhausting effort. She can move her arms and legs now. While she has reduced function in her hands (especially the left one) she can do such things as feed herself, pull the covers up, and brush her teeth.
4. She wants to get better. This is probably the most important thing of all since it looks as though she and I are going to have a lot of work to do in an effort to return her to some semblance of normalcy.
I thank you all for you comments and prayers. Most of all, I thank you for not jumping up and immediately saying “All things work together for good…” It’s true. It’s definitely true. But immediately after the fall just wouldn’t have been the time to say it.
By the way, the Senior Hospital Pastor from First Baptist Church of Glenarden, pastored by John K. Jenkins, stopped by yesterday. It’s good they thought enough to send someone out to the hospital. But at the same time, it was a reminder of one of the reasons I left the place to begin with. When she prayed, she went through the typical “we know that by your stripes we are healed, so we claim Sister Peggy’s healing…in Jesus’ name.”
It really seems like an example of religious doofusses pumping up the hopes of their followers (thank goodness Peggy knows better) with misapplied verses and arrogant demands on God’s graciousness.
But I digress.
The bottom line is that she is making tremendous progress, recognizing that there is likely some level below normal that she will settle into. Pray that God makes that level as close to where it originally was. Heck, pray that God will make that level the same as it was to begin with. I don’t see any point in low bidding God.
Again, thanks for your prayers, comments, and encouragements. They are truly much appreciated - especially from those lurkers out there.
And pray that God give me the wisdom to take care of myself properly. I’ve been living on hospital cafeteria food (which in itself is enough to put you in the hospital),Coca Cola and a dangerously reduced amount of sleep. As a result, I was recently “blessed” with diarrhea - at both ends. But that may be TMI.
The articles will likely get a little sparse for the next several months.
As many of you know, my wife has Multiple Sclerosis or MS. Last Sunday (February 7th) she fell backwards from the top of a flight of twelve steps. The injuries are not life threatening, but she lost the use of her limbs. We spent all night in the Prince Georges Hospital Center’s emergency room. Getting there is an adventure I will tell you about someday.
Nothing was broken. Her neck was stressed and she has been diagnosed with Central Cord Syndrome (CCS). She was then moved to the Critical Care Unit (CCU) and hooked up to a variety of monitors around the 8th. She improved and was stable enough for the doctor to move her to a regular ward on February 9th.
A couple of days ago (Thursday) she was moved to Washington Adventist Rehabilitation Center (in Montgomery County MD). She will likely be there for at least a couple of weeks. As ling as they allow me, I am spending the night there with her.
At the moment, her legs are weak, nominally functional. Her arms are about the same - weak but generally functional. Her hand, however, are barely functional.
We are going to be spending a lot of time working to get her back up to speed and back to a point she can begin again to fight the MS.
If you are interested, I will attempt to provide an update every week or so. If you’re not interested, the title will make it clear that it is an update and you can browse on to another web site.
Nothing like a really bracing test to see if you REALLY believe all things come from the hand of God.
Here is a brief description of CCS:
Central cord syndrome is a form of incomplete spinal cord injury characterized by impairment in the arms and hands and to a lesser extent in the legs. The brain’s ability to send and receive signals to and from parts of the body below the site of injury is reduced but not entirely blocked. This syndrome is associated with damage to the large nerve fibers that carry information directly from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord. These nerves are particularly important for hand and arm function. Symptoms may include paralysis or loss of fine control of movements in the arms and hands, with relatively less impairment of leg movements. Sensory loss below the site of the injury and loss of bladder control may also occur. The overall amount and type of functional loss is dependent upon the severity of nerve damage. Central cord syndrome is usually the result of trauma, but also may develop in persons over the age of 50 due to gradual weakening of the vertebrae and discs, which narrows the spinal column and may contribute to compression of the spinal cord.
By the way, I may not be particularly quick to respond. The hospital doesn’t have wifi access so I can’t get to the internet when I’m there.
This is great! I just found out how to be a pastor even if I don’t have the time to study, to pray, or to do any of the things I thought I would have to do if I were to be a shepherd of God’s sheep. I just found out I can BUY sermons - written by someone else; written by someone with a Masters of Divinity and a Doctorate, so I’ll sound really smart.
Click on the thumbnail below and you can find out how to be prepared every single Sunday without once opening your Bible during the week.
Notice the text on the web page. It seems to be pretty much all over the place. He says:
1. The site is for “…busy pastors on the move.” Did it occur to this dingo that if the pastor is so “on the move” that he doesn’t have time to study and prepare a sermon, then perhaps he’s too on the move. Or perhaps he shouldn’t be a pastor.
2. He says the sermons transcend race but describes the sermons as “one of the largest collections of sermons in the African-American pulpit tradition.” And the site’s name is “Black Sermons dot com.” I guess what he means here is he wants to make sure all preachers, Black and White, feel welcome to spend their money on his tripe.
