Bonnie Bought Into A Lie...

I received an email from my blog brother Phil of Theology Today

He shared a story about a woman named Bonnie Parker who lay dying of cancer, and believed if she sowed money into Kenneth Copeland's ministry-she would live.
She didn't.

Read Bonnie's story as told by her family...how she gave money to the ministry-LOTS OF MONEY to the ministry as cancer ravaged her body beyond repair.

"Shysters and Perverts in the name of Jesus"
are lying. Healing will not come just because you give money to a ministry!
God does not work like that!

"Prosperity Gospel" is an oxymoron.
Gospel means truth, however these false teachers are ministering LIES!


Bonnie is not alone. Millions of naive Christians are giving money based on lies.


I pray that these shysters are moved to repent in the name of Jesus, before we hear of more stories such as Bonnie's.

Read the account of Bonnie's life here:

In Memory of Bonnie

Thank You Lord, For Hearing My Cries!!

REVEREND SENATOR JAMES T. MEEKS REACTS TO NEW BOOK: Meeks launches 'Berean Behavior' in response to Stephen Prothero's 'Religious Literacy.'
(posted on Eurweb.com on September 28, 2007)

Determined to fight off the nation's slipping Biblical literacy rates, Illinois State Senator and pastor, James T. Meeks (see photo, below) issues mandate to members and staff of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago "We are bringing the Bible back!"



Responding to the recently released book, "Religious Literacy," by Stephen Prothero which states that two-thirds of Americans believe the Bible has the answers to "all of life's basic questions," but only 16 percent of Christians who participated in a Gallup poll said they read the Bible daily, Reverend Senator James T. Meeks of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago, announced that he is leading his congregation for the next six months through a series he calls, "Berean Behavior," where every single individual will be in a class geared toward learning key events, Scriptures and understanding of the Bible.



Berean Behavior classes will begin on Sunday, October 7, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. at the House of Hope, 752 E. 114th Street, Chicago. The book also points out that 60 percent of Americans can't name five of the Ten Commandments and only half of U.S. adults know the title of one Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). "After spending five months outside the four walls of the church where we served the needs of the community, I felt it was important to get back to the basics of learning and understanding the Bible," said Reverend Senator Meeks of Salem, which is the largest African American church in Illinois with over 20,000 members. Rev. Senator Meeks is also a state senator. "It should be the desire of Christians to emulate the citizens who lived in the ancient city of Berea." In the book of Acts 17:11, Paul and Silas were sent away to preach in Berea where the inhabitants "eagerly examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."



In what is being projected as the largest Sunday study hour in the city - apart from worship service, Reverend Senator Meeks hopes to enhance his congregation's knowledge of Scriptures and their desire to read the Bible more on their own. Recognizing that people learn better in familiar company, individuals will be in Berean Behavior classes that have been customized and segmented by ministries, staff or years in which they joined Salem.



Classes for young adults (18-21) will be held at a local college to not only ensure undivided learning but also serve as fertile ground that will hopefully inspire individuals who are not enrolled in college to pursue higher education. Members will also receive Scriptures via text messages to their cell phones



**********

Rev. Sen. James T. Meeks

It's sad a state of affairs when you're ecstatic about someone doing what ALL CHURCHES should do, and that is: TEACHING THE WORD OF GOD. Our NT churches has gotten so caught up in materialistic acquirements, and accoutrements that the "Gospel of Jesus" has become an AFTERTHOUGHT!

*sarcastically speaking* I mean why should I wonder what Jesus did, when MY PASTOR said if I "sow a $50,000 seed" I'll be blessed.


Jesus Christ, is not a "movement," nor fad. He is Lord & Savior, ruler of all. Jesus is not water, or air, or the chair you sit in, as some clueless leaders like to have you believe. He is the Son of God, who died and was raised 3 days later. He is King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Alpha & Omega-beginning and end. Don't believe me? Then detach yourself from your pastor's mouth, consecrate yourself before God and crack open the Bible! Not only will God give you revelation, He'll give you consistent truth. Not "truth" that depends on the audience at hand.

How has the church come to the point of looking exactly like the world? Why have we sold the Church out to the highest bidder??? How did we ALLOW false Profits, Pulpit-Pimps, and charlatans to enter the pulpit? What happened to applying Proverbs 3:5,6? Aren't we admonished to acknowledge God in all of our ways, so He can direct our path? "He" meaning God. Why have we chosen to idolize pulpit pimps & prostitutes?

Brethren, you better recognize-these false teachers, leaders cannot get you into heaven, but they can get you to hell. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to rightly divide the word of God, ask questions, seek confirmation etc. You owe it to yourself, for IT IS a matter of everlasting life, or death!

Ivent

W.D.J.T???

