God, Greed, and The Prosperity Gospel (Part 2 of 2)

God read in the prosperity gospel today as part two of two events, and with our guest costing him right here on the Christian worldview radio program.

The mission is to sharpen the biblical worldview of Christians and to share the good news the gospel that all people can be reconciled to God.

Faith in Jesus Christ, I'm David Reed knows the program. Our website the Christian worldview.org will thank you for joining us today for another edition of the Christian worldview. As we discussed, part two of this topic God greed in the prosperity gospel of the prosperity gospel is a false gospel that God will make you healthy and wealthy and prosperous if you just have the faith and so a little seed other words, give money, you've likely seen prosperity preachers leaders like Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland Creflo Dollar. And yes, Joel O'Steen on TV preaching about all the good things God has coming your way with some of those mentioned another speaking in what I call gibberish or tongues performing healings alleged feelings staged healings is costing and will tell you and manipulating those who want health and blessings. I think it's easy for evangelicals to sit back and say well were not part of that craziness, but as cost is going to tell us today. There is a a prosperity gospel light that has permeated much of the evangelical church today. This prosperity gospel light takes place when the pastor only preachers on the positive attributes of God about his love and his mercy and his forgiveness and his compassion and how Jesus is going to improve your life and help solve your problems rarely if ever mentioning some of the harder truths of Scripture about sin in sin's consequences about the call for repentance turning from sin. The separation that the call to be separate from worldliness.

The pursuit of holiness.

The judgment of God. And actually, the cost of following Christ. So today in part two of our interview with Pastor costing him.

He is the author of our current featured book God greed in the prosperity gospel tell you how you can get that today for a donation of any amount to the Christian worldview were going to discuss how the prosperity message has influenced the evangelical church in worldview is also going to talk about many other things regarding this movement, including how God opened his eyes to the true gospel, and in case you missed part one were going to play just a couple of the first questions to him to see a little context for the rest of the interview today.

So let's get to the first segment with Costa Hinn. I want to read and start out for those who may be listening, who were wondering what exactly is the prosperity gospel. You say on page 15. There are millions of people who need to be saved from the prosperity gospel deception like I was.

I'm trying to reach them what the same time inspiring other people to reach them to.

I want people to see that the prosperity gospel is damning and abusive.

It exploits the poor in ruins the lives of some of the world's most vulnerable people so explain costing.

What is the I'll add a couple wars do with the health, wealth and prosperity gospel, the prosperity gospel is going to be best understood when you break down both the terms so prosperity. Of course, is the idea of material abundance physical health and overall well-being. And if someone is prosperous they have it all going for them and then the gospel literally means good news and for Christians it's the good news about Jesus Christ's death on the cross is resurrection power proving that he was and is the son of God, and then his redeeming and buying of sinners and atoning for their sins and taking the wrath of God upon himself to pour out his love and save us from our sins, that he died for us and we repent of our sins we trust in him by faith and were saved. That would be the gospel. However, if you were to take the terms prosperity and gospel and put them together. The prosperity gospel then is this the good news about prosperity that believing in Jesus and following him will result in you being healthy, wealthy and happy and prosperity preachers well known big-name ones will call this living your best life now that God wants you to have it all now and that sure he saved her from sin, ensure you get to heaven one day ensure there might be some riches and rewards in heaven, but you can kind of take your spiritual debit card, so to speak and swipe it by having enough faith in and making a positive confession and believing like the prosperity preachers are teaching people to believe and unlock all those riches now and that they'll be dispensed, but this is not what the Bible teaches as foundational truths about being a Christian and of course the gospel. How big is this prosperity gospel movement caused the who are some of the. The main leaders of it. One of the churches. It is taken over.

Give us some idea of the scope and the scale of it. Yes Osama your bigger name prosperity preachers in it. Again, this doesn't mean that everyone of them are just outlandish and his flamboyant may be as my uncle or or saying ridiculous things are falsely prophesying there.

There's a wide menu here, but you could have a spectrum from Joel O'Steen to of course my uncle Benny who wears the white suit and waves a white jacket and it and Comedy Central does sketches on him and because it's it's so funny that's but it's sad so that would be the spectrum worse.

O'Steen is more controlled. He's very diplomatic.

He's involved in celebrity culture in the world. Oprah just adores him.