3. If you’re too lazy to do any work at all, you can take part in the quarterly plan and you’ll get a FUNERAL sermon and a free Bible Study. I know I’m impressed. And since most folks don’t generally attend multiple funerals, you can even recycle the funeral sermon. All you have to do is be sure to remember the name of the dearly departed you’re saying goodbye to and not mix it up with the last dearly departed you said goodbye to.
4. And if I’m really lazy and a consummate procrastinator (which, as most of you readers know by now that I am), it seems “Saturday orders are emailed the SAME DAY.” Now I can wait until the very last minute (being on the move all this time) and still get the script for the next day. Ain’t technology wonderful.?
Maybe it’s just me, but I think this is a shame. It is a shame for Dr. Durham to offer the service and it’s a shame for ANY self-respecting pastor – or general preacher – to use such a service. This is even worse (if you can graduate sin) than copying some one else’s term paper. At least with the term paper, you actually make the effort to copy it. With this scam, you don’t even have to make the effort to copy it. It’s delivered to your computer, typed and ready to go.
Of course there are men out there who do use this kind of service. And most of them are, as the good doctor said, on the move all the time. The one that comes most readily to mind is Fast Eddie of Club New Birth in Hotlanta. Do you remember when he stood up and said that he had a message for the congregation FROM the Holy Spirit? Apparently the Holy Spirit had an e-mail for Fast Eddie, not a message for the congregation.
The pastors/elders’ job is to feed the sheep, to aid them in becoming self-sustaining and encourage them to work with each other to accomplish the work that God established for each of us from before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 2:9-10) If they aren’t doing that, then they aren’t doing their jobs. And getting sermons through e-mail rather than study and prayer, doesn’t count.
Even the Apostles recognized this. Take a look at Acts, chapter 6 around verse 2. The Apostles, in trying to deal with an issue that had arisen, made it clear their first duty was to pay attention to the word of God, apparently in its study and preaching. Their first priority was to be preaching and teaching (as was done in the homes of the disciples).
This in no way matches the model being encouraged by Durham. If you’re too busy to study, then let him send you a sermon. Doesn’t it occur to these bozos that if you are too busy to study, you are too busy?
I called Dr. Durham’s business a couple of days ago and I called again today to ask them why they are providing sermons to people to preach as if they were their own. There was no answer the other day. I’ll try again today.
By the way, I can’t even see the sermon before I buy it. But he does provide a sample of his work. Click here for a view.
You people in Houston, you now definitely have a choice.
If you are tired of getting pimped by the likes of I.V.and his wife Gree Dee Hilliard, there are choices, choices that don’t include Joel “Willow Boy” Osteen.
Some readers have asked if I can recommend a good church where they live. Usually the answer is “no” since I don’t know folks in other cities. However, here is an exception.
In Houston a group of people have established a church. You can visit the website here.
The reason I am willing to recommend this church, a church I have never visited, is because I know the man who has been working to establish that church.
I have known Saiko Woods for several years. During that time he has demonstrated himself to be a man who is willing to stand on the Bible and follow Christ no matter the cost. And it has cost him at times.
So here are your choices:
1. You can attach yourself to Willow Boy, the Hilliards or a host of other scammers in some really fine facilities. Then you can listen to these men and women lie to you, mislead you, take your money, and stunt your growth as a Christian.
2. You can check out His Word His Way – currently meeting in an apartment. There you will hear the Word of God expounded with skill and dedication to the truth. And you will be challenged in your growth as a Christian.
Maybe it’s just me, but this isn’t a hard choice. On the other hand, Reformation Alive Baptist Church, the church I’m a part of, meets in the great hall of a Lutheran church in southern Prince Georges County and I’m just fine with that. And it’s twenty-two miles from my house. And we have to set up tables and chairs for Bible study every Thursday night. Then we have to put the chairs and tables away.
If you are really pursuing God’s Truth in Houston, give Saiko a call and visit the church.
This is where you get to figure out if you are more interested in content than accoutrement.
Okay, maybe Chick tracts aren’t exactly art in the strictest sense of the word. And while I don’t always agree with the contents of all of the Chick tracts, they do a wonderful job of illustrating many aspects of the truth of the gospel. And one of them, “One Way” does a really good job of illustrating the One Way without using a single word. Okay! So it only uses six words.
Every time I watch the railing against Joel Osteen by the street preacher, that tract comes to mind.
Take a quick look at the YouTube video again. You don’t have to watch the whole thing. Just watch the people as they go marching blindly past the preacher proclaiming the truth. The first twenty or thirty seconds is plenty to get the idea. Here’s the video.
Here is an excerpt from “One Way”, the wordless tract:
Click on the image to see the entire tract.
Maybe it’s just a stretch, but do you see any similarities?
