“Do you believe in miracles?”

Ole Anthony — president of the Trinity Foundation — submitted a three-inch-think report to the Internal Revenue Service in an effort to show that Hinn’s ministry fails to meet the IRS’s definition of a church.  Hinn started a church in Orlando in 1983, then sold it in 1999.  However, Benny Hinn Ministries (BHM) is still classified as a church.  Anthony has a problem with that.  “Claiming himself to be a church, he doesn’t have any accountability,” he asserts.
“He has a revolving-door board of directors — in comes somebody who disagrees with him, he changes the board; and so he’s using that ministry [and] its well over a hundred million a year [that he is taking in] as his personal piggy bank.” According to Anthony, Hinn lives in a $10 million parsonage, has charged to the ministry hotel rooms costing thousands of dollars a night, and provided thousands of dollars to family members for “shopping sprees.” Anthony fears that Hinn’s action are “going to bring down the real churches if he keeps up these kinds of excesses.”  The evangelist, he adds, has “absolutely no accountability — he’s just run amok.”  It is because of Hinn’s refusal to be held accountable that MinistryWatch.com has issued a “Donor Alert” [PDF] encouraging donors to prayerfully consider withholding contributions to the ministry.  BHM officials were given more than two weeks to comment on this story but did not return repeated requests for interviews.

William Lobdell,  a Times staff, wrote about Benny Hinn and the  target-rich environment: the unregulated industry of televangelism is estimated to generate at least $1 billion through its roughly 2,000 electronic preachers, including 80 nationally syndicated television pastors. He told of the founder of the Dallas-based Trinity Foundation, Ole E  Anthony,  whose  operatives struck dumpster pay dirt five years ago in south Florida when they found a travel itinerary for Benny Hinn, the Trinity Broadcasting Network’s superstar faith healer who has filled sports arenas with ailing believers seeking miracles cures. Hinn’s itinerary included first-class tickets on the Concorde from New York to London ($8,850 each) and reservations for presidential suites at pricey European hotels ($2,200 a night). A news story, including footage of Hinn and his associates boarding the jet, ran on CNN’s “Impact.” In addition, property records and videos supplied by Trinity investigators led to CNN and Dallas Morning News coverage of another Hinn controversy: fund-raising for a $30-million healing center in Dallas that has yet to be built.

Hinn and other pastors ask viewers to send in donations for both specific projects and for general expansion of the television ministry. Donors aren’t told of the opulent lifestyles led by some of the televangelists, but that fact isn’t too much of a secret either–perhaps because it fits nicely with the message of the Prosperity Gospel they are spreading. A quick computer search of homes owned by Trinity Broadcasting Network, for example, reveals 17 residences in Orange County alone, including two hilltop mansions in a gated Newport Beach community.

There’s a darker side to Hinn and his organization. In 1998 two members of his inner circle died of heroin overdoses. In 1999, after one of his many vows of reform, he fired several board members and hired an ex-cop named Mario C. Licciardello to do an internal investigation of his ministry. Licciardello was the brother-in-law of Carman, the popular Christian singer, so many think Hinn considered him “safe.” But Licciardello did such a good job – taking hundreds of depositions and getting to the bottom of the heroin use – that Hinn then sued him. While Licciardello was still his head of security, the ministry filed a lawsuit demanding that all his files be turned over and sealed, because their public release could result in the end of the ministry. One day before Hinn was supposed to give his deposition in this case, Licciardello had a mysterious heart attack and died. The Hinn organization made an out-of-court settlement with Licciardello’s widow, which included sealing the court papers.

Hinn runs the largest evangelistic organization in the world that is NOT a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Responsibility. That means his finances are private, his salary is secret, and his income is anybody’s guess. Royalties from his books alone are estimated at $500,000 per year, but he essentially has carte blanche to take anything out of the till he wants. “He lives the lifestyle of a billionaire,” says Ole Anthony, “all on the backs of false promises and selling false hope.”

As Hinn put it himself, in a moment of rare revelatory candor, “I don’t need gold in heaven, I gotta have it now.”

During 1993, his one year of “reform,” he talked about being stung by being portrayed as a millionaire and how he wanted to be “more Christ-like.” His solution: “The Lord said sell the Benz and the watch.”

