False Preachers

I'm sure at some point while flipping through tv channels you passed by TBN or another such 'Christian' channel with preachers promising to send you something holy if you send a donation.  Or telling you that if you give them $100 God will multiply your donation and you'll receive back $300.  Or even telling you that God wants you to be rich, so if you aren't then you just don't have enough faith.   Some say that if you 'name it you can claim it!', or just focus on what you want to happen then declare it will happen and that gives God permission to do that work in your life.

These men (or women) are not teaching Biblical ideas.  The Bible clearly teaches, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (1 Tim 6:10).  When we give money at church (whether you tithe or not), we are simply giving back to God what He has given to you.  We give to God without expecting anything in return.  We give to God because we want to contribute to doing His work on earth through the different ministries our churches support.

God doesn't need our permission, or our visualization, to accomplish anything.  The Bible says, "But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." (Matt 19:26)

Preachers that make false claims about money are called Prosperity Preachers.  And those that teach we need to give God permission to work, or that we need to speak certain words to release God's power are called Word-Faith Preachers. Even if you don't watch TBN, these preachers often write bestselling books, are invited onto talk shows, have celebrity friends, and author chain emails that you may be passing around.  Please take a moment to look through these names and see if you recognize any. 

Here are some of the big names in these false Christian movements. It can be easy to be deceived because they sound very Christian (because they use the same 'Christian' language), but listen to the messages they speak.

Prosperity Preachers:
Kenneth Copeland
Creflo Dollar
Rod Parsley
Benny Hinn
Paula White

Word of Faith Preachers:
 Joyce Meyers
Joel Osteen
Cindy Trimm
Pat Robertson (700 club)