I listen to Pentecostals, Charismatics, and various second wave and five fold ministry pretenders and I have to wonder how they see the universe, how they see Satan, and how they see God. Well, I don’t really have to wonder. Their words tell me more than enough.
Visit with a Pentecostal long enough and you will hear them “binding Satan.” You have to wonder, do they believe when they say this phrase, especially with Jesus’ name tucked on the end (you know - “In Jesus name!”) Satan is unable to function and has to stop whatever he’s doing. Never mind the fact that in Jude Michael, the Archangel, one of the angels, the head honcho, was never even willing to TRY to “bind” Satan.
I’m sure Denise, the woman who submitted this “prayer” as a comment is completely sincere and is totally convinced their recital has accomplished something. Even as I’m sure the women who railed against the preacher outside Willow Boy’s motivational speaking event were quite sincere. Their display starts around 0:50.
But it goes to the fact that the men and women who sit under the pimps are completely oblivious to who God is, who Satan is, and what, exactly, our “rights” as Christians actually are.
Let’s step through it and see what we come up with. First, the whole prayer. Then let’s look at it in chunks.
By the way, this entire prayer was directed at Independent Conservative, not me. And she shouts the entire time. Maybe she wanted to make sure Satan could hear it when he read it.
IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, I COME AGAINST THE PRINCE-RULING SPIRIT AND ALL SPIRIT GUIDES. I COME THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, IN THE NAME OF JESUS. I PARALYZE YOU AND SILENCE YOU, FORBIDDING YOU FROM INFLUENCING OR STRENGTHENING (Independent Conservative Spirit) IN THE NAME OF JESUS, RIGHT NOW!
WE ARE DESTROYING YOUR VERY WORKS: THE SPIRITS OF HATE, BITTERNESS AND MURDER, SPIRITS OF ENVY AND JEALOUSY, SPIRITS OF WIZARDRY, SORCERY AND ALL YOUR CO-SPIRITS, YOUR WORKS, YOUR POWERS, YOUR INFLUENCES ARE DESTROYED IN THE NAME OF JESUS!
I PARALYZE YOU, ALL, RIGHT NOW. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE THIS SOUL ANY LONGER AGAINST THE CHURCH (OR Men and Women of God), IN THE NAME OF JESUS.
I COME AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF BLINDNESS, BINDING THE SPIRITS OF BONDAGE AND HEAVINESS, FEAR AND HATE.I PRAY, LORD, THAT YOU WILL OPEN their EYES SO THEY CAN SEE THE GLORY OF JESUS. OPEN THEIR HEARTS SO THAT THEY CAN HEAR YOUR VOICE. BREAK THE YOKES IN THEIR LIVES AND GIVE THEM LIBERTY IN THEIR SOUL, THAT HE MAY BE FREE TO REPENT. SHOW THEM EVERY EVIL WORK AND EVERY EVIL DEED THEY’RE GUILTY OF, AND LORD JESUS, CONVICT THEIR HEARTS UNTO REPENTANCE. BRING THIS SOUL OUT OF DARKNESS; SAVE THIS SOUL SO THAT YOU MAY HAVE THE GLORY.
SATAN, I SILENCE YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS, BINDING ALL YOUR INTERFERENCE. YOU WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH THESE SOULS AND THEY WILL HAVE THEIR OWN FREE WILL CHOICE SO AS TO MAKE UP THEIR OWN MINDS IF THEY WANT TO REPENT. THEY WILL DO IT WITHOUT YOUR INTERFERENCE.
ALSO, LORD JESUS, I PRAY THAT YOU WILL RELEASE WARRING ANGELS TO WAGE WAR AGAINST THESE DEMONIC ACTIVITIES, AND WILL SEND MINISTERING SPIRITS TO MINISTER TO HIS SOUL.
First paragraph
IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, I COME AGAINST THE PRINCE-RULING SPIRIT AND ALL SPIRIT GUIDES. I COME THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, IN THE NAME OF JESUS. I PARALYZE YOU AND SILENCE YOU, FORBIDDING YOU FROM INFLUENCING OR STRENGTHENING ( Independent Conservative Spirit) IN THE NAME OF JESUS, RIGHT NOW!
Again, looking at Jude 9 for our example, Michael, the Archangel, did not feel up to binding Satan, or even rebuking Satan. He defers to the Lord (GOD) rebuking Satan. It’s awfully presumptuous to think I could exercise such authority. Besides, if I could do that, don’t you think I’d go to hospitals and bind Satan in the misery that exists there?
Apparently, by making this arrogant statement, I can 1) Paralyze Satan, 2) Silence Satan, 3) Forbid him from strengthening (whatever that is).
