We are witnessing a surge of
so called Christian evangelist who use media especially TV as a profitable platform
to sell their products. Unfortunately they swindle the innocent believers by
promising moon to them. You may be a victim of such activity and you may be
intoxicated by the blind faith preventing you to open your eyes. The very
purpose of this article is to wake you up and to give some insight in to the techniques
used by the current spiritual traders. We have seen so many honest servants of
God who never saw their profession as a gold mine. Nowadays we find so many
‘ministries’ sprouting like mushrooms. It all started in America and other European
countries. Evangelists at the cost of their followers accumulated big fortunes.
They evaded tax and were caught by the authorities. Their private life was
tainted with women and wine. Such things have not deterred them from committing
more crimes.
Missionaries became
Mercenaries and their activities went viral .It came to India especially to
southern states. Many realized the benefit of spiritual trading. The
Pentecostal movements in Kerala, Tamil-Nadu and Andhra Pradesh saw the fortunes
hidden in the spiritual filed. Other Episcopal
churches also took stock of the situation and started their own charismatic programmes.
The leaders came out with new techniques, mimicking western preachers. You can read
some of the techniques they use to make money and gain popularity.
Qualifications of the preacher
are totally ignored in the evangelical field and modern preachers try to convince
you by arguing that the Apostles were illiterate and uneducated. But majority
of them appear like corporate executives. But the Apostles never craved for silver
and gold and were very simple in their appearance. But modern preachers try to impress
others that they are highly educated. Perhaps, knowing as an ordinary pastor may
decrease their popularity. Hence it is better to be known as
Dr.Mathen,Dr.Kandan and Dr.Chaky,Dr.Tharikida etc. Jesus warned that such people
like to be called ‘Rabbi’. ’They love………to be called by men ‘Rabi,Rabi’ Mat .23:7.
Each Pentecostal denomination opens a number of Bible Schools. Some of the Bible
schools offer doctorate if you are capable of paying them. Such ‘doctors’
justify their rich life style arguing that Jesus and Apostle were from rich
family. But Jesus said he has no place to sleep. It is interesting to note that
apostle Paul worked as a tent maker.
The self proclaimed
evangelists start their own corporate entities like Heavenly feast, Jesus
calls, Blessing today [tomorrow and for ever?], Faith city, Torch of truth and
so on. They invest initial capital in the project and give wide publicity to
attract believers. They try to create an impression that their organization is
specially designed by God to save the millions. The present trend is they
conduct so called ‘festivals’ and ‘mega festivals’ regularly in various parts
of the county and offer healing, deliverance. So many fools around them will
pay for their trips. You can hear testimonies from deceived believers that they
received so many blessings after joining the particular prayer group. You will
be also enticed to try your luck. TV preachers always pinpoint that you will be
blessed by the Lord if you sponsor their programmes. They exhibit 'great cloud
of witness’ who received material benefits by sponsoring the TV programmes on
their birthday or wedding anniversary.
Another common technique is
the free service of 24 hours prayer line. What ever be your problems you can
just pick up the phone and inform them. They will recommend to God and get the
things done. You can get car, bungalow, estates, children etc. But there is one
condition, if problems are solved, desires are fulfilled you
should share the blessing with your pastor. You should come forward to witness
about the miracle in the next meeting. You should repeat that with the fervent
prayer of the pastor you have received this blessing. Such testimony will
inspire others to approach the pastor. You will not be allowed to share the
testimony alone. Another person closely associated with that ministry will be
narrating the miracle. You should simply agree to him and shout Hallelujah. How
about this? Catholic Church adopts another technique. They have a number of
saints in heaven who have direct access to God as they are positioned very
close to Him. Each saint is designated in specific area of recommendation. But Jesus
advises YOU to pray secretly to the heavenly Father, sharing your problems with
Him. ’ but you, when you pray, go in to your room, and when you have shut your
door, pray to your FATHER’. Mat 6:6. Our Lord likes to hear from us directly,
not through any third person prepared to recommend for you. So don’t waste your
money and energy running after a fake evangelist.
To increase the popularity a
modern preacher dares to call the names of persons who attend the meetings. How
do they do this? It is very simple. If you are in Kerala call some common name
like Abraham, Saramma,Thomas, Molly,Chandy etc and in Tamil Nadu use common
names like Selvam, Sankar, Ravi,Kokila,Sasikumar and so on. Talk about their
stomach ache, kidney problem, heart attack, and headache. You can see so many persons
in the prayer line requesting your healing touch. But unfortunately the
preacher is helpless in calling uncommon
names and the names of other nationals even though they are present in the
meeting. To circumvent this problem another
technique is used. A preacher may be receiving a number of letters, emails from
the afflicted who are from the various parts of the country and from abroad.