O'Steen keeps the train on the tracks from a PR standpoint, way better than my uncle does. So if that was the spectrum, then in between. That is every other level of it. You've got Jesse Duplantis, who again made national news because he was buying 1/4 airplane and it I remember growing up going to his services and Duplantis is known as the funniest preacher ever and he would just make jokes full-time and talk about faith until wild stories.

He is a very wealthy man and uses the health and wealth message to get that and you've got guys like Kenneth Copeland who cut their teeth serving men like Kenneth Hagan who passed away in 2003.

He was a big word of faith.

Preacher and Copeland claims now to be a billionaire.

He was just on inside edition Lisa Guerrero did a great piece talking to him about the airplanes and he was saying how essential it is at one point he said he can't fly commercial because it's like getting into a tube full of demons and their you're seeing things. That of course O'Steen would never say that it be bad PR but that's the spectrum you have other people who you live the high life like TD Jakes and others, and they mix in and out of different circles about Paula White who is trumps advisor and that's not a political statement by any means, no matter where you land. She's a prosperity preacher would. I think we all would rather the president have advisors that were maybe a little more conservative evangelicals than I know he has some of those. But overall, Paula White represents a demographic of preacher that has multi-million-dollar penthouses in New York that rides you know Bentley Maserati Beemer Benz is and solicits donations from people by twisting the Bible so those are some of the names of the big preachers who teach this kind of thing. But them I would argue that we have a lot of prosperity gospel light know you got Coke and Diet Coke you've got a light or diet version of it and it's in a lot of American churches that maybe don't look like prosperity preaching churches, but they don't teach on suffering.

They never want to offend people with the reality of the gospel. The idea of dying to yourself.

The idea of sin you're telling people their sinners, only giving everybody the good news is not really the gospel. We gotta tell people the bad news we want to admit that were sinners and that we need Christ and then the bad news makes the good news so good, so the prosperity gospel creeps in a lot of ways, where even in churches where the pastors not driving a Bentley.

You might have the prosperity gospel there, because that pastor refuses to address sin to deal with hot button issues that the Bible is clear about and also does not talk about suffering and the trials that are all but guaranteed.

Basically, for anyone who follows Jesus are you listening to an interview with costing him today that the nephew of actually one of the most well-known prosperity preachers in the world Benny Hinn and is talking about the prosperity gospel and what he just talked about their the prosperity gospel light which is that you keep it positive talk about the positive attributes of God in Christianity Jesus will add Jesus onto your life and things are to be a better to overcome your problems, your marriage will be better in never talk about more of the that the harder truths of Scripture sin and its consequences. This is really important to understand because you may look on TV the televangelists they were either there really wild out there. We were never involved that. But this but this be blessed. Christianity River things positive people are beat up six days a week. Don't don't don't don't make them feel bad on Sundays. Keep a positive this is so prevalent within the evangelical church today, but I'll tell you, you haven't preached accurately about who God is who you are as a as a human who Christ is, unless you tell unless you explain the actual attributes of God. Yes, he's a loving, merciful and compassionate and patient and willing to forgive God. Absolutely, we should celebrate that, but is also the Bible says a holy a just God. He is angry over sin. He will judge to hell. Those who reject his offer of the gospel of offer right reconciliation he's reaching out to offer that to every sinner but if you reject that this is a just God and the Bible says that he will justly send you to hell for recent rejecting his offer of right reconciliation that he's offered through sending his son to die for your sins on the cross. This is so prevalent today in evangelical churches.

Yes you see it. Would Joel O'Steen of things positive Hill song church same thing. This is a prosperity gospel, whether in its full form earns lighter form but so many evangelical churches today have the same prosperity gospel light cost is and get much more into this after the break we have a couple new segments coming up with him just want to say that we are offering his book God greed in the prosperity gospel very important book to read and understand his own story. So it's a rare very very good read, but has the doctrinal grounding of what is wrong with this huge movement that's going on across the world. You can order from the Christian worldview for donation of any amount of 224 page softcover book, regular retail 1799 were doing it for a donation of any amount to the Christian worldview for a limited time you can order online by going to the Christian worldview.org, or by just calling us at our office at 1888 646-2233. That's one AAA eight 646-2233. Of course you can write to us that as well a Box 401 Excelsior, MN 55331 will come back much more with costing Hinn coming up. Also, just want to mention a occurrence note here a minute be speaking tomorrow so that's that's on Sunday, July 14 in case your hearing is late Sunday, July 14. I'll be speaking preaching actually at the service at Faith Bible church at the University of Northwestern St. Paul and their chapel on what is the gospel. What isn't the gospel that's tomorrow so Sunday, June, July 14 9:30 AM University of Northwestern St. Paul in their chapel at Faith Bible church.