This goes beyond stupid and approaches dangerously deluded. )
WE ARE DESTROYING YOUR VERY WORKS: THE SPIRITS OF HATE, BITTERNESS AND MURDER, SPIRITS OF ENVY AND JEALOUSY, SPIRITS OF WIZARDRY, SORCERY AND ALL YOUR CO-SPIRITS, YOUR WORKS, YOUR POWERS, YOUR INFLUENCES ARE DESTROYED IN THE NAME OF JESUS!
“We destroy your every work”…if that’s so, why does Satan remain so active and effective? I mean there are thousands of people praying this insipid prayer. If all of his works are destroyed, we should be living in a paradise. There should be no bullies, no unkind words, no theives, no difficulties of any kind. Afterall, the works of Satan are destroyed. Right?
I PARALYZE YOU, ALL, RIGHT NOW. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE THIS SOUL ANY LONGER AGAINST THE CHURCH (OR Men and Women of God), IN THE NAME OF JESUS.
I COME AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF BLINDNESS, BINDING THE SPIRITS OF BONDAGE AND HEAVINESS, FEAR AND HATE.
Apparently, not only can we paralyze Sata, but we can also paralyze a bunch of demons. I guess I have to be careful driving on the beltway. I wouldn’t want to run over any of them as they lay there paralyzed. And I guess we don’t even consider free will here. After all, this bimbo prays and the demons can’t speak. They can’t move. They can’t do the things they want to do. So will this work if I’m being mugged by the Internal Revenue Service?
I PRAY, LORD, THAT YOU WILL OPEN their EYES SO THEY CAN SEE THE GLORY OF JESUS. OPEN THEIR HEARTS SO THAT THEY CAN HEAR YOUR VOICE. BREAK THE YOKES IN THEIR LIVES AND GIVE THEM LIBERTY IN THEIR SOUL, THAT HE MAY BE FREE TO REPENT. SHOW THEM EVERY EVIL WORK AND EVERY EVIL DEED THEY’RE GUILTY OF, AND LORD JESUS, CONVICT THEIR HEARTS UNTO REPENTANCE. BRING THIS SOUL OUT OF DARKNESS; SAVE THIS SOUL SO THAT YOU MAY HAVE THE GLORY.
Hold on there cowgirl. What happened to free will? Don’t you talk about it in the next paragraph? So which is it? Is He going to bring them out of darkness even if they don’t want to be brought out of darkness?
SATAN, I SILENCE YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS, BINDING ALL YOUR INTERFERENCE. YOU WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH THESE SOULS AND THEY WILL HAVE THEIR OWN FREE WILL CHOICE SO AS TO MAKE UP THEIR OWN MINDS IF THEY WANT TO REPENT. THEY WILL DO IT WITHOUT YOUR INTERFERENCE.
Okay, we know for sure this woman is of the opinion that Satan, that greasy little rebel, can control us but God, the creator and LOrd of the universe, can’t. Do you understand how much raw power the lady is giving to Satan? He’s a grubby little liar and he gets to do stuff God can’t do. Of course she spends most of the time praying to Satan so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
ALSO, LORD JESUS, I PRAY THAT YOU WILL RELEASE WARRING ANGELS TO WAGE WAR AGAINST THESE DEMONIC ACTIVITIES, AND WILL SEND MINISTERING SPIRITS TO MINISTER TO HIS SOUL.
Warring Angels. That sounds like a pretty good video game. But it doesn’t sound like anything within the Bible. The closest we get to something like this is the quick narratives that talk about Satan and his band getting kicked out of Heaven.
I want you to understand that this lady has accepted every thing the five fold liars have fed to her. She arrogant, biblically illiterate, and completely self-deceived. She actually thinks she can influence the behavior of Satan. So what was Job missing? Why didn’t he bind Satan? On the other hand, if God is doing in her life the same sort of thing He did in Job’s life, where does the get the ‘nads to assume she can keep him from his task?
You have to feel sorry for people like this. She has no idea what it means to be a Christian. She has no idea about humility, dependence on Christ, or the idea of suffering for Christ. And it is very likely that 10 years from now she will either an agnostic or in exaclty the same place spiritually that she is right now.
Avishalom brought to my attention a video that has been making the rounds on YouTube. But before you look at it, take a look at these sections of scripture and remember that the Pentecostals/Charismatics say God heals today just like He did then.
Take a few minutes and go review these passages in the Bible, that document most of the pimps and pimpettes count on you not reading
1. Acts 3:1 – 8 The lame guy healed at the Gate Beautiful
2. John 9:7 – 11 The fellow born blind and healed by Jesus
3. Mark 2:3 – 13 The fellow healed after being lowered through the roof while Jesus was teaching
4. Acts 20:0 – 10 Eutycus, who should have been paying attention but fell asleep and fell out of a third floor window
Do you see any kind of commonality between these incidents? Sure. The lame guy was healed completely. Even though he hadn’t been able to walk, the atrophy in his legs was gone. He could stand. He could even leap. Do you understand how much coordination is needed to leap?