He got rid of his Rolex and his Mercedes. Notice he didn’t give them away. He sold them – and then replaced the Mercedes with a $65,000 BMW. This is what God told him to do. And who better to know what God wants, because Hinn, after all, is only the third person in the history of the universe to have actually seen God and lived to tell about it. God, he says, is 6-2 or 6-3, with long hair of a light brown color, and eyes that can look right through you. (Jan/Feb 2004 issue of The Door Magazine)

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/main_miracles.html

JUDGE NOT?

THE BIBLE, THE NEW TESTAMENT,  SAYS WE ARE TO JUDGE, REBUKE  AND EXPOSE THOSE WHO ARE SINNING ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE WOLVES IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING!

1 Corinthians 2:15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.

1 CORINTHIANS 5:9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people.10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner — not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”

EPHESIANS 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.14 Therefore He says” Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

1 Timothy 5:20 Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

Titus 1: 10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,14 not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

Titus 2:15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

FALSE PROPHETS GO TO HELL NOT HEAVEN

BE NOT DECEIVED BAD COMPANY CORRUPTS AND GOD WANTS INTEGRITY FROM HIS PEOPLE OTHERWISE THEY ARE GOING TO HELL ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE FALSE PROPHETS!

Jeremiah 5:31  The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?

Jeremiah 6:13  ” Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is given to covetousness; And from the prophet even to the priest, Everyone deals falsely.

Jeremiah 14:14 And the LORD said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.

Jeremiah 23:32 Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” says the LORD, “and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all,” says the LORD.

Jeremiah 29:9 For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the LORD.

Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Matthew 24:11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

BENNY HINN THE SCOUNDREL http://www.scribd.com/doc/17673980/

In March 2005, Ministry Watch, an independent evangelical organization which reviews Christian ministries for financial transparency and efficiency and advises potential donors accordingly, issued a Donor Alert stating that “the reported exorbitant spending of the Hinn family reveals that BHM has far more money than it needs to carry out its ministry” and advising Christians to “prayerfully consider withholding contributions to Benny Hinn” while praying for his restoration and repentance.^[6] Benny Hinn Ministries is not a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.^[7]

Hinn lives in an ocean-front mansion valued at an estimated $8.5 million in an exclusive gated community in Dana Point, California, travels by private aircraft, and stays in hotel rooms costing upwards of $3,000 per night.^[8] In December 2006, he sent out a mailing asking for donations towards a new Gulfstream G4SP jet valued at an estimated $36 million.^[9]

Starting in June of 2007, at the end of his This is Your Day program, Hinn stated he is behind in his bills to TBN and said he needs “your love gifts” so he can become current and continue to preach the gospel around the world. Hinn stated the cost of his worldwide crusades and the increased price of everything else has left him financially behind in his bills, but says TBN founders Paul and Jan Crouch have been very supportive.

On August 24, 2007 the CBC Television show the fifth estate did a special on the apparent transgressions committed by Benny Hinn’s ministry. With the aid of hidden cameras and crusade witnesses, the producers of the show attempted to demonstrate Benny’s misappropriation of funds, his fabrication of the truth and, the way in which his staff chose crusade audience members to come on stage for televised healings. According to the show the seriously disabled who attend his healings are interviewed and then weeded out from ever getting the chance to come on stage. Instead, those who have minor injuries are brought up in their place. Benny Hinn claims proof from the faithful’s doctors that healings have been successful. However according to the show none of these doctor notes have ever been produced as evidence to his claims.

Hinn made a number of unfulfilled (religious) prophecies for the 90s, such as God will destroy America’s homosexual community in 1995 or the death of Fidel Castro,^[6] election of the first female president of the USA,^[7] the East Coast of the United States will be devastated by earthquakes,^[6] etc., all before the third millennium. Hinn also appeared on the Trinity Broadcasting Network in October 1999 to claim that God had given him a vision that thousands of dead people would be resurrected after watching the network — laying out of scenario of people placing their dead loved ones’ hands on TV screens tuned into the station — and that TBN would be “an extension of Heaven to Earth.” Hinn has also claimed that Adam was a “superbeing” who could fly to the Moon; that God froze the Red Sea with his breath when he parted it; and that Christ would make a personal appearance at a crusade in Nairobi, Kenya in 2001.