You can join us for that.

Okay much more coming up today on the Christian worldview radio program as we continue to discuss part two of God. Greed in the prosperity gospel. I'm David Wheaton listing the Christian worldview.

The prosperity gospel is a prominent false gospel that God offers health, wealth and prosperity.

If you just have faith and give money costing Hinn grew up on the inside of the prosperity gospel movement. His uncle is world renowned prosperity preacher Benny Hinn cost. He sought all the manipulation staged healings, luxuriant lifestyles and perversion of Scripture before God. Open costing size to understand sound doctrine and believe in the true gospel.

Now a pastor cost.

He has written an important book entitled God. Greed in the prosperity gospel which chronicled his own experience and gracefully points the reader to the truth of Scripture for limited time you can order this 224 page softcover book for donation of any amount to the Christian worldview normal retailers. 1799. Without shipping to order call one AAA 646-2233 or visit the Christian worldview.org David Wheaton here to announce two events this coming September 1, on Sunday, September 15 at 7 PM at Grace Church Eden Prairie is the Christian worldview speaker series event and how social justice is impacting the church and the gospel featuring Darrell Harrison in insightful and biblical teacher and writer on this important to understand topic no cost. No registration. Then the next day on Monday, September 16 is the Christian worldview golf and dinner event at Wood Hill country club and was at a Minnesota you can register for goal which includes dinner or register for the dinner event only. This is always a special day and evening. Again, the speaker series event is Sunday, September 15 in the Gulf and dinner event is Monday, September 16. To find out more, call us that one AAA eight 646-2233 or visit the Christian worldview that think biblically and then live accordingly as we strive to do each week. The Christian worldview radio program and take what we learn from Scripture and apply to every aspect of life today were talking about God reading the prosperity gospel costing Hinn the pastor is the author of the book we are offering today God reading the prosperity gospel.

Also the nephew of Benny Hinn.

We have a couple powerful segments coming up with him or he says some very insightful things to look astray to the interview with costing Hinn I want to go from tongues to healings because healings is a huge part of it as well to see this influence in evangelical church today.

Don't put God in a box and I aptly believe that God does still heal, but he doesn't endow men and women with the same gift that he gave the apostles to heal you write about this in the book you say there's a big for our short list of reasons why God didn't heal people to prosperity people. This is what they would say these are the reasons the Expo nation they would use for why someone wasn't healed.

Number one they had made him a negative confession. It used negative words about their physical condition that hinders your healing number two. They hung around negative people. They allow the negative words of others about their physical condition not to hinder the healing number three didn't have enough faith. They didn't believe or didn't give enough money to prove that they really trust of God that God would heal them. Number four. They had touched the Lord's anointed. They had spoken against or opposed a man of God who was so-called anointed talk about the healing aspect of this cost you had seen this year been at these ministry of huge ministry events with your uncle Benny. People are being you falling over and falling and you call catchers on stage.

What are we to make of that whole spectacle.

It was a show and is a show. It does not resemble the New Testament picture of healing, it does not resemble Christ's work on earth or the apostles work on earth.

Nowhere do we see any type of model with respect, of course, to contextualization. I know people would say will know where do we see lights being used. I get that. So aside from all of the modern upgrades to church technology. Nowhere do we see Jesus structure a service the way that faith healers to know where do we see 2 to 3 hours of mindnumbing music to warm everybody up to this hypnotic state being told. Jesus is going to show up Jesus's gonna touch to your enough electricity. You can feel warmth and then nowhere do we see Jesus lining up those who have maybe been healed on his left in his right and then nowhere do we see Jesus use the disciples to vet the healings to make sure that there really good for testifying and nowhere do we see you know small scale.

I had some ringing in my ears or some pain in my neck. We don't see Jesus healing. That way we see Jesus healing real organic diseases we see him raising the dead in a moment with the word we don't see Jesus slain people in the spirit and putting on a show and having everybody sing songs in between. We don't see Jesus staying in one place and saying I've got to create an atmosphere for healing or my father won't move.

There is a power to Jesus and his healing ministry.