The blind guy went from having been blind at birth to being able to see (and being able to assimilate what he saw for the first time), immediately. There was no gradual (as in weeks and months of repair) improvement.
The crippled fellow, who was lowered into the room where Jesus was preaching, was healed and was able to stand up, pick up his nap time mat and walk out of the place. It was immediate and it was obvious.
The poor schlep who fell asleep and fell out of the third story window was revived, immediately. No broken bones, no internal bleeding, no double vision from hitting his head against the pavement at the end of the three story fall. There was no shouting, there were no pseudo-tongues, there was no nothing.
In each one of these, there was no shouting, there was no jumping up and down, and there was no supposed babbling in tongues. There were no theatrics. Instead, God acted, the person was completely healed, and glory was given to God. The validity of Jesus’ ministry was demonstrated. The truth of what the Apostles were saying was verified and the Son of God was glorified.
Now take a look at this video, or at least as much of it as you can stomach.
Can you see any difference between what Jesus, Peter, Paul and the rest did as compared to the circus at Sheryl Brady’s church?
No? Well, let’s compare.
1. The healing by Jesus, Peter and Paul was immediate and obvious. The “healing” shown on the video took at least one half hour of jumping up and down, shouting, babbling in pseudo-tongues, and a whole lot of carrying on. Peter didn’t pray. He didn’t tell the man he had to have faith. He didn’t tell the crowd going into the temple to point to the man. And he didn’t hold his hand on the man. Yet the man was completely healed. Jesus did it so those around Him would know he had the power to forgive sin.
2. AFTER the healings, the people praised God. The people came to Peter and John for an explanation and the two of them were able to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A video of the healings didn’t go viral, the temple didn’t increase its membership, and Paul didn’t get promoted to bishop with a bunch of other churches under him.
3. While a crowd may have been around, the miracle itself was not the focus of the crowd. The results were the focus and the results provided an opportunity for the Apostles to tell the crowd about Jesus Christ, right then and right there.
Here are some of the details of the healing at Sheryl’s church:
1. Folks, including Sheryl, were spouting pseudo-tongues. The ten megawatt speaker system made sure every one heard them. There was no translation.
2. The crowd was focused on the little girl. Well, except for the folks who were holding their faces, bending over, and getting otherwise distracted, the crowd was focused on the child.
3. This went on for at least twenty-five minutes. And at the end, one of the staff had to point out to Sheryl that the infant was stirring.
4. The close up shot of the infant showed a child with her eyes shut, then barely opened, sticking her tongue out without any real indication of alertness.
Unfortunately, here’s what the News Observer also reported:
Meanwhile, Christiana is still fed through a gastric feeding tube. She cannot hold her head up, and for the time being, she resides at the Hilltop Home on New Bern Road in Raleigh, a residential center for children with profound developmental disabilities.
Let’s see if we can imagine it. Jesus was beat, whipped, crucified laid in a tomb after being wrapped by Joseph and his crew. Three days later, the man who claimed to be the messiah and to have power over death appears, looking like he came out the worst in a tangle with a meat grinder. He can barely stand up, both eyes are black, and He’s missing patches of hair. Yeah, I’m sure I’d want to follow after this fellow and even lay my life down for him. After all, He rose from the dead. Right?
Or how convincing would the healing of that sleepy head Eutycus who fell three stories if he had been taken away in a body brace, a neck brace, and in an induced coma? Yeah, he had no pulse when they first got there, but after Paul worked his miracle, the pulse returned and, wonders of wonders, he didn’t die from the massive internal bleeding he was still experiencing. However, his legs are broken, his spine is damaged and he’ll probably be stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of his miraculous life.
I say all of this to say that the miracle at River Church was at best a great deal of wishful thinking and at worst a cynical attempt to build up the reputation of Sheryl and her (I hate to use this word) ministry.
Look at what God can do and the power with which He can do it and don’t accept some anemic imitation like the one Sheryl tried to pass off back in December 2009.
I feel badly for the mother. Her child is still incapacitated. And now she has to deal with the religious noises Sheryl and her hoard have been making. And she has to deal with Sheryl walking the whole show back a little bit.
After shouting “I impart life…I stand in the mantle that God has given me, the mantle of healing…I release healing now…that this child would forever be made whole…the Lord heals you today…we drive out the spirit of infirmities…ooh shalla bang bang tonto comes inahonda…etc…etc…etc”, now, on her site she starts to walk the claims back. “The child wasn’t in a coma per se…the child is in a therapeutic home…etc.”
If the truth be told, I’m more impressed with what the congregation did after that (assuming it was the congregation and not the church leadership.
