MONEY, HEALINGS & MIRACLES (I)

One minister in particular caused a great deal of confusion in the days of The Voice of Healing, particularly in the deliverance ministry. At one time he was marvelously used of God in spiritual gifts. I saw God do some of the greatest miracles I've ever seen in my life through this man's ministry. But he got off into excesses, and it ruined his ministry and eventually cost him his life.

You see, eventually a prophet or any minister will lose the anointing if he's not walking in the light of the Word. In the natural, if you get a freight train going full speed and let it run out of fuel, for a while, it will still keep going. In the same way, some prophets have run out of the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit because their ministries aren't based solidly on the Word to give them spiritual fuel. Yet for a while they still keep going.

Many folks can't tell when a minister is preaching without the anointing. But just because a prophet can preach, doesn't mean he's preaching under the anointing. Many people don't know the difference between inspiration and perspiration] Just because a minister is a fast talker, doesn't mean he's inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Don't Pervert the Gift of God
Staying teachable and staying in the Word will help keep a person from getting off spiritually. I don't know about you, but I've always made it a practice to listen to others who have wisdom and knowledge in the Word.
Even when I was a young minister, I listened to older men of God who had been down the road spiritually before me.

These were men who had years of ministerial experience and knew the Spirit of God. The things they shared with me helped me immeasurably in many areas. One area where the Body of Christ needs some wisdom from experienced ministers is in understanding that there are religious cons in the ministry. Some of these religious cons call themselves prophets. For example, some ministers who were at one time used by God in revelation gifts, particularly the word of knowledge, have perverted those gifts.

It seems whenever they have a word of knowledge, it's always about money. For example, I heard one so-called prophet say, "There is a woman who has $10,000. If she will send it to me, God will save her husband." Well, there's bound to be some dear woman with an unsaved husband who will send him that money. But any minister who uses spiritual gifts to prophesy money into his ministry is a false prophet! A person like that isn't in the Spirit — he's just learned how to maneuver and manipulate people.

He's money-minded, and he's lost the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Many who have perverted spiritual gifts were no doubt at one time used by God. But the anointing on their ministries lifted when they got so money-minded that they perverted the gift of God for personal gain. And when a minister is no longer teachable and open to the correction of others, he is in bad shape spiritually.

There was a man in the days of The Voice of Healing whom God used mightily. I once saw him point to a man in the congregation and say, "God shows me that you have a rupture." He told the man how many years he'd had the rupture.

Then he prayed for the man, and the rupture disappeared instantly. The man who was healed was a successful businessman. He was thrilled to be healed because he had suffered greatly. Several years after this businessman had been healed, he asked me, "Do you think that prophet was right on spiritually?" I asked, "Why?" He said, "Well, I was healed, all right. But every time that minister saw me after that, he prophesied money out of me."

Finally after two or three years, this businessman caught on. He should have caught on the first time. Anyone prophesying money out of your pocket into theirs is wrong. Never accept the ministry of someone who is always prophesying money out of people! A prophet should never use spiritual gifts for personal gain. Some ministers tell you to plant your money into their ministries as a seed faith for your healing. But they are walking on dangerous ground. Healing belongs to you even if you don't have a dime!

Ministers need to be careful, particularly where money is concerned. Some ministers just want your financial support, and they try to obtain it by questionable means. They aren't necessarily concerned first and foremost about ministering to people or being a blessing to them. Ministers of the gospel should be in the ministry to help and bless people, not for personal gain. BUT, YOU SEE, JUST BECAUSE ANY MINISTER, INