MAKE NOT MY FATHER'S HOUSE A HOUSE OF MERCHANDISE

Written by Doug Krieger


Continued from page 1

Please review our chapter in UNSEALING THE END OF DAYS entitled: Chapter 10, Part 2, “Take These Things Away! Do Not Make My Father’s House a House of Merchandise!” (John 2:16).

MAKING MERCHANDISE OF GOD’S PEOPLE – THE CROUCHES

On September 19, 2004 a series of articles appeared inrepparttar Los Angeles Times entitled THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL with a byline: Pastor’s Empire Built on Acts of Faith, and Cash . . . The top Christian broadcaster’s steady plea for money funds growth—and a life of luxury for Paul Crouch and his wife, by William Lobdell, Times Staff Writer—also, Times staff writer Scott Martelle assisted inrepparttar 143140 Times piece. The Times articles also exposed an illicit affair allegedly committed by Crouch andrepparttar 143141 hush money that went withrepparttar 143142 cover-up!

Nearly 18 months have passed since I wrote a series of articles decryingrepparttar 143143 extravagant methodologies by today’s “evangelical charlatans” and entrepreneurs who continue to both harass and fleecerepparttar 143144 people of God—it is relentless and unabated; frankly, without precedence sincerepparttar 143145 days of selling Papal Indulgences by Johann Tetzel, who soldrepparttar 143146 Grace of God to multitudes ofrepparttar 143147 faithful in order to build St. Peters Basilica andrepparttar 143148 splendors of Vatican City.

What is it about these “den of thieves” that demand such ostentatious settings for their views below ofrepparttar 143149 vulnerable they bilk? The extravagance ofrepparttar 143150 Evangelical Empire ofrepparttar 143151 Crouches literally, and this is hard to fathom, that ofrepparttar 143152 Vatican’s!

Yes, this makes for some interesting comparisons. According torepparttar 143153 LA Times’ article, TBN’s latest 2002 balance sheet lists their net assets at $583 million, including $238 million in Treasury bonds and other government securities and a mere $31 million in cash—along with 400 employees.

Now,repparttar 143154 Vatican stats are exceedingly skewed due to their priceless art treasures which are incalculable; however, a TIDINGS ON LINE article by John Thavis,repparttar 143155 Rome bureau chief for Catholic News Service on July 16, 2004 wrote an article entitled: Amid diocesan financial crises, Vatican has own problems—to wit:

“The Vatican’s net worth is difficult to gauge, but has been estimated at close to $1 billion.”

Trinity Christian Center International, located in Costa Mesa, Orange County, California, with its elaborate sets, and adjacent gated development in which Trinity Broadcasting Network owns 11 homes, along with residences in Texas, Tennessee and Ohio—along with extravagant homes owned byrepparttar 143156 Crouches in nearby Newport Beach (adjacent photo recently onrepparttar 143157 market for $8 million), demonstrates, according torepparttar 143158 “Gospel of Prosperity” God’s blessing upon TBN’s ministry.

St. Peter’s Basilica took nearly 100 years to complete (1626 AD); meanwhilerepparttar 143159 Vatican Papal Residence (i.e., The Apostolic Palace) and gardens, along with scores of similar residences, dwarfs anythingrepparttar 143160 Crouches could envision—but, given time, who knows what will suffice them

PLEADING OR PREYING UPON THE PEOPLE OF GOD

The LA Times article revealed an amazing amalgamation of unprecedented wealth heaped up byrepparttar 143161 Crouches—the likes of which staggersrepparttar 143162 imagination of, I am sure, even one Donald Trump. No, it’s not akin to a Bill Gates—but given time, look out!

Paul Crouch peers intorepparttar 143163 camera and proclaimsrepparttar 143164 need for $8 million in order to spreadrepparttar 143165 Good News throughoutrepparttar 143166 Indian subcontinent. Viewers were/are encouraged to give $1,000 each as a pledge—even if they don’t have it to give—but to take a “step of faith”* and makerepparttar 143167 pledge forrepparttar 143168 “Lord would repay them many times over!” (*Note: Quote marks are derived fromrepparttar 143169 LA Times series.)

The outrageous appeal for such funds forrepparttar 143170 “spread ofrepparttar 143171 Gospel in India” upon some 8,700 television stations was not a matter of “additional funding needs” because: “TBN was not short on cash. In fact, it could have paid forrepparttar 143172 India expansion out ofrepparttar 143173 interest on its investment portfolio. But at TBN,repparttar 143174 appeals for money never stop—nor doesrepparttar 143175 flow of contributions.

Did somebody say “success?” Well, if you think success can be compared torepparttar 143176 likes of Ted Turner, listen to howrepparttar 143177 world compares such “success” –

“Much as Ted Turner did for TV news,repparttar 143178 Crouches have created a global infrastructure for religious broadcasting. But that is just one element in their success. Another is a doctrine calledrepparttar 143179 ‘prosperity gospel,’ which promises worshipers that God will shower them with material blessings if they sacrifice to spread His Word.”

But “success” has its downside:

“The network, little known outside fundamentalist Christian circles, was buffeted by unwanted publicity last week, when The Times reported that Crouch had paid a former employee $425,000 to keep silent about an alleged homosexual tryst.

“WHEN YOU GIVE TO GOD . . . YOU’RE SIMPLY LOANING TO THE LORD AND HE GIVES IT RIGHT ON BACK!”