At Sunday’s service, Brady and her followers did their best. After a prelude of rousing music and sermons, Brady presented the mother - who returned this time without the baby - with the keys to a Raleigh apartment and a check for one year’s rent, along with dining and bedroom sets, towels, pots and pans, and even a bucket with cleaning supplies.
By the time the three-hour service was over, a church member popped up and added the keys to a car.
Stay away from places like this. They have no real idea of the power of God and are willing to attribute penny ante stuff, and to distort of what happened, to try to make God (and the pimp) look good. He doesn’t need our help to look good. Every time He saves an unregenerate sinner, it is done to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:6, 12) and He certainly doesn’t need the help of some one apparently trying to boost her own image at the expense of the hopes of a desperate mother.
And don’t forget, John K. Jenkins Sr, the pastor of First Baptist Church of Glenarden on the Kettering, had this woman preach to the congregation for New Year’s Revival last year (January 2009). You can read about it here.
These people don’t care about you. They don’t care about God. They don’t care about holiness. They don’t care about truth. They only care about themselves, their images, and their influence over you. Run away from them as fast as you can and get involved in a real church populated by real Christians following the real Christ.
Remember, if you lay in the sewer long enough, you won’t notice the smell. Get out now.
The pimps’ defenders usually pronounce the pimps as humble men of God simply going about doing God’s business.
Let’s see, John Jenkins owns at least two Mansions (I won’t even call them McMansions. I’ve been in one and it’s the real thing).
Ken Copeland has a fleet of planes including at least one twin engine, and a couple business jets. And they are all hangared/tied down at his own private airport (4T2 in Texas).
Eddie Long lives in a million dollar house and drives a quarter of a million dollar car (a Maybach).
We won’t even discuss T. Dexter Jakes and his multi-level scams, the helicopter used by the Houston Hustler, and his partner the Hustlerette, or the business jet and tacky mansion owned by Cashflow Dollar (this is a Power Point slide show).
Of course these guys are humble. They’re just greatly blessed by God. Right?
Now we come to more evidence of sanctified humility. A reader (Gayle) pointed out an interesting calendar today. It’s a Noel Jones calendar. It’s a calendar that lets us see the “humility” of these men and women.
Take a look at the advertisement for the calendar.
So let’s see if I understand how this works. If I put a picture of me and my admittedly cut body on a calendar and then tack a Bible quote along the top of each month, it’s a “Christian” calendar.
Maybe I’m just missing it, but what keeps this from being nothing more than beefcake? Admittedly Jones isn’t that young, but other than that I’m not seeing the difference.
So tell me again where Jesus Christ is in all of this?
By the way, it’s too late to get the beefcake calendar for 14.99. After December 13th the price went up to 19.99.
The pimps will tell you you have to have faith, the God kind of faith, to get what you want. If you’re poor, it’s because you’re not exercising the God kind of faith. If you’re sick, it’s because you aren’t exercising the God kind of faith. And of course if you don’t have the job you want, the car you want, the house you want or the spouse you want, it’s because you aren’t exercising the God kind of faith.
By now I’m sure you know this kind of faith isn’t faith at all. It’s a serious twisting of Scripture.
For those of you who are in a Word of Faith church, or any church with a pimp for a pastor, let me assure you there is a way to get out of that particular quagmire (definition #2). And yes, it does require faith. But it requires faith in the creator of the universe and His good intention for your life (assuming of course that you are a Christian and not simply a church goer).
About a week ago, I got an e-mail from a fellow I’m going to call Charlie. That’s not his real name. It seems that not only was he in a church run by a pulpit-pimp (though I suspect a sincere one); he was the pulpit-pimp. But rather than telling you what happened, I’ll let him speak for himself. Here is the content of his e-mail.
Melvin,
I just want to say thank you for your ministry of exposing the pulpit pimps who are deceiving so many. I, at one time, was a pulpit pimp because I was a Word of Faith preacher.
In the 80’s I met a man who was part of Charles and Frances Hunter’s ministry who took me under his wing and became my mentor. I sincerely believed in the prosperity message. I listened to all of the Copeland, Hagin, Sevell tapes, went to their meetings and then turned around and regurgitated all of it in my meetings.
In the late 80’s I attended Lee University and felt lucky to be able to go to Norvel Hayes’ meetings since he was in the same town. But I attended a systematic theology class, at the university, where the professor was thoroughly opposed to the prosperity message. As a result the heresy’s hold on me began to crack.
Though I would be upset by what he said, I began slowly to think critically about the theology I had embraced.
To make a long story short, I finally completely disavowed the word of faith message in the mid-90s while I was in seminary, and to this day I do everything I can to expose the heresy when the opportunity arises.
In 2000, I was pastoring a small country church. One of the pimps came to town and members of the congregation went to a revival with the pimp.
The evangelist even called me a wolf in sheep’s clothing because I went to one of his meetings and he was calling out everyone around me except me. And the reason, I believe he did, was because he knew that I knew. He knew that I saw right through him.