There is an authority there is in instantaneous way that he healed and healed with a word and healed with power and he was and is the son of God who can still and does sovereignly heal in that same powerful way. But what you're watching is a produced television program in which the vice president of television and marketing basically has a hotline to my uncle and other people and the discussions are the same as maybe we would discuss the service order in our world. Hey winter we get into announcements and when do you guys want to invite the elders up to lead communion and should we play that video of the family who adopted that baby and then put out a table in the lobby for other families to get involved if they want to adopt children, or we can do the orphan sponsorship in the bulletin this week of the way we would plan our church services and announcements is the way that we would plan how working to produce the television program, and my uncle and others had specific situations that they were looking for that were good for TV and others that were not.

And that leads to the question if were leading and operating genuine healing ministries.

Why are we editing things wire we vetting. Why are we trying to produce. Shouldn't we simply be going around like Jesus, doing good healing all those who were oppressed by the devil. All those who are sick. All those who have ailments. Shouldn't we with the word simply command I could be if I have the gift of healing arm and a say on, just a sample of Jesus. I'm literally just like him, which is something my uncle and many others have said, shouldn't I from my couch be able to speak the word through the phone and have somebody get up out of the hospital or off of a operating table.

I believe the answer to that question is yes I should if him operating in the power of the most high God filled with the Holy Spirit and armed with a gift. I ought to be able to use it without power, not authority, and then humbly glorify God. That's not what is happening costing Hinn with us today in the Christian worldview. She is the author of God. Greed and the prosperity gospel. He is the nephew may recognize his last name, the nephew of Benny Hinn, one of the most world renowned faith healers and prosperity gospel preachers you write about in accounts of the church of your father who is also in the prosperity gospel. Not sure if he still is. You can maybe explain that, but when you're growing up he was your dad and your uncle were. You talked about your church had good attendance, but on the first Sunday of every month was the healing service first that I night in the church was packed for that and you'd say, these weren't people from our church.

You say they were the desperate churchgoers from around the city who don't get healing at their Baptist Presbyterian or Lutheran churches, and so they came to us.

I read that net that gave me great pause to think about how this prosperity movement.

How is it impacting the evangelical church, you have people from non-prosperity churches coming to your church thinking.

Healed and sold our and how is the prosperity gospel movement. How is it pressuring the evangelical church today to not really push back against it because there is money to be made from donors and so forth, who believe in his prosperity movement. Yeah, that's a loaded question and I'm I'm happy to try to address it from a couple of different angles. Let's talk the money first. There are a lot of evangelicals now conservatives who won't touch this issue or and and by not touch the issue. I mean, or they won't call out somebody who's preaching it and it's because bookstores have their books and it's because they go to certain conferences and they partner with some of these people. There is a ton of money to be made and also underneath the money being made.

There's an audience to be one if they don't play nice with these type of preachers they can't tap into their audience. The audience means money.

The audience means book sales. The audience means popularity will notoriety what have you. Bigger churches. We also are in a tolerant age where tolerance has gone from God, a great pastor friend of one of our guys here at the church just say this in a sermon he preached a couple weeks ago start about tolerance and made a great point, is a tolerance used to be, rejecting ideas, but not people. It was tolerating the person but nobody would say you're intolerant for not tolerating their their position. You allowed to disagree and evangelicalism has as come to this place where not try to be rude when I say this David, but the only term I can think of is it.

It's like a mushy middle. It's soft and it's it's lukewarm and so I would call it the mushy middle of evangelicalism is it's the it's the part of evangelicalism that refuses to take a hard-line position.

It refuses to call out what must be called out. It refuses to lose anything for Jesus's sake and his gospel sake.

It tries to play the middle and we know when Jesus writes and speaks to the seven churches in the book of Revelation. What is one of the indictments you become lukewarm.

You're neither hot nor cold and ominous spit you out. I would rather people go cold then stay lukewarm. I'd rather them swing over and say hey, leave these guys alone let God judge. I agree with them. Who are you cost the I'd rather that than this middle road of well we don't really know and and and maybe some good things are happening and I don't really want to call it out. Ominous stay in my lane. That's not God's will. So evangelicalism is been swooned by power, popularity, money, and the image that comes when you project this sort of tolerance, so that's one and then to I think that there is a lack of biblical literacy and biblical teaching. Even are in our own camp or our own conservative circles, and so let's point the finger at ourselves for a moment. We have to do a better job ensuring that people are biblically literate and that they are growing in discipleship. They are being counseled and rooted in the church so that they don't go and get blown around by every wind of doctrine, you know. Ephesians 4 were to ask equip the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ. The result of all that Paul says to the church at Ephesus is that we will no longer be tossed to and fro.