In April 2001 HBO aired a documentary called “A Question of Miracles” on Hinn. [3] The director Antony Thomas told CNN‘s Kyra Phillips that they did not find cases where people were healed by Hinn.[4] Thomas told the New York Times about Hinn’s claims, “If I had seen miracles, I would have been happy to trumpet it . . . but in retrospect, I think they do more damage to Christianity than the most committed atheist.”[5]

In 2002, Joe Nickell of the Skeptical Inquirer wrote a critical analysis of Hinn’s healing claims.^[8] Nickell cited information that Hinn’s cures have not been documented by independent reviews, and said “there is a danger that people who believe themselves cured will forsake medical assistance that could bring them relief or even save their lives.”^[9]

In March 2005, Ministry Watch, an independent evangelical organization which reviews Christian ministries for financial transparency and efficiency and advises potential donors accordingly, issued a Donor Alert stating that “the reported exorbitant spending of the Hinn family reveals that BHM has far more money than it needs to carry out its ministry” and advising Christians to “prayerfully consider withholding contributions to Benny Hinn” while praying for his restoration and repentance.^[10] Benny Hinn Ministries is not a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.^[11]

In November 2006 the CBC Television show the fifth estate did a special titled “Do You Believe in Miracles” on the apparent transgressions committed by Benny Hinn’s ministry.^[12] With the aid of hidden cameras and crusade witnesses, the producers of the show attempted to demonstrate Benny’s misappropriation of funds, his fabrication of the truth, and the way in which his staff chose crusade audience members to come on stage for televised healings.^[13] According to the show the seriously disabled who attend his healings are interviewed and then weeded out from ever getting the chance to come on stage. Instead, those who have minor injuries are brought up in their place. ^[14] Benny Hinn claims proof from the faithful’s doctors that healings have been successful.^[15] However according to the show none of these doctor notes have ever been produced as evidence to his claims.^[16] I

In December 2006, BHM sent out a mailing asking for donations towards a new Gulfstream G4SP jet valued at an estimated $36 million and costs over $600,000/year to maintain and operate.^[17]

Jesus had a money box which he used for the poor. Today’s prosperity preachers, such as Benny Hinn, do nothing for any of their  people who helped them but ask for more money and when the people give all they could they ask for even more and make the people feel guilty for not giving enough.  It seems that “Prosperity” Theology works for one person and one person only to make the pastors rich. We need to clean up these pastors and churches that prey on its parishioners, it’s abhorrent!

MUST READ

TBN’S PAUL CROUCH THE  FALSE ONE/FAMILY FEUD http://www.scribd.com/doc/82784017

Video: TBN Co-Founder Paul Crouch Suggests God Will Kill People for TBN http://bit.ly/LTkAgl

My Cup Runs Over

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be made free’?”  Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  “And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:31-36

Those who are Christians abide in God’s Word and they know what God in Christ has wrought for them. They enjoy and walk in what God through the Word and the Spirit has wrought in them. They know what they are to the Father in Christ and what power and authority they have in Christ including the power of their words. They confess the Lordship of Jesus and that they have become the righteousness of God and are saved. God’s word is unchanging:

You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways. Job 22:28

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.   And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”  So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.  “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Matthew 21:18-22

Yes, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will say to a mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive because you know who you are in Christ, a son of god.  Yes, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). He is a new creation created in Christ Jesus with the life of God, the nature of God, and the ability of God in him. In Christ we have our redemption through His blood, the remission of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace, which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence. (Ephesians 1:7-8).

Satan’s dominion has been broken. He lost his dominion over our life the moment we  became a new creation. We received a new Lord, Jesus Christ, to reign over us. Satan’s dominion ended and Jesus’ dominion began. Disease and sickness can no longer lord it over us. The old habits can no longer lord it over us. We are a new creation created in Christ. Yes, He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. God’s word is unchanging:

“But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend.  You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’  “Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish.  You shall seek them and not find them- Those who contended with you. Those who war against you Shall be as nothing,  As a nonexistent thing.  For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ Isaiah 41:8-13

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:31-32

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.  You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:2-4

Yes, if God be for us, who can be against us?  God is in us now; the Master of creation is in us! Greater is He that is in us than all the forces that can be arrayed against us including poverty, lack, bills, sickness, disease, demons, and frail mortal men.  We can with boldness proclaim “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. (Psalm 23:5)! For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

Yes, we are filled with joy and victory because God has taken us over; He is fighting all our battles.”  We are not afraid of negative circumstances because we can do all things in Him who strengthens us. And He is not only our strength but He is at our right hand. He is our salvation, our shield, our defender, our rewarder, our all.  He gives us light in the dark and songs in the night.  He is our present help in trouble, our salvation, our  deliverance from every trap the enemy sets for us, from, every snare in which he would enslave  us. God is the strength of our life, of whom shall we be afraid?”  We are not afraid of anything! We have no fear because this God of Omnipotence is on our side.