But unfortunately the damage had been done and I spent the better part of the next year standing against those in my church who would have preferred me to leave so they could teach that heresy without impunity. But my wife and I stood strong, while some people left. Fortunately, the church was preserved. I told them that even if meant burning on a stake I would defend the true historic Christian orthodox foundation that the Church has been founded on for centuries.
I know how I was deceived and my heart hurts for the people, or the sheeple, as you say. But I am indignant and angry at the pulpit pimps.
Fortunately, I have had the opportunity in my small circle of influence to defend the faith and will continue to do so.
By the way it was interesting to hear you mention L’enfant Plaza, because I work at the FAA in DC and ride the Metro every day.
Thanks,
Charlie
Again, if you are attending a church that preaches ANY elements of the WoF garbage, get out. Yes, it may be painful and scary at first. But I guarantee you if you exercise faith IN God and His faithfulness to us, you will not regret it.
Get out before you conscience is seared to the point you wouldn’t know the truth if it bit you on the butt.
While I certainly feel a great measure of compassion for his family and the loss to his wife, it seems Oral Roberts has shuffled off this world and has the task of facing the creator of the universe.
When someone dies, most folks try to say nice things about the person. But this is Pulpit-Pimps.org. And unlike my momma, I’ll speak even when I don’t have something nice to say. And when it comes to the pimps, I virtually never have something nice to say.
Oral Roberts, as Jack Hayford has pointed out, was responsible for the growth the Charismatic/Pentecostal movement in the twentieth century. If it hadn’t been for him and a few other men like him, we wouldn’t have such…uh…luminaries as Kenneth Copeland, Frederick K. C. Price, or Creflo Dollar. And those men wouldn’t have been in a position to spawn such pimps as T. Dexter Jakes, Benny Hinn, or Jentzen Franklin. And of course the Jakes contingent of pimps spawned such folks as Joel “Willow Boy” Osteen, Zachary Timms, and yes, even John K. Jenkins.
This is the same Oral Roberts who around 1977 said that the 900 foot tall Jesus he saw in the desert told him to star Oral Roberts University. A relatively short time later, that same Jesus (only much shorter) told him that God would take him from the earth if supporters didn’t send in something like 8 million dollars for the medical center, which ended up closing in 1989.
Given what he has done with respect to damage to the gospel, I can’t sit and call his death a home going. I shudder to think of what he had to face when Jesus sat before him on the Bema seat.
And the frightening thing is that every single one of the pulpit pimps, unless he or she should repent, will face the very Jesus Oral Roberts faced when he closes his eyes for the very last time.
Let me say that again – every single one of the pulpit pimps, unless he or she should repent, will fact the very same Jesus Oral Roberts faced when he closed his eyes for the very last time.
The last posting dealt with a set of men who lie to their congregations and fans. They say if you say “Money cometh!” then you will get rich. They are blatant in their claims that my words can effect the real world in a supernatural way. If I say money cometh, then it will. If I say my feet are killing me, they will. And if I say I’m dying to try a new recipe, I will.
But let’s not forget about men and women who don’t just make stuff up. Let’s also keep in mind the men and women who will use the Word of God, that which is intended to guide us to freedom from bondage, that which is described as truth, to enslave and yes, even impoverish men and women through their false teachings. They are men and women who would enrich themselves and finance a grubby little empire with the money from sheeple (mostly women) who can’t afford to to fix the hoopty they drive, much less finance the pimps’ lifestyles.
Here’s a collection envelop I got from Empowerment Temple (Jamal an’em’s church up in Baltimore).
Jamal does what virtually every pulpit pimp does. He presents a scripture (out of context), appeals to your greed (benefits and rewards), appeals to your fear (the cost of not giving), and announces the action you must take to reap the benefit and dodge the bullet.
And please note, Pimp Jamal doesn’t stop at the tithe. He goes on to hit his flock of sheeple up for an offering which should be given according to your level of prosperity. The more you make, the more you need to give to him…er…to the ministry…that pays him…that buys his cars…and his suits (tacky though they may be).
He then makes an extra step, one I absolutely must admire him for. It shows he has a set of cojones (that’s pronounced KOH HO NAYS) that any scam artist would love to own. It’s vision giving.
For tithing Jamal uses the standard verses – give a tithe from Deut 14:22; avoid the curse from Malachi 3:10 and 11; and how much to give Gen 28:22. But for Vision giving Mr. Bryant truly outdoes himself.
The key scripture? Solomon determines to build a temple and a palace (2 Chronicles 2:1) Would you care to explain to me the connection between Solomon and the Church? Or maybe the temple and a structure the local church may decide to meet in? Jamal takes a verse and builds it into a mandate that he can use to spiritually browbeat the members of his church.