We stop being children spiritually. So I think you do have in our circles a lot of conservative evangelicalism and evangelicals that think because they're a church member on the roles that they are saved and because they go to church once in a while that they're good and that's not the case. We need to be living, giving, serving, loving, singing and growing and being sharpened in our faith. You're either growing or dying. There's no middle ground. Going forward are going backwards said so well by our guest today, costing Hinn the author of God read in the prosperity gospel. Our new current resource offer here in the first row view. You can order a copy for a donation of any amount to the Christian worldview. Just call one AAA 46 2230 3O website the Christian worldview.org is a benevolent that's Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, we ought to never become indifferent to the slaughter of the innocents taking place in our country. This is why we are offering a DVD series entitled life is best that will equip you to stand for life and against this injustice in his two DVDs that are 13 episodes that address all the facets of abortion from the worldview battle to what you can do for a limited time you can order the life is best DVD series for a donation of any amount to the Christian worldview. Normal retail is $49 plus shipping. Go to the Christian worldview.org or call one AAA 646-2233 right to Box 401, Excelsior, MN 55331. The mission of the Christian worldview is to sharpen the biblical worldview of Christians and to share the good news that all people can be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ for when Christians have a stronger faith. And when unbelievers come to saving faith lives and families and churches. Human communities are changed for the glory of God. The Christian worldview is a listener supported ministry. You can help us in our mission to impact hearts and minds by making a donation of any amount or becoming a monthly partner. All donations are tax-deductible.

You can give online@thechristianworldview.org or calling us toll-free one AAA 646-2233. When you give like to thank you by sending you a current resource. Monthly partners can choose to receive resources throughout the year, one AAA eight 646-2233 or go to the Christian world you.org. Thank you for your support back on the Christian Realty radio program. I'm David with the host website is the Christian world you.org London do they find out about our speaker series event in our golf and dinner event back to back days. September Sunday, September 15 and 16th. Find out more about that@thechristianworldyou.org will talk more about that later. The program that we want to get to the final segment here with costing Hinn as we continue talking about the prosperity gospel. I want to read from page 24 of your book, God read in the prosperity gospel, you say my grandfather costing, however, was not in his same name as you was not impressed with Benny's oldest son is your uncle, your grandfather was said him out of all my children, you won't make it this crushed Benny's young heart he would think. Yes, I will make it to this day my uncle Benny has made it clear that his father's words wounded him and motivated his desire for success in life. At the root of all of this family drama lies. One thing a father who wanted his son to work hard and make an honest wage and a son who felt rejected by his father set out to prove him wrong is talking about your uncle Benny does a very interesting part of the of the book talk about your uncles motivation you ever see no one. Well and does your uncle actually believe what he's doing. Does he do you think he at night when he closes his eyes and goes to sleep that he has new thoughts like this is really just a big game, implying I'm enriching myself. I mean, not just a rich mess up. It is to the tens of millions of dollars. You go into this in the book. I will get into all of it, but it's in enormous wealth off poor people and people all over the world what you think your uncles motivation is what you think he thinks about what he's doing yet it it's it's difficult for me. On one hand to speculate it.

Also, on the other is easier because just being around him all those years so all comment to what I can. The motivation certainly is there to prove something and make something of himself. My grandfather's been dead a long time, but within the family. These are normal conversations or have been so to let people in on that background is important because they need understand that preachers like this are human beings to and not to excuse him but to understand him is important. At the root of it is a man simply trying to make himself an empire and prove to his now deceased father, my grandfather, that he made it in the world. So that's one as an immigrant that's important.

That is something that immigrants today desire the American dream.

To make something of themselves and that is important and valuable as long as were doing it, honestly and with integrity.