TBN has no advertising—yet it generates more than $170 million a year in revenues—its viewers contribute two-thirds of that money! Do you want to know what you’re paying for? Take a gander:

“Paul, 70, collects a $403,700 salary as TBN’s chairman and president; Jan, 67, is paid $361,000 as vice president and director of programming. Those arerepparttar 143180 highest salaries paid by any ofrepparttar 143181 12 major religious nonprofits whose finances are tracked byrepparttar 143182 Chronicle of Philanthropy.”

please view rest of article @: www.the-tribulation-network.com)

Doug is a team member of the lastdaysnetwork.com . . . an end times' prophetic ministry to the Church. His articles appear on numerous evangelical and even "secular" web sites on topics regarding Religion and Politics. His URL is www.the-tribulation-network.com


JOHN TETZEL "SCARING THE HELL" OUT OF CHRISTIANS

Written by Doug Krieger


Continued from page 1

I used to think that selling “prayer clothes” wasrepparttar height of carnal “Christian” entrepreneurship—now, I’ve changed my mind. It’srepparttar 143139 “Swaggart Syndrome” –they (be it Jim Jones, David Koresh, Johann Tetzel or Paul Crouch) condemnrepparttar 143140 commitment of others for not contributing to their “gospel ofrepparttar 143141 kingdom.” They excoriate your lack of fidelity, morality, faith—you know, allrepparttar 143142 “positive” things missing from your wretched and compromised life, because you won’t “cough up”repparttar 143143 coin for their “ministry” and “utopian schemes”—allrepparttar 143144 while they secretly imbibe in a deplorable live-style full ofrepparttar 143145 very corruption they allegedly detest in you!

Worst yet—their name calling of us NarDoWells who do not contribute to their largess (e.g., “dolts, idiots, simpletons, naïf, sniveling cowards, turncoats, traitors”—whatever scorn they wish to heap upon us)—bespeaks of their own spiritual poverty whose deficit grows each day you and you and I are dumb enough to keep giving themrepparttar 143146 “blood money” they suck out of us! Now, what really gets nauseating here arerepparttar 143147 guys (although “guilt by association” withrepparttar 143148 likes of Tetzel andrepparttar 143149 Crouches is bad enough company) who damn your soul to hell, while you, like Danielrepparttar 143150 Prophet, find yourself inrepparttar 143151 midst of Babylon laboring under Babylon’s watchful eye—meanwhile they plead for you to give them your Babylonian resources!

That’s right—sort of a “Tribulation Tithe” or, worse yet, TAX. It’s a Jim Jones—Yasser Arafat number. Why is it that these guys are so beloved—allrepparttar 143152 while heaping up mucho dinero (big bucks) for themselves? Why is it that their lackeys drink Kool Aide and suffer impoverishment inrepparttar 143153 camps? I’ve always warned—and still do—FOLLOW THE MONEY TRAIL. They condemn you until you give; they’ll frighten you until you can’t sleep at night; they’ll twistrepparttar 143154 Scriptures until you pop for allrepparttar 143155 coin they can squeeze out of you (allrepparttar 143156 while they feed off of Babylon’s social security, pension plans, foundations, and property acquisitions). Height of hypocrisy, you say—that doesn’t come nearrepparttar 143157 condemnation it deserves.

Still,repparttar 143158 likes of Tetzel, Jim Jones, Paul Crouch, Yasser Arafat, et. al, have quite a rap—and such a worthwhile cause—so, cough it up you lackeys and let ‘um pile up their riches, estates, compounds, basilicas, Swiss accounts; all at your expense. And, remember, they’ve gotrepparttar 143159 message you adore, you fear, you loathe, or somehow affects your pocketbook—again, allrepparttar 143160 whilerepparttar 143161 poor (they say they care about) go begging!

THEY BEAR THE GREATER CONDEMNATION I tell you—brothers and sisters—the Almighty will hold those who PREY UPON THE FAITHFULrepparttar 143162 greater condemnation; for they have corruptedrepparttar 143163 Gospel ofrepparttar 143164 Grace of God and their conscience is that described in Jude’s denunciation of their contrivance:

“But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally. Like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them! For they have gone inrepparttar 143165 way of Cain, have run greedily inrepparttar 143166 error of Balaam for profit and perished inrepparttar 143167 rebellion of Korah. These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about byrepparttar 143168 winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up byrepparttar 143169 roots; raging waves ofrepparttar 143170 sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reservedrepparttar 143171 blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 10-13).

Now forrepparttar 143172 “cheerful” or “hilarious” givers among us—don’t stop—remember,repparttar 143173 Lord loves such (II Cor. 9:7)—but, if you’re giving is out of “condemnation” or somebody’s trying to “scarerepparttar 143174 hell out of you”—STOP! Incidentally, if you try to give to this ministry, it won’t work—we’re not for sale—give torepparttar 143175 poor;repparttar 143176 genuine poor, notrepparttar 143177 “internet poor.” Sorry, I just can’t help it (P.S. There are still some good internet ministries worthy of your support.).

Doug is a member of the lastdaysnetwork.com . . . a group of evangelical Christians committed to being a prophetic voice in the Church. Analysis of Church/State or Religion and Politics, and alerting Christians to the latter days' "Great Apostasy" afflicting the Body of Christ, is there concern.


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