Televangelist . . . Heal Thyself! And Other Interesting Stuff from Cyberspace

I noticed that our friend John Hagee underwent major open-heart surgery.  We should all wish Hagee well, and pray for his recovery.  But it might also be worth noting that Hagee's surgery raises a question or two about someone who practices "Divine healing" and who then tells people who are not healed that they either don't have enough faith, or that they have unconfessed sin their lives.  When Hagee discovers that he has heart disease, it is interesting that he doesn't rush to Oral Roberts or Benny Hinn, he goes to the hospital.  Hmmm . . .  Click here: Evangelist John Hagee recovers from heart surgery - CNN.com 

Speaking of televangelists and faith-healing, Time Magazine has an interesting article on how the "name it and claim it" theology, led many folk to "claim the American dream" in the name of Jesus, and then buy a house they could not afford, trusting that God would give them financial gain because they sowed a financial seed into someone's so-called ministry.  Click here: Maybe We Should Blame God for the Subprime Mess - TIME 

WorldNetDaily is at it again, pushing a video which tells us why we as Christians should be celebrating Yom Kippur and the Feast of Tabernacles, just as Jews do.  Sorry to break it to you, but Jesus has finished his redemptive work, fulfilling all of the Old Testament types and shadows.  It always amazes me that some dispensationalists get so caught up in typology they miss the obvious.  Oh, that same video also claims to reveal the day (but not the year) the Lord will return.   Click here: Find out why Feast of Tabernacles is not just for Jews

Having owned a Christian Bookstore, I know how tough this issue can be.  A Lifeway Christian bookstore carries the magazine GospelToday.  But when an issue featured a woman minister on the cover, the bookstore kept it under the counter.  Now some CNN columnist is blasting them for doing so.  Boy, I don't miss those days at all.  Virtually everything you sell in a Christian bookstore offends someone!  Let me just say, running a Christian bookstore for many years was great training to be a pastor!  Click here: Commentary: Christian bookstore's shameful actions - CNN.com 

Comments

[Randy]

Obviously all of those Christians that are losing their houses just don't have enough faith, or they wouldn't be in such dire straits.

["lee n. field"]

I've looked into this obsession with the OT festivals a bit (someone at our church was (briefly, I most sincerly hope) advocating this). It seems to be an obsession mostly, best I can find out, with cultic groups that had Adventist influences way back when.. Not SDA, per se, I don't think, but influenced way back when.

And, http://www.identitynetwork.net/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=49477&columnid=2093 Elijah List "extreme prophetic"</a> types.

[Alberto]

I'm no expert on Hagee's theology, but even though he associates with people like those found on TBN, I've never heard him teach on divine healing being a promise or that a person is in some particular sin if not healed. I used to be Pentecostal when I was a teenager, and I heard him fairly often; I could be wrong though. It is interesting how the article mentions that his son is in charge while the father is gone.

[Lloyd]

One of the worst offenders of Yom Kippur and Jewish typology is non other than David Hocking.

He has a newsletter with a section in it called, "Israel Watch." A lot of the things that go on in the middle east, he has a scripture for it.

Sometimes, he takes it so far, that he seems to insinuate that the Jews will get into heaven apart from faith in Christ.

He will actually say that the leaders in the Israeli government need to be in prayer regarding certain issues that are occurring in the middle east.

God will only listen to their prayers if they are Christians, not on the basis of them being Jews!

John the Baptist told the Pharisees and the Sadducees in Matt. 3:9, "and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones."

[PhilipLazar]

Calling Hagee a friend, requesting riddleblog reders to pray for hagee is like mocking, for the wellbeing of an herectic. Which is totally contradictory in nature.
Philip Lazar, Pastor,India.

[JCL]

I don't think Hagee is the "faith healer" type.

[Felix]

Roland Martin is a moron, with no standing to criticize anyone. This is all politicaly motivated. Ridiculous. Go vote for Obama you dumb, leftist, commie, sellout. Blech

[Felix]

Ii dont agree with the discrimination that goes on in our family, dont get it twisted. But Roland Martin is a joke. CNN is just unwatchable propaganda

[Zrim]

A magazine featuring a woman on the cover gets placed in the no-no section? Sounds a lot like what they do at Seven-Eleven. Do Christian bookstores sell Slurpees, too?

[Chris M.]

While I don't frequent Christian bookstores, I didn't know they had "no-no" sections. I guess we're still backward, pious, and unenlightened here in western Pa. Although it got me thinking... there are better ways to use the no-no section: most of what's in the store can go there so that the few remaining books worth reading will be noticed.

[Zrim]

Chris,

I don't frequent them either, which is why I wondered if anyone knew if they do Slurpees now. Last time I was in one it sure looked like that was next.

But I wonder if Modern Reformation goes under the counter as well. There's gotta be issues of Nicotine Theological Journal waiting to be burned.

[Chris M.]

Zrim,
No Slurpees in my Christian bookstore - they would make a mess on all the rip off t-shirt designs. Besides, they would have to be connected to Veggie Tales to be properly sold in a Christian Trinket Shop. :) Next time I'm in the one in my area, I'll look under the counter for all the stuff I can't find: MR, anything by Riddlebarger, Horton, et. al.

[Nick Mackison]

What really gets my goat is how thick people are in being taken in by these tele-evangelist morons.

Take God TV for instance. They have a huge campaign called 'Missions Week' (which lasts way longer than a week) trying to raise money from viewers. During this week they get money-loving, wig-wearing preachers dripping in bling to come on and tell viewers to 'sow a thousand dollar seed' into God TV with the promise that God will return their seed 'a hundred-fold'.

Yet nobody asks why a TV station that champions this 'hundred-fold' theology needs a campaign to raise cash! Of course the charlatans say that they're only giving viewers a chance to participate in blessing by giving to the station. But if God TV really believed the tripe they produce, surely they should plant all their money into poverty stricken churches in the sure knowledge that God will give THEM a hundred-fold.

God TV are only one example among many of the prosperity driven, charismatic garbage that sadly dominates religious sattelite TV. The emperor has no clothes. The church needs to point out the nakedness of this monstrosity that brings reproach to the name of Christ.

[wayne]

You are fortunate to have a choice of Christian TV to choose from.We have one grab bag on Sunday morning-Hillsong Church,Australia's megachurch-which preaches the Prosperity Gospel,and our 7 state capital cities have one Christian radio station,although there may some in rural areas.
The one we have here in Melbourne does an okay job,but they need to be discerning in their customer base,as I heard an ad for a Scientology front group being played.
Having been brought up dispensationalist,i can recall that a forthcoming service was announced as having the theme :"When will the secret Rapture of the Lord occur" " 7pm Next Sunday night in the lower church hall!!"

[Chris]

As a former employee of Cornerstone Church and former "home ministry" leader I can say that Hagee is in fact the "faith healer" type in that he teaches that divine healing is promised in atonement. One need only appropriate enough faith.