I thought this was pretty clever.
finances
Investigating Televangelist Finances
I’m sure these slimy little weasels have covered their tracks with their finances. I mean they have enough money to hide anything. Here is the article on US News. US News stated that these “religious” organizations’ complaint is two-fold, “that the IRS, not Congress, is the proper body to investigate tax matters related to religious groups, and that the focus on members of the Prosperity movement is discriminatory and threatens their First Amendment rights.”
What makes them think that their luxurious lifestyles don’t send up a red flag? They are just plain foolish in their logic. Who should congress be discriminatory of? Maybe they should investigate the poor old ladies that have devoted their life savings to these organizations. These poor old ladies don’t get investigated cause they don’t flaunt their stuff! Who should congress pick on if these money-raking fools can’t take the heat? I guess congress should just pick ministries out of their black hat that they should investigate. Oh yeah, i guess that goes the same way with everything. We should just pull names out of a hat when we investigate the steroid problem in baseball. Of course, Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, and Mark McGuire are gonna get investigated, for the simple fact that they turned into big huge monsters and their batting numbers showed it.
So deal with the discrimination, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyers, and Kenneth Copeland cause the rest of the world does!
Televangelist Refuses to Turn Over More Financial Documents
It looks like Creflo Dollar is refusing to turn in some of his financial records to the Senate Finance Committee. You can read about the CNN article here. 5 of the 6 ministries have already turned over their documents or have asked Senator Grassley for more time. It looks like Dollar is willing to be subpoenaed from the committee if they don’t accept what he’s given them. I understand the concerns that these ministries have with the government meddling in the Church. But at the same time, what do you expect? I mean, if you consider your organization a charity with a non-profit status, but you are living in a multi-million dollar mansion and are driving around in a Rolls Royce, what do you think they’ll do?
I just recently posted a funny blog post about these televangelists. I made up the game from Monopoly and called it Televangoly and made up a board game and game pieces with pictures of these televangelists on it. It’s definitely worth a laugh.
T.D. Jakes – The Great Investment
I was just going through some things in my notes wondering what i should write about when i found this book that i forgot I read. “The Great Investment” is written by T.D. Jakes. It covers faith, family, and finances. I read through the book pretty quick, but slowed down in the chapters alluding to tithing. I have to admit i am skeptical of T.D. Jakes because of his flaunting financial situation, and expected to hear mostly a false teaching about health, wealth, and prosperity. There was some of that in this book, but not as much as i expected. He does recognize that you cannot give to get and that getting is not exactly a direct result of your giving, or of your spiritual condition. Here is a statement that i did like what was said in his book.
“God is a businessman. He is not going to do business with someone who shows no sign of potential return. He invests in people who demonstrate an ability to handle what He has given them.”
Now, does he mean that God owns a business? No, but he’s saying that God makes the right investments that a good business man would make. God is looking for those who have been good stewards. He will not leave precious talents to those who do not have the responsibility to handle them.
I am really trying to focus this whole blog about the responsibilities of stewardship. I’m not completely focused about tithing, or other charitable donations going in and out of the Church. Yes, i do spend a considerable amount of time and energy writing about it, only because i do believe tithing is the largest sore in the Church today.
If i were to sum up the word steward in one other word, i would say investor. I like the title of T.D. Jakes book, “The Great Investment”. If we look at our time, talent, treasure, as an investment option for when the King returns, America’s debt and financial problems would start disappearing. We wouldn’t be so concerned about the here and now. I’m not talking about investing in church buildings or anything like that, i’m talking about investing in people’s needs. The people have needs in America. But, take heed Church leaders, the biggest need is not another colossal worship center. Here’s a challenge for pastors: ask your congregation to write down the biggest financial need of their family, and i guarantee you won’t get one vote for a church building. It’s not even on their mind, until the pastor mentions it.
If the people, who are the Church, do not have a Church building on the top 10 list of needs, why is it always on the top list of the needs for the Church? You might think that is an impractical way of looking at it, but really is it that impractical?
In the stock market, you know what the most risky, volatile, but rewarding sectors is: Small Business. Most brokers feel safe putting their money in the large sectors like google’s, microsofts’, and apple’s, but when it comes to investing in small business it becomes risky. This is the way that our churches are thinking today. We want to invest in the big building, the big programs, and the big activities, because they are safe. In the end there is no small business investing going on so our individuals get overlooked. Investing in individual people is very risky if you ask me, but let’s face it, they have the most to grow.
Anyways, i didn’t really mean to go on a tagent there, it just happened. T.D. Jakes book had some good things, but of course there were some things i could pick out that i didn’t like. I don’t care if you think God’s called you to be prosperous. I don’t care if you think God’s called you to be a pauper, just remember that the richest king in the universe invested everything he had in the small business sector for you. So how should you invest and return it back to him?
Tithing – God’s Financial Plan
I finished reading this book the other day called, “Tithing – God’s Financial Plan” by Norman Robertson. I just recently wrote about a book called, “This Bull Crap Called Tithing“, and truthfully this book by Norman Robertson should have been titled “bull crap”. This book is nothing but a bunch of hogwash. It’s all about how tithing will do this for you and do that for you. There were so many things in this book that are blatantly wrong.
He directly calls the Old Testament storehouse the symbol of the local church. The storehouse has nothing to do with the body of Christ or the place we worship. The storehouse was where the Levites and priests gathered the food and stored it. The priests didn’t perform any worship services there. Yes, they performed services in the temple, but even if where do we get the notion that the church building or meeting place is the focal point of the storehouse or temple.
Norman Robertson quotes Hebrews 7:8 exactly like this, “Here mortal men receive tithes, but there He (Jesus) receives them of whom it is witnessed that he lives.” He completely took that verse out of context when he inserted Jesus’ name In parenthesis. Instead, the name in the parenthesis should read (Melchizedek). The priesthood of Jesus Christ wasn’t even brought up yet in that passage. That passage in Hebrews has nothing to do with confirming the tithe. Instead, it has everything to do with confirming the priesthood of Christ in the order of Melchizedek. In Hebrews 7 it is talking about a change in the law, and only confirms the continuation of the priesthood, not the tithe.
God calls each one of us sons and daughters that are also part of the priesthood. Matthew 17:25,26 says,
“What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”
Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”
Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free“. . .
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood
God’s financial plan starts with stewardship and the giving amount should be led by the Spirit. Everyone thinks and wants tithing to be the means to end all, but all it does is hinder the communication that we should be having with the Spirit of God. Spirit-led giving is God’s financial plan for his people today.
Galatians 5:18
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Romans 8:14-16
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God
Baptist Press News: Generous Stewardship
I read an article today in the Baptist Press by Kenneth Hemphill titled, “Generous Stewardship“. Ken, makes a statement that is very true and consistent among individuals today. He says that the average couple is spending more than they earn, and are getting themselves into dangerous debt. He was pinpointing that personally, we are spending more on ourselves and that our church finances are struggling because of it. I agree with Mr. Hemphill, but what I am disappointed in is his lack of foresight on the issue.
Let’s take a look at the church as a whole. After all, it is an example to the believers as well as the unbelievers of how we should serve Christ. Let’s look at the debt that our churches are in. Let’s see how much we are spending on ourselves, our facilities, our programs, and entertainment! I think in every individual’s case, we only follow the leadership that is set before us. In that case, our debt is in direct correlation to the debt we see our churches getting into. Whose fault is it? Well, of course, every individual is responsible, so we’ll answer for how our own choices have affected others.
Our churches and leaders keep making excuses that we need to collect ministry debt to continue our pursuit of God’s calling. But on the flip side, why aren’t individuals allowed to make the same excuse for our own family? Instead, my things and possessions are considered to be purchased in light of a self-centered heart and poor stewardship. If my vision and goals are the same as my local church then what’s the difference between my debt and the church’s debt?
Helping the local church out with debt seems to be acceptable, but helping individual finances tends to be a bit more taboo. Is it concerning that many leaders feel the Spirit calling the church in a financial direction, but the followers are blocked from spiritual discernment to financial support?
Let’s look at the scriptures and Israel for an example. Israel was required to give a tithe by the commands of the law because their calling came from the law. Can you also see how our giving is commanded by the Spirit because our calling comes from the Spirit? A pastor should not receive instruction from the Spirit and yet use the law to support it financially. It would be hypocritical for the Holy Spirit not to empower financial discernment upon individuals whom he’s asked to perform a task.
I could go on with example after example, illustration after illustration, verse after verse, but this is just food for thought.