We have a redemption that God planned and wrought in Christ.  We are a new creation of which God, Himself, is the Author and the Finisher. We have a righteousness    that permits us to stand in His presence as though sin had never been done.  We have not only have righteousness reckoned to us   we have righteousness imparted to us in the new nature that we have received from Him. We have received His nature His life. And in this life and nature is-the Life of God. This makes us righteous even as He is righteous. God’s word is unchanging:

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him.  Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4:12-18

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,  The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might,  The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD,  And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,  Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;  But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,  And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;  He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,  And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.  Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. Isaiah 11:1-5

God abides in us and we abide in God. As He is, so are we in this world. We are fearless and righteous and bold as a lion and do greater works than Jesus did. We are not hemmed in by limitations because we are united with the Limitless One. He is the Vine and we are the branch. As a branch we bear His fruit because the Vine is imparting to us the fullness of His life.  We love because He has shed abroad His love in our heart through the Holy Spirit. God’s very nature in us is love. His love ability has gained the mastery for now we can love in whatever circumstances we are placed especially the brethren.

We have not only God’s life in us and the great Holy Spirit who rose up Jesus from the dead in us to give us wisdom, discernment, knowledge, understanding and power but we have the use of Jesus’ name. Jesus has given to us a legal right to use it. Hence whatever we ask of the Father in His Name, He gives to us. He has given to us the power of attorney. And we can use that that power to help men. We can let Jesus working His own work through us and live His own life in us. Our hands and mouths s become the medium through which His life pours out through us. Our words are His words. His words ‘broke the power of death, of demons, and healed the sick. They do the same things in our lips. God’s word is unchanging:

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;  That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”  And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations,  And they shall repair the ruined cities,  The desolations of many generations. Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,  And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.  But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. Isaiah 61:1-6

DO NOT WORRY

Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?”…For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31–33)

Now, Jesus was not saying that these things—food, drink and clothing—are not important. In fact, He says that “your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” But what Jesus wants us to do is to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” and He promises that “all these things shall be added to you.” Now, who is God’s righteousness? Jesus Christ. And who is the king of the “kingdom of God” that we are to seek? Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:16)! Jesus was actually referring to Himself.

Beloved when you seek Him first in your life and make Him your priority each day, all these material provisions—what you will eat, drink and wear—will be added to you. Amen!

LASTING SUCCESS :

‘…He who abides in Me…bears much fruit’ John 15:5 NKJV

Jesus said, ‘…I chose you and appointed you that you should…bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…’ (John 15:16 NKJV) God has two goals for us: First, greater success; secondly, a legacy of success. And He will do whatever it takes to accomplish it. Just when we are comfortable at a certain level of success, He takes His shears and starts pruning some of the stuff we’d like to hold on to. The problem is, we settle for less than what God wants. When Jesus said, ‘Without Me you can do nothing,’ He was teaching us that when we’re surrounded by the demands, needs and agendas of others we can get spiritually depleted. And when that happens we begin operating in the energy of the flesh.

Andrew Murray wrote: ‘Do not confuse work and fruit. There may be a good deal of work for Christ that is not the fruit of the Heavenly vine.’ Jesus wants ‘…fruit that will last.’ (John 15:16 NIV) Lasting success! Parent, God didn’t give you children so that you could lose them to the enemy. Paul said that the faith he saw in Timothy, he first observed in his mother and his grandmother, both of whom were apparently married to unbelievers. How did they do it? They stayed connected to the vine and thrived in a hostile environment. Business person, God doesn’t want you settling for temporal success; His purpose in blessing you is so you can help to extend His Kingdom. There’s no shortage of resources; God just needs people He can entrust them to. So pray, ‘Lord, make me successful, and give me success that lasts.’

SoulFood: Neh 11-13, Luke 24:36-44, Ps 60, Pr 22:7-11