They also collect information from their own call centers. If the evangelist is visiting a particular
town for a meeting, he take out the name and other details from the data bank
and call some of the names. The valid information collected about a particular
person from call centers are used effectively in the TV programmes. This is the
technique played by so many popular ministers. Some of them in every TV episode
remind the viewers that all the infirmities he learned from the medical
dictionary are healed. It may accidentally hit somebody and when he appears to
witness the healing that particular episode is again highlighted.
The merchants of faith offer
another scheme to you. You can enroll your child for continuous prayer. Your children
will not face any problem of this world. He will pass all the school, college
examinations in first rank and very good job also assured. But to enroll this
scheme you have to send regular payment to the preacher. Another preacher was little more innovative
and requested the students the send copy of their hall tickets to him with a
free will offering for the costly prayer. The sad thing is that the parents who
never open their Bible respond to such gullible preachers and waste their hard
earned money.
A fake evangelist very often talks
about new subjects like ‘name it and claim it’ ‘breaking the curse’ ‘seed
offering’ ‘slaying in the spirit’ etc. Modern preacher makes to impress you
that the problems are due to a curse transmitted to your life through your ancestors.
Unless the curse is broken your life will be miserable. But the Bible teaches
just opposite to this. ‘Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow so a
CURSE without cause shall not alight’ Prov 26:2. Christ has redeemed us from
the curse of law Gal.3:13. ‘The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor
the father bear the guilt of the son’. EZE 18:20. If a believer is confident
that he is saved, no curse will affect him. But a crooked preacher will not
agree this. He will say that the curse should be broken with his powerful
prayer. We can see so many experts in this field. Seed offering is a donation
given to the preacher and waiting for your earthly ambitions to germinate.
Give little money and take big money. The advocates of ‘slaying in the spirit’
perform a stage show by pushing the innocent person appearing in the prayer
line. The preacher appoints his deputies to support the person falling down by
his strong push. Pr.Benny Hinn the controversial preacher in America practiced
this. It is reported that Pr.Benny again married his wife after divorcing her. Indian
preachers also copied this new technique of slaying in the spirit. It is also interesting to note very few will
dare to fall down if nobody is there to support them from the fall.
Pr. Paul Yonki Choe [now David Yonki Choe], a
Korean Preacher, in his book fourth dimension vehemently argues that you
should specifically ask God for the things you required. Pr. P.G Varghese also
argues this point. In fact Pr.P.G Varghese copied many incidents from ‘fourth dimension’
and published it with local stories. But
the Bible teaches just opposite to the above theology. Seek His kingdom and righteousness
and all other things will be added to you. You need not name anything and claim
it. Our Father knows the things required in your life. He will provide it at
the right time.’ For your heavenly Father knows that you need all this things’
Mat.6:32.Paul reminds us in Eph 3:20 ‘Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask, or think’.
Another cancerous teaching is
the prosperity theology. Modern evangelist is very sure that you will not be
afflicted by any sufferings of this world. God will provide you with all
comforts of this world. Many sincere believers are trapped in this theology.
Such preachers argue that Jesus and other apostles were from high net worth
group. They very often draw Apostle Paul as a wealthiest person. So many
innocent believers compete to attain the riches of this world. Jesus said ‘but
the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’ Mat 8:20. What about Paul? ‘So
because he [Paul] was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked; for by
occupation they were tentmakers’ Acts 18:3. It is crystal clear that Paul was a
tentmaker and was not a millionaire as projected by some of the executive
preachers. Peter boldly said ‘Silver and gold I do not have but what do I have
I give you’. Act 3:6. We know the rest is history. 1Tim 6:9, 10 warns us ‘but those who desire to be rich fall in to
temptation and a snare, and in to many foolish and harmful lusts which drown
men in destruction and perdition. But the love of money is root of all kinds of
evil’. Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread and not for supply of
ten years. We also know that God honored poor Lazarus. It will be inappropriate
if I don’t mention about the first century saints who went through the ‘valley
of death’ for their faith. We see them in Heb 11:36-38. Apostle Paul was very
sure that “We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God.”
Act.14:22
Another common trait of a fake
evangelist is that he rarely speaks about the salvation, judgment and the
coming kingdom of God. He always harps on material blessing. Some of them act as
great authors and compel you to buy their worthless books to receive further
insight. Prayer books are available charting special prayers authored by the
preacher. You can select and use appropriate prayer for each occasion. You can
also hear testimonies from innocent believers who received blessing by chanting
the prayers. All power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and blessing
go to the fake evangelist.
My humble request to the
reader, please do not encourage such ministers by supporting them. You may read
the Bible and open your heart to the Lord. Our lord is anxious to hear from
you. He doesn’t demand your money. The Bible makes it clear that the kingdoms
of this world will end soon and our Lord will appear in heaven. ‘For our citizenship
is in heaven from which we also eagerly
wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body
that it may be conformed to His glories body….’ Phi. 3:20, 21
Noel Samuel
30/09/2013
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