TALK SHOW CHRISTIANITY. . . . Distorting
Gospel of Christ Dear Friends: I know you were all expecting another “monster blog” on HIDDEN TREASURES—Babylon’s pursuit thereof. Well, that will be coming . . . but first, let’s zero in on another bizarre only-in-Babylonia America phenomenon.
Last week Frank Reilly of 11th Hour Ministries (one of our affiliates on thetribnet) shared a side of “Prosperity Gospel” that bestirred his spirit to outrage. (See below my response and Frank’s initial comments.)
I turned on one of our local Sacramento stations same day, and picked up an interesting exchange between an older brother in Lord (apparently in real estate business) and a Christian talk show host (I have no idea who host was . . . only to say that there is a growing number of such shows dealing with “Christian finances”—therein lies rub.).
Now, it’s not that believers do not need such “counseling” on such “earthly matters” . . . however, focus is so skewed from “riches of Christ” that simultaneously while Frank was undergoing his revulsion, I too was repulsed in my spirit concerning headlong rush into “gospel of green” taken by American Christianity. Quite frankly, deception of such claptrap passing for Christian edification is so abhorrent and even destructive to human spirit, that to partake of its alleged “spiritual value” is like stuffing yourself full of Big Macs month in “blessed anticipation” of a major coronary . . . Please, don’t Super Size Me!
If we are to be called “the prisoners of hope” (Zech. 9:11), it will certainly not be through this decrepit diet of deficiency, for it has NOTHING to do with nourishment found in Christ alone nor can sound of this “Jabez Jazz” play a tune to “Unsearchable Riches of Christ!”
(Note: My initial response to Frank’s comments has been a bit enhanced, however, overall “flavor,” is same.)
Dear Frank:
Today, I too turned on a Christian station (770 AM here in Sacramento) and heard an exchange between what sounded like an older Christian man and a Christian radio talk show host. The elderly gentleman told host that greatest joy in his life was day he recently came to his pastor and discovered that 30-something pastor, and his little family, did not own their own home (This all happened two years ago.).
Well, this older brother is in real estate business. So, he set up pastor by fixing up a new home purchase for him; redecorating it for pastor, while he was at it.
The cost of first home purchase by his pastor was $150K. Well, this older guy was now rejoicing because that same pastor, two years later, turned his initial home purchase around for $379,000 and “made a killing.”
