Prosperity
Taxpayers Pay for Televangelists' Lavish Lifestyles
Churches Damaged by Lack of Oversight and Disclosures
(http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/Televangelists_Lack_Oversight.html)
Private jets. Million dollar vacation homes. Luxury cars. If the CEO of your favorite charity was enjoying these perks, you would probably be outraged and never donate to it again. Fortunately, the IRS requires most charities to file financial statements that show they are spending the public's money for charitable purposes, not private gain. This financial disclosure is the cornerstone of wise giving. Without it, the public would have no idea how charities are spending donor money.
Churches*, synagogues, and mosques, however, do not have to follow these same rules. They do not have to file annual reports with the IRS or state charity regulators, which allows them to avoid being rated by AIP. Complete PDF Article
Millionaire Ministers
"Kathryn Kuhlman, a famous minister who shared the Lord's love and power to an
estimated 100,000,000 people during her 50-year ministry, died February 20, 1976 with an
estate worth $2,267,500, which is equivalent to $6,000,000 in 2006. The money was not
left to her ministry but to her friends. "All over the nation front-page newspaper stories
read: Kathryn Kuhlman, the evangelist, who solicited millions of dollars in contributions
from her followers, has left none of her estate to her foundation or the church." Kathryn Kuhlman is an example of a multi-Millionaire Minister who
received her wealth from solicited contributions from the Body of the Christ. We must ask
ourselves, "Does Christ will His servants (ministers) to become millionaires by receiving
and keeping the flock's contributions; would the Apostle Paul or the Prophet Elijah be
millionaires because of their followers?" I do not believe so, according to the Word of
Yahweh! Christian men and women can begin a ministry with a heart to serve Yahweh but
end up being corrupted by the money they receive as were Solomon and Judas, who were
both called servants. I believe the responsibility for this corruption lies, in part, at the feet
of the people who give the money. These loving individual's error lies in the fact that they
do not impose any accountability on the ministers or charities to whom they give their
money. This lack of accountability can result in the ministers being tempted into sin. Paul
warned Timothy, "But, they who are determined to be rich, fall into temptation, and a
snare, and many foolish and hurtful covetings, the which, sink men into ruin and
destruction,–– For, a root of all the vices, is the love of money, which, some, being eager
for, have been seduced from the faith, and have pierced, themselves, about with many
pangs" (I Tim. 6:9-10). This article will not be discussing wolves among the flocks, which is another story, but it will be discussing good people, children of Yahweh, who may have
been seduced into sin by an abundance of money being laid at their feet." Read Complete PDF Article
A Time to Love
"The term, 'Love,' has many meanings in the English culture, in both Christian and secular
circles. This article will focus upon love as an action of obedience to Yahweh's written
and unwritten commandments. (Unwritten commandments are communications from
Yahweh or Christ given by way of spirit also know as revelation information.) Yahshua
said, "If ye be loving me, my commandments, ye will keep (Jn. 14:15). This aspect of
love is concrete. (Abstract love as a feeling or as an internal state of the mind, or the heart,
as recorded in I Corinthians 13 and Galatians 5, will not be our focus.) The primary
Hebrew word that has been translated love, is 'Ahab' or 'Ahabah.' As a Christian, our two
great commandments are to "ahab [love] Yahweh thy Elohim,––with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy might" (Deu. 6:5) and to "ahab [love] thy neighbor, as
thyself" (Lev. 19:18). We must unlearn what we think love means and start from the
beginning to discover the meaning Yahweh has given the term, 'ahab.' This article may
reprove our conception of love but as Proverbs 9:8 says, "Reprove a wise man, and he will
love [ahab] thee." The term. 'Hate,' as a Christian Doctrine is completely foreign to us.
Actually the word, 'hate,' appears to Christians to be Satanic. As Christians, are we
supposed to hate; can hating wickedness be a godly attribute? Do Yahweh and Christ hate?
We will search the Word of Yahweh for the answers to these questions." Read Complete PDF Article
Money in the Life of the Believer
"The earth is Yahweh's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it" (Ps. 24:1).
In the totality of our lives we do not own material things but only have the privilege of
using hem for our benefit. Our authority and power over material possessions will end
when we eturn to dust (Gen 3:19). We are trustees of the resources Father has given us,
not owners. "For who makes thee to differ? And what hast thou which thou didst not
receive? But if thou didst even receive it why dost thou boast, as though thou has not
received it" (I Cor. 4:7)? An excellent parable concerning trusteeship is Mark 12:1-3. "A
man [Yahweh] planted a vineyard, and put round it a wall, and dug a wine-vat, and built a
tower, and let it out to husbandmen [us]; and left home. And he sent forth, unto the
husbandmen [us] in the season a servant that from the husbandmen he might receive of the
fruits of the vineyard [the earth]." A trustee is a person to whom another's property or the
management of another's property is entrusted. We as trustees have been placed into a
fiduciary relationship. As trustees we must look to the Trust Instrument, Yahweh's Word,
for instructions on how to manage our Father's vineyard. Our homes, cars, money and
retirement funds are Yahweh's property. This aspect of Yahweh's ownership is presented
in I Chronicles chapter twenty-nine." Read Complete PDF Article
Receiving the Blessing of Abraham
"Yahweh's blessing upon Abram made him exceedingly fruitful. He obtained riches,
children, long life, health, protection from his enemies and most importantly, he received
communion with the Creator, Yahweh. We also are the seeds, the descendants, of
Abraham. Yahweh's will for us is that we can also receive His baraking (blessing),
resulting in our lives being exceedingly fruitful. The blessing poured out upon us will be
in the proportion to which we obey, believe and act upon Yahweh's written and spoken
words. Yahweh said unto Abram, "Come out of thy land that I may bless thee" and Abram
"Came according to that which Yahweh had spoken." We also, as children of Yahweh,
have been asked to "Come out of the world" that He may be able to barak us." Read Complete PDF Article