And what, according to the back of the envelop, are the reason and purpose for giving? Well, Proverbs 3:9-10 of course! But actually, I suspect Jamal got the text wrong. It actually says:
Proverbs 3:9-10
9 Honor the Lord from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.
So let’s see. Assuming he actually meant this verse, if I give money to build a new church building, my barns will be filled with plenty and my vats will overflow with new wine. But since I don’t own any barns and I don’t produce wine, it’s not going to do me much good to get those filled. Wait, I just realized I don’t own any cattle and I don’t grow crops either. All I produce on my job is tech manuals, requirements documents, and procedures. Does that mean I should give these things, you know, in place of a bunch of wheat, corn, and barley?
And now that I think of it, what does Solomon, a fellow who was given permission to build the temple, have to do with me? David collected all the resources for the temple (1 Chronicle 28:2,3) but he was told not to build it. Solomon was told that he was to build the temple. So should I consider myself to be David or Solomon?
If I consider myself likened unto Solomon the king, then does that means the vision offering should also go to have a house built for me? Or is it more likely the vision offering will go to have a house built for Jamal? From what I know of Jamal, I suspect it’s the latter.
Of course if I don’t give something to the vision offering, that means there will be no vision. And that means – you guessed it: Without a vision the people perish. Jamal has demonstrated that he is either a master con willing to take advantage of relatively foolish followers, or he has invested in an exhaustive concordance. How else would he have been able to build a faulty connection between his bogus Vision Offering and people perishing for lack of a vision?
Jamal may have studied at Oxford (for summer school) but he still has the cunning and instincts of a pimp. He is willing to say anything to convince his victims they must give to him. And when they are disappointed by the results, it’s because they don’t have the faith they should. Like the abuser in any other environment, the pimp blames the victim - and continues to abuse his victim until the victim walks away.
This site is here to warn the sheeple about the wolves and pimps that are out there waiting to take their money and feed them spiritual poison. I have reported on many of them, giving your their names and making sure you know what they look like. Although from the looks of it, the sheeple seem to revel at wallowing in the spiritual muck.
The site still gets comments from some of the sheeple warning us not to speak ill of the pimps because they are God’s anointed, or because these bozos are apparently men of God who are just doing what God wants them to do.
A reader called my attention to a YouTube video of Leroy “Linguisitcally Challenged” Thompson and his antics. And as a reward, we even get to watch Cashflow Dollar as he conspires with Leroy in leading an entire flock astray.
Did you notice the money thrown on the steps? Care to bet whether or not they use a lame comparison to stuff being laid at the feet of the Apostle?
And please notice, the church is not some ramshackled storefront. It appears to be a building of some substance. Yet these people are foolish enough to give this man and his fellow pimp, a boat load of money.
You have to wonder if Leroy and Cashflow are punishment to the Body for being willing to give attention to things that are contrary to the Word.
By the way, how many people do you think will write in to defend these two pimps?
This is the last time addressing the building of monuments - for a while anyway. After this, I’ll get back to the unmitigated, living large, take your money pimps.
A reader pointed me to yet another fellow who wants to raise a monument to himself.
Below is a new mausoleum being raised in North Carolina. Actually, it’s an animated architectural rendering of the new mausoleum.
Care to make any guesses on how many people are actually being discipled (as opposed to being stacked up like cord wood in the pews)?
Again I will say that there is nothing INTRINSICALLY wrong with a large structure. But I’m just not seeing the purpose behind the big gaudy buildings these fellows are putting up. If they’re going to insist on doing homeless care and stuff, why not put the money there and just build a prefab steel structure for worship and study. It can’t be done, you say? I disagree.
Here’s a church that did exactly that. It’s a Reformed Presbyterian church in Bowie. As they grew, they built this structure and moved out of the dance studio at the YWCA.
The structure has classrooms and an auditorium/knave. The last time I was in there, they hadn’t installed permanent seats and the auditorium served multiple purposes.
If I remember correctly, the cost of the building was less than $300K. And that was because the building is functional not showy.
Am I saying everybody has to have the same kind of building or that everybody should spend the same amout of money? Not at all. Calvary Chapel has a huge congregation in Costa Mesa California. But apparently they do work at discipling the members. Grace Community, also in California, has a large congregation. But they focus on real discipling. I’m saying the money you bring in should be for promoting the Gospel and for building up the local body, not building up the local infrastructure. You don’t need a cathedral to present the Gospel. And you don’t need an impressive (or tacky, depending on your tastes) mausoleum to disciple.
Jesus wasn’t particularly impressed with the Temple in Jerusalem. You shouldn’t be impressed with the monuments to the pimps either. Instead, be impressed with the job your pastor does at building up the body and equipping you to build up each other. Everything else will burn up at judgment.
One last thing: How many big buildings do you think would go up if these guys had to pay property taxes on the buidlings and the land?
