musKeeto: [size=17pt]Before he died in 2003, the revered father of the Word-Faith movement corrected his spiritual sons for going to extremes with their message of prosperity. Charismatic Bible teacher Kenneth Hagin Sr. is considered the father of the so-called prosperity gospel. [/size]

The folksy, self-trained “Dad Hagin” started a grass-roots movement in Oklahoma that produced a Bible college and a crop of famous preachers including Kenneth Copeland, Jerry Savelle, Charles Capps, Jesse DuPlantis, Creflo Dollar and dozens of others—[size=17pt]all of whom teach that Christians who give generously should expect financial rewards on this side of heaven[/size].Hagin taught that God was not glorified by poverty and that preachers do not have to be poor. But before he died in 2003 and left his Rhema Bible Training Center in the hands of his son, Kenneth Hagin Jr., he summoned many of his colleagues to Tulsa to rebuke them for distorting his message.

[size=20pt]He was not happy that some of his followers were manipulating the Bible to support what he viewed as greed and selfish indulgence.[/size] Those who were close to Hagin Sr. say he was passionate about correcting these abuses before he died. In fact, he wrote a brutally honest book to address his concerns. The Midas Touch was published in 2000, a year after the infamous Tulsa meeting.

“Kenneth Hagin Sr. was not happy that some of his followers were manipulating the Bible to support what he viewed as greed and selfish indulgence.”
Many Word-Faith ministers ignored the book. But in light of the recent controversy over prosperity doctrines, it might be a good idea to dust it off and read it again.Here are a few of the points Hagin made in The Midas Touch:
1. [size=17pt]Financial prosperity is not a sign of God’s blessing[/size]. Hagin wrote: “If wealth alone were a sign of spirituality, then drug traffickers and crime bosses would be spiritual giants. Material wealth can be connected to the blessings of God or it can be totally disconnected from the blessings of God.”

2. [size=17pt]People should never give in order to get[/size]. Hagin was critical of those who “try to make the offering plate some kind of heavenly vending machine.” He denounced those who link giving to getting, especially those who give cars to get new cars or who give suits to get new suits. He wrote: “There is no spiritual formula to sow a Ford and reap a Mercedes.”

3. [size=17pt]It is not biblical to “name your seed” in an offering[/size]. Hagin was horrified by this practice, which was popularized in faith conferences during the 1980s. Faith preachers sometimes tell donors that when they give in an offering they should claim a specific benefit to get a blessing in return. Hagin rejected this idea and said that focusing on what you are going to receive “corrupts the very attitude of our giving nature.”

4. [size=17pt]The “hundredfold return” is not a biblical concept[/size]. Hagin did the math and figured out that if this bizarre notion were true, “we would have Christians walking around with not billions or trillions of dollars, but quadrillions of dollars!” He rejected the popular teaching that a believer should claim a specific monetary payback rate.

5.[size=17pt] Preachers who claim to have a “debt-breaking” anointing should not be trusted[/size]. Hagin was perplexed by ministers who promise “supernatural debt cancellation” to those who give in certain offerings. He wrote in The Midas Touch: “There is not one bit of Scripture I know about that validates such a practice. I’m afraid it is simply a scheme to raise money for the preacher, and ultimately it can turn out to be dangerous and destructive for all involved.” (Many evangelists who appear on Christian television today use this bogus claim. Usually they insist that the miraculous debt cancellation will occur only if a person “gives right now,” as if the anointing for this miracle suddenly evaporates after the prime time viewing hour. This manipulative claim is more akin to witchcraft than Christian belief.) Hagin condemned other hairbrained gimmicks designed to trick audiences into emptying their wallets. He was especially incensed when a preacher told his radio listeners that he would take their prayer requests to Jesus’ empty tomb in Jerusalem and pray over them there—if donors included a special love gift. “What that radio preacher really wanted was more people to send in offerings,” Hagin wrote.Thanks to the recent resurgence in bizarre donation schemes promoted by American charismatics, the prosperity gospel is back under the nation’s microscope. It’s time to revisit Hagin’s concerns and find a biblical balance.