On the flipside, the Bible says in second Timothy 313 that in the last days of evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. I think it's both. I think my uncle has and is both deceiving people and also is self deceived. He's told the stories, although they've changed many times he's told the same type of stories for years he has been doing the same thing and believing were saying the same thing for years and I think after a while sociologists and psychologists and philosophers and everybody else of the sun will agree with this. It's been proven. If you tell the same lie over and over and over again you can condition yourself as a human being to believe it and that complicates things because my uncle may hold a position that says absolutely. I'm telling the truth as as I'm talking to you. God told me he's been saying that God told him for so many years that he may not even know the difference anymore between a thought in his head. That's his own and what it means to tell people you heard the audible voice of God so it is vital for people to understand that it's both. Many people are self deceived and many people are being deceived and being led astray. So I think my uncle knows there's things he's done that are wrong and sinful and deceptive that need to be repented of. I also think there's some things that he'll defend saying that he did that and he believes it was real so it will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ in them that I would say we are to judge rightly every teacher by his words against Scripture hundred percent. That's clear in the in the Bible, however, his final destination and the end result. Christ will have the final say and I do hope and pray that my uncle will repent these at a public ministry and has been in sin and deception publicly. Therefore, I believe, much like Zacchaeus. There needs to be a public display of repentance and a public pleading in a public celebration even of repentance and restoration. I believe that is clear in the Bible audible even hiding behind closed doors and saying over all sinners. You know, I made some mistakes to now I've worked it out with the Lord. When we hold a public office before God's people and we deceive, we must engage in public repentance and let the Lord restore even if that means a lot of loss for ourselves, our soul has been one I want that for my uncle, I want that for my other family members who are following in his footsteps and inheriting his ministry. That is my heart and all of this cost to him with us today in the Christian review, the author of God. Greed in the prosperity gospel an excellent book, he takes you behind the scenes of participating in in his eyewitness accounts of what it's like to be in this mess of this health, wealth and prosperity movement final question for you cost the you came out of this. By God's grace and that this humanly speaking, must have been very very difficult to do this from your own human motivations here in this empire of this money making machine as you go around the world and millions of people in common donate and so forth.

There's this is just unbelievable to read about actually reading your book. Tell us the story of how you came out of this. What was going on in your mind how you understood the gospel how your wife played into that give us a snapshot of that story. People can read about in the book but just tell us how God save you out of this. Yeah, it was through his word, no doubt, the understanding of the true gospel. In Jesus's healing ministry in his sovereignty and he used people along the way. So a quick 3.2 minute sermon would be.

You've got the coach you've got the girl and you got the pastor my coach at Dallas Baptist University where I played baseball after working for my uncle was a disciple maker, and he began to talk to me about the sovereignty of God and talk to our team about it and we memorize Bible verses and went through different studies and the sovereignty of God started leaking in, albeit I was confused a bit because the idea of God being sought sovereign really messed with my theology because I thought I was in control. With my faith and my offerings in my anointing, but that messed me up and then God brought my wife along and we tried as a family to fix her. She didn't speak in tongues. She didn't come from our background. She drove a Toyota Yaris, I drove the Hummer she worked as a server at a restaurant.

I had only ever been a prosperity preacher worker. Her family was blue-collar, my family was prosperity gospel wealth and royalties so she comes along and the Lord really use the the things that happened with her there were things that we tried to get her to do and make her have and make her become that network working and I begin to wonder what's wrong with her, but then soon I began to question what's wrong with our beliefs and she had gone to my uncle services my dads. We had tried to get her speak in tongues and get the anointing on her life.

We had tried to get her to revere all of the leaders that were leading us in the Lord really used her to ask me some tough questions and we went on that journey together and then ended up at a church plant where Pastor Tony would one of my best friend still today started helping me along asking questions as well. And then the Lord really took hold of our church, our lives everything and I preached a sermon on Sunday and Tony gave me a MacArthur commentary and I preached John five the healing at the pool of Bethesda and made a few observations that Jesus healed one man healed him immediately and he demanded even know Jesus was. So I thought we'll Jesus didn't heal everybody.

Jesus didn't heal with the show. He did it immediately. There is no process and then the man didn't know he was out of even have enough faith to get healed and I begin the study right there passage and realize that Jesus is sovereign power and healing is what the Bible teaches and that we cannot turn his healing ministry into a formula for monetary gain. My entire world came crashing down. I this is the cliff notes version but all the rest of it's in the book and I was saved. I repented of my sin. I turned to Christ he won victory in my heart and I committed to preaching the true gospel since that day and other dominoes fell, of course, after but that's really the. The short version of how his word.

