Re: Christian Rap Artists Go After Atlanta Mega-Church Pastors Eddie Long and Creflo
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SummerSolstice I am still here, Pastor teaches about everything concerns our lives, and I mean everything. I think the emphasis of scrutiny that this ministry experiences is his passion for Christians to understand prosperity is a part of the deal. It is more than just escaping hell but there is abundant life to be lived (John 10:10) and enjoyed as God's child.
In the context of John 10:10, the abundance has nothing to do with material things, but with increasing our connection to the Father and experiencing His power and joy in our spirits. The thief mentioned is a false teacher who lives off the people under His care (or influence through books, radio, and other forms of media).
There is really no way to build prosperity toward Heaven and not experience every other aspect of prosperity of God here on earth.
Prosperity in what, exactly? We are also commanded to deny self, take up our cross daily and follow Him. The more we do this under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, the less of this worldly prosperity we will want. We will crave more of Him, feel His joy and pain, receive our instructions directly from Him, desire His will over our wants etc.
The bible teaches to seek first the kingdom of God and these "things" shall be added to you (Matthew 6:25).
The actual passage is located in Matthew 6:33 and Luke 12:31, but they mean the same thing as the one below:
Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”
Jesus plainly stated that He wanted His disciples to understand that their basic needs will be taken care of. He demonstrated this when He sent them out without provisions (Matthew 10:5-14, Mark 6:7-13, Luke 9:1-6, Luke 10:1-11) and once, upon returning, asked if they lacked of anything (Luke 22:35). No where does it say we are promised beyond that in the natural, only the spiritual.
It is through your meditation of scriptures, scriptural based prayers, yielding to the leadership of God, your tithes and offerings that a believer can expect to experience prosperity here in this world and in the heaven.
Not through our own efforts or what man says we should do, but through yielding to His will by the Holy Spirit do we grow to maturity and spread His seed (the Evangel, His Words of life-everlasting). Whatever the Holy Spirit has led me to do, I do. What about the people who cannot read? What about the ones who have a limited vocabulary? What about the ones who work just to eat? What about the people He has called to live solely on what little He provides as they do His will?
Heck like someone else said, God will bless you in spite of you too. Thank God for that. What I have been taught is prosperity is not just for you to take care you and yours but to further the message of God.
Yes, it is true that whatever we receive from Him is for the building of His Temple (His people), but it goes beyond the physical. We are also here to be refined and the best way is through suffering (enduring) for His sake (Matthew 5:11-12, Mark 10:29-31, Acts 5:41, Acts 9:16, Acts 14:22, Philippians 1:29-30, 1 Peter 5:9, 1 Peter 2:21). We must thank and praise Him for the good and bad that releases our attachment to this life (Job 1:21, Matthew 10:39, Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24, Luke 17:33, John 12:25, Ephesians 5:20, 1 Thessalonians 5:18) and towards what He has for us in the next. This is when the Lord does His best work, in our weakness, so He gets the glory.
Now about the Leer Jet and Rolls Royce, at the time of that interview which took place in 2009, I just smiled because a few details were left out. Yes, the ministry did give Pastor a Rolls Royce as a Pastor appreciation gift. I had only been at the ministry for a few months at this time in 1996. The concept to give him the Rolls Royce I believe came from him sharing a teaching about Mark 11:22, which talked about saying with your mouth and believing in your heart. From what I was told, he was sharing how he was putting this scripture into practice in his own life in believing for a Rolls Royce. I think that is something he saw as too big to have unless God did it for him.
Mark 11:22-24 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Jesus was teaching about the fruits of the Spirit, not the material. A mountain (or hill) symbolized a kingdom or ruling entity. By destroying the fig tree (Mark11:21), He was reminding them that unfruitful works (faith) will be destroyed. The main idea was how the Lord operates through His chosen vessels, through their faith His will be done through them. The Lord inspired many to seek His Son for truth and healing for the purposes of re-enforcing this lesson.
What is also not shared, the number of testimonies of people who experience some sort of financial increase as what they believe was a direct result of sowing into this gift at the time, from obtaining new cars, new jobs, mortgages paid off and the list goes on.
There are pagans who can claim the same thing (Matthew 5:45b). So what? Yah has blessed Israel’s enemies in order to get His will done as well. What about the testimony of the world losing its grip on our souls, or the increase of the Holy Spirit’s presence, or His word coming alive within, or the results of placing ourselves continuously on His altar, or what words the Holy Spirit put into our mouths to tell someone, or words and prophecies the Lord asked us to share etc. etc. etc. It is not because of what we give but our obedience and His delight in releasing the bonds of man we place on ourselves.
It was also not shared that there wasn't another corporate Pastor appreciation gift given to Pastor for over 10 years nor that fact there were times Pastor refused to receive a salary.
Neither Jesus nor His disciples were well-off or lived a lavish lifestyle; they would not have stood out by the world’s standard. We are called to be different (holy) from the world, not a Christian imitation of it. This is why He came in a lowly form and station, to let His Father’s work shine and win people to the Evangel.
Now there will always be poor amongst us, Christian or not. Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. That is God's final word, it is not altered based on what a Pastor chooses to drive or live.
All we need is more than the material, for that can vanish in an instant. It is not about finding nobility in poverty or seeing financial increase while living in a country that is geared for it. It is all about becoming like Christ, reflecting His light, and obedience to His Guide. The poor also means the ones starving spiritually, the ones we are supposed to be feeding His Unleavened Bread. From what I see, that amount has grown exponentially.
Sorry, but from what you posted, it sounds like your pastor has become your idol, your only link to Jesus’ instruction. If you cannot find error in the man’s teachings, it is because you care not to find it. There will always be errors, for only Jesus was perfect enough to be error-free. The comments Dollar made to those seeking refuge from Eddie Long’s corruption was a big one.
We are not supposed to be sitting up under someone for decades or the rest of our lives still being fed like babies! A pastor is supposed to guard the babies from false beliefs and unfruitful practices towards Christ, the Word in flesh, the bread of life, as sheepherders did for their flocks. When we are mature in Christ, we are released to spread His seed through evangelizing and teaching; the entire NT teaches and encourages this. The assembly of believers is for corporate worship (service) to the Lord, not to tell us what to think or do. Jesus took 3.5 years to teach His disciples; why can we not do this today?
Marking my spot. It's been a long night, but those are great questions!
as I would still like to hear what is on your heart.
..............
erplexed