Hagin told his followers: “Overemphasizing or adding to what the Bible actually teaches invariably does more harm than good.” If the man who pioneered the modern concept of biblical prosperity blew the whistle on his own movement, wouldn’t it make sense for us to listen to his admonition?

uj_sizzle: What brand of Christianity??
Are you suggesting the early churches in the bible lived in poverty? If they did then how were they able to send aid to other Christians outside their regions? Isn't it because they prospered?? What is used in supporting missionary works? Pebbles?? Or you still haven't figured out that a man needs to prosper, have enough and more to be able to give to others. Please read the book of Acts well before you dudes start spewing bs here.

chukwudi44: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosperity_theology

Pastor Kun: The concept of false teachers teaching false doctrines to reap of believers existed as far back as the time of the apostles. It just wasn't termed prosperity gospel then.

2 Peter 2:1-3
New International Version (NIV)

False Teachers and Their Destruction
2 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

chukwudi44: Who originated this brand of christianity that is ravaging the world today?

chukwudi44: Who originated this brand of christianity that is ravaging the world today?

uj_sizzle: What brand of Christianity??
Are you suggesting the early churches in the bible lived in poverty? If they did then how were they able to send aid to other Christians outside their regions? Isn't it because they prospered?? What is used in supporting missionary works? Pebbles?? Or you still haven't figured out that a man needs to prosper, have enough and more to be able to give to others. Please read the book of Acts well before you dudes start spewing bs here.

Joagbaje:

Maybe we you ask Who originated poverty gospel?

i.chuka:
....For the Workman is worthy of his MEAT..Matt10:10.sound strange but its the truth.
His Meat might even be a private jet....

i.chuka:
....For the Workman is worthy of his MEAT..Matt10:10.sound strange but its the truth.
His Meat might even be a private jet....

i.chuka:
....For the Workman is worthy of his MEAT..Matt10:10.sound strange but its the truth.
His Meat might even be a private jet....

i.chuka:
....For the Workman is worthy of his MEAT..Matt10:10.sound strange but its the truth.
His Meat might even be a private jet....

Goshen360: There is NOTHING like "Prosperity Gospel" simply because God HAD ALREADY GIVEN US EVERYTHING THAT PERTAINS TO LIFE AND GODLINESS and a believer is not "suppose" to be poor either. A believer can choose to be poor if he/she wants but he/she is not suppose to be poor when he/she knows his/her heritage in Christ. Glory to God!

chukwudi44:

Doctrine of demons!!! Pastors meat will be private jet when his members are dying of hunger

i.chuka:

So the bible is now a Doctrine of demons abi!
What stop his members of becoming a WORKMAN too.or is the bible a private book solely for MOG alone?

frosbel: The catholic church paved the way with the indulgences.

To this day , they are still ripping off their followers with various charges such as praying for dead etc.

The catholic church is worth billions of dollars, in fact when I visited the Vatican 2010, the amount of gold I saw could be used to feed the poor Catholics in Africa talk less of the raw cash stashed away in Swiss and Italian banks. Name it, gold crowns, gold frames, gold artefacts, the Vatican is littered with gold everywhere.

The catholic church is the greediest of them all and the mother of dem harlots.


[img]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_hyB05pr428w/R1hxOEQ7dBI/AAAAAAAABF0/7ID8U4-r9Xg/cuzco+altar.jpg[/img]



[img]http://1.bp..com/_1F7y7lSDn78/SwIqDkqS_xI/AAAAAAAAAfE/A7AGdqpf_AU/s1600/vatican+gold+ceiling+Large+Web+view.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.rome-hotels.redflag.info/pictures/vatican-city2.jpg[/img]

frosbel:

really !!

A private Jet when 99% of his congregation is starving.

Nigerians and greed , no wonder the country is in the current mess.

smh

chukwudi44:

Where in the bible is such a demonic teaching taught that a pastor should live lavishly while his members wallow in abject poverty

chukwudi44:

no one is saying a xtian should be poor.The fact remains that you can still be a good xtian and remain poor depending on God's plan but these preacher's will claim it is a sin to be poor and all xtians are suppossed to be rich

Goshen360:

"...but these preacher's will claim it is a sin to be poor..."

I don't see where Bible says it is a sin to be poor. So preachers who say such are liars.

"...and all xtians are suppossed to be rich"

"All" Christians who know their kingdom rights and heritage are suppose to be rich BUT unfortunately, NOT all Christians are rich and NOT all Christians will be rich.

Goshen360:
NOT all Christians are rich and NOT all Christians will be rich.

chukwudi44:

Another teaching of the prosperity preachers is that one can only prosper by giving to their pastors or churches.Thes has been proven to be a fallacy as several non xtians who do not abide these principles are still been blessed materially by God.

chukwudi44:
A christian can either be rich or poor and yet remains a genuine xtian.That a xtian is poor does not always mean he is not genuine.