The truth, and faithful people were used. To change my life. You will thank you for sharing that God just it's just miraculous conversion. All conversions are miraculous. But yours is particularly amazing considering what kind of human motivation.

You had to stay in that world with the lifestyle the money and everything else so just thank you for sharing your story in this book.

Not only is the book your story but it's also a theological analysis of what's wrong with the prosperity movement and what is the true gospel and I really highly commend this book to listeners today. God greed in the prosperity gospel biogas cost to him because he thank you for coming on the Christian review all of God's best in grace to you. Thank you David appreciate your brother. I hope you enjoy the interview with Costa Henning gained from that again. You can order his book God greed in the prosperity gospel. It's is 224 page softcover book normally retails for 1799.

Without shipping you can get it for a donation of any amount to the Christian review radio program.

I just go online in the Christian world you.org to see it right there, or you can call center office, one AAA 646-2233 will give out that information again. We have much more coming up in the final segment, including your phone calls. What's struck you about this interview with Costa him what he said.

Our student number is 1-877-655-6755 is 18 776-5567 David Wheaton here to announce two events this coming September 1, on Sunday, September 15 at 7 PM at Grace Church Eden Prairie is the Christian review speaker series event and how social justice is impacting the church and the gospel featuring Darrell Harrison in insightful biblical teacher and writer on this important to understand topic no cost. No registration. Then the next day on Monday, September 16 is the Christian real golf and dinner event at Wood Hill country club and was at a Minnesota you can register for golf, which includes dinner or register for the dinner event only.

This is always a special day and evening. Again, the speaker series event is Sunday, September 15 in the Gulf and dinner event is Monday, September 16. To find out more, call us at one AAA eight 646-2233 or visit the Christian were more the prosperity gospel is a prominent false gospel that God offers health, wealth and prosperity.

If you just have faith and give money costing hint grew up on the inside of the prosperity gospel movement. His uncle is world renowned prosperity preacher Benny in custody sought all the manipulation staged healings, luxuriant lifestyles and perversion of Scripture before God open because these guys to understand sound doctrine and believe in the true gospel. Now a pastor cost. He has written an important book entitled God. Greed in the prosperity gospel which chronicles his own experience and gracefully points the reader to the truth of Scripture for limited time you can order this 224 page softcover book for donation of any amount to the Christian real normal retailer 1799. Without shipping to order call one AAA 646-2233 or visit the Christian were.org God. Greed in the prosperity gospel that's been our topic today here on the Christian review radio program and David Wheaton host our web site. The Christian world you.org just encourage you to go to the website to subscriber free weekly email when you get that then you also get the. The short takes that come out every week of the highlights the program. I still get some of the three or four of the answers that Costa gave from this week's interview get that almost every week that comes out you can get audio pass programs or website. You can order resources like the one you are offering today can support the ministry to find out about events coming up like our speaker series event with Darrell Harrison on social justice. On September 15 here in the Twin Cities that that event, by the way, for out of town listeners roles and we strive streaming live on Facebook against you be able to see it and also our golf and dinner event. The following day, Monday, September 16 that would heal our country, was that a Minnesota so find out more about these events get engaged with them. Just a great way to get your worldview sharpened to interact with her listeners and that we really enjoy these every year. Okay, let's just play. I want to just play one soundbite pole one soundbite out of that interview with cost gig again. I made the point earlier and he made the point. First, about how the prosperity gospel the message of at the servo light version of it within the evangelical church.

I want to play that soundbite just been a little more time on that. I would argue that we have a lot of prosperity gospel light know you got Coke and Diet Coke you've got a light or diet version of it and it's in a lot of American churches that maybe don't look like prosperity preaching churches, but they don't teach on suffering. They never want to offend people with the reality of the gospel. The idea of dying to yourself. The idea of sin you're telling people their sinners, only giving everybody the good news is not really the gospel. We gotta tell people the bad news we want to admit that were sinners and that we need Christ and then the bad news makes the good news so good, so the prosperity gospel creeps in a lot of ways, where even in churches where the pastors not driving a Bentley. You might have the prosperity gospel there, because that pastor refuses to address sin to deal with hot button issues that the Bible is clear about and also does not talk about suffering and the trials that are all but guaranteed.

Basically, for anyone who follows Jesus. I just cannot say how important what he just said is about how this this worldview. This false gospel. This this only positive view of God in Christianity is so un-biblical and how much it is in the evangelical church today.

I just see it all the time. There's never hardly ever any mention of of sin and in the consequences of sin and accurate portrayal of the attributes of God. Yes, he's a loving and graceful and merciful God is also a God of justice and judgment and anger and wrath over sin.

The gospel makes no sense. By the way if if you don't explain both sides of God and the hard truth of Scripture makes no sense to me. We talk about being saved okay will say from what if it's all positive weavings say save as.

The idea being rescued from something like you're in peril. We need to be saved while you need to be saved from what from your bad behavior from from what know you need to be saved from God's wrath from God, pouring out his wrath on you over your sin, and so when this prosperity gospel light comes into the church. It's really a false gospel is either not accurately representing who God is and how he's revealed himself in Scripture. No, I did just to say from second Timothy chapter 3 verses 12 through 15 why this is so wrong that you know add Jesus to your life. Listen carefully for forget that the extreme versions of the prosperity preachers but just listen carefully to tell someone any speaker any parachurch leader when they do these events, or wherever you hearing them listen on the radio. How do they explain the gospel is that it is it a gospel of we just have to add Jesus your life or does believe in Jesus is that it or is there a full explanation of who God is, the holiness of God the justice of God is there an accurate represented representation of who you are that you are made in God's image in an God loves you, but you're a sinner you've sinned against him. And there are consequences to send the wages of sin is death. Is there an accurate representation of who Christ is that he is the son of God that he came was born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life and he died on the cross to pay the penalty.

You deserve to pay for your sin and that the response to this is not just believe in Jesus the bully. The demons believe in Jesus and shutter says in Matthew seven that many will say to me, Jesus, that on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and your name cast out demons in your name perform many miracles that Jesus says not depart from. You never knew you. You practice lawlessness that this this is a very very serious to do good.

Do this prosperity gospel light because it's it it changes in perverts and actually corrupts the true gospel, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted second Timothy three verse 12, but evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived you, however, continuing the things you have learned to become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them in there from childhood all talking to Timothy. Here you have known the sacred writings. The Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. There is an accurate rep representation of who God is go to the word we should be as explicit as the word is about God, about us, about our stand about the gospel as the Bible is no more, no less. And I don't want you to go out there and emphasize just the hard truth more than the loving grace of God we should try to emphasize it just as much as Christ did just as much as the Paul did Peter did in Scripture emphasize the things emphasize to the point. Emphasize it with the same tone they emphasize it with you missed any of the interview today with cost.

He had exactly 2 parts to it. You can go to our website. The Christian were viewed.org it's all there.

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Don't forget about our two events coming up in September. The speaker series of at no cost.

No registration for that Darrell Harrison is going this you can really enjoy him. He is really insightful on the topic of social justice. Talk about another topic that's really infiltrating and just all over the evangelical church.

That's it. We need to be able to think biblically about that one. That Sunday, September 15 7 PM Grace Church, Eden Prairie, no cost, no registration Facebook live. Find out more. The Christian review.org the next day is her annual golf and dinner events Monday, September 16 enough to be a golfer, although if you are the one the best courses in the state is a great place to play 18 holes of golf, and also includes the dinner event.

If you're a golfer. If not, you come for the dinner event only. Lotta people like to do that or have a special interview with Darrell Harrison that evening with a personal interview with him. That event is Monday, September 16 will tell you more about that coming up in the coming weeks.

Also reminding me speaking or preaching tomorrow. What faith Bible church at the University Northwestern St. Paul in their chapel Sunday, July 14 9:30 AM speaking on what is the gospel. What is in the gospel talk a little bit about social justice in the prosperity gospel as well to so come on out to that you live in a changing and challenging world, but there is one thing we can always hope in and should always trust in Jesus Christ and his word are the same yesterday today and forever. Have a good weekend everyone. We hope today's broadcast turned your heart toward God's word and his son would receive a copy of today's program or sign up for our free weekly email or to find out how you can be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ go to our website the Christian world.org, call us toll-free at one Tripoli 646-2233. The Christian worldview is a weekly one-hour radio program that is furnished by the overcoming foundation and is supported by listeners and sponsors request one of our current resources with your donation of any amount go to the Christian will dawdle or call us toll-free at one Tripoli 646-2230 3.2 us inbox 01 Excelsior, MN 55331 that's Box 401, Excelsior, MN 55331.

Thanks for listening to the Christian world. Until next time think biblically and live according