*sigh*

I am a huge fan of Melvin Jones. Melvin Jones of pulpit-pimps.org. He keeps it real, tells it like it is, and has SCRIPTURES to back his words. Having said that...I've visited his site today and read his post (always informative), and was disturbed by the "Church" yet again.

After reading Melvin's post I couldn't help but ask...W.D.J.T (What Does Jesus Think?) Brothers and Sisters, below is Melvin's post. Read it for yourself (and shake your head in disgust, dismay, add your own adjective here___________):

The Temple on the Kettering

Posted by Melvin Jones on September 24th, 2007

Before I start the posting, I would like to dedicate it with a song by our official Hymnist and Mongoose, GaryV. It is sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace.”

Let’s praise the dollar with our voices! Everybody now!!!

Amazing waste, with Dolby Sound

And JumboTron® sized screens,

The marble’s gloss is worth the cost

The sheeple pay the lien.
T’was Jakes that taught poor John to shear

and fleece the wand’ring sheep

How precious did that cash appear

The hour they first deceived Come,

take a Starbucks to your chair

Recline and rest your feet

An ATM is built right in

To print out your receipt
This Sunday we have TD Jakes

Next week it’s Joel Osteen

And if the off’ring lags too much

Steve Munsey’s in the wings
When we’ve been gone a thousand years

And this old world is done

God will appraise Amazing Waste

By fire through His Son Amazing Waste,

they don’t expound

The Word unto the sheep

But you can get fresh bagels there

With jelly or cream cheese.
Amen

I made it out to the Mausoleum, Memorial and Museum Dedication and Mutual Admiration Event this past Wednesday. Between John telling us how wonderful T. Dexter is, and T. Dexter telling us how wonderful John Jenkins is, I thought they were going to start their own Big Dog Mutual Admiration Society right then and there. But more on that later.
I made a mistake, by the way.

In one article I said that the building was 120, 000 square feet. According to the Washington Post and the Souvenir Program, the building is actually 205,000 square feet. Here is an excerpt from the Post :

"The multimillion-dollar church building, one of the region’s largest at 205,000 square feet, includes a bookstore and several classrooms. It was designed by HH Architects of Dallas, which specializes in mega-churches." *quotes added by Ivent*

I’ve nattered on enough about the size in a previous post. I won’t revisit that.
I got to the church about 7:05 and the parking lot was already full. I had to park across the street in the little school’s parking lot. By the time I got back to the parking lot later that evening, the school parking lot was full as well.

For now I’ll attribute this to the fact that T. Dexter, the next Billy Graham was speaking.
Coming in the main entrance, one of the first things you see is the bookstore. Given my love of books, and considering the fact that you can tell where a person stands based on the books in his library, I made a beeline for the store. Here’s the fist thing I saw:

(see pic above, left )

Yeah, a great big blow up of John Jenkins and the First Lady. (Sorry about that all you second and third string ladies out there) And here’s the second picture

(see pic above on right)

Right again – it’s a huge blow-up of John. Maybe I could understand them if they were in some way tied to the grand opening. But these items don’t appear to be related to the grand opening at all. There is no reference to the grand opening. So tell me again that this is all about Jesus Christ and Him glorified.

******************************

To read this post in it's entirety, go to http://www.pulpit-pimps.org/ dated September 24,2007. Bro. Melvin wrote a lengthy and informed post of his visit at this "mausoleum."

Bigger may be better to the world, but big edifices does not give you "go-straight-to-heaven" card. THIS IS NOT MONOPOLY, however these "leaders" are playing games with their lives, and those of God's people.

Only the weak, vulnerable, insecure and lazy (who don't read the bible because is tedious, or a chore) eat the chocolate (strawberry, caramel, add your favorite topping here ______________)-dipped words of these PROPHELYING leaders.

You better recognize, what is God and what isn't. God clearly says if any man lacks wisdom, ASK and it shall be given unto-LIBERALLY (paraphrasing James 1:5). In other words, first you have to ASK God for wisdom, and when he gives it to you, HE GIVE A LOT! What happens if you shake salt liberally on your chicken? When you eat it it's salty. Whom have you heard, after asking God for wisdom, is complaining because they're too wisdom-y?!

You better recognize (yep I said it twice--this is serious) WHO you are, AND WHOSE you are! You do not belong to your pastor...(i don't care how much you say "my pastor said..." "my pastor, my pastor...") YOU beloved, belong to God. The author and finisher of your faith. The one who died on the cross FOR YOUR SINS!

Will your pastor do that for you? Don't answer.

If you are guilty of committing idolatry, i.e., if you believe and follow the pastor regardless of the Bible's wisdom. If you know your pastor has misquoted, given erroneous information, acted unbecoming etc, and you justify the actions-this post is for you.

Repent. Confess your sins and ask God to forgive you and repent (turn away from) with a sincere heart.

I love you, but Christ loves you more-you better recognize.

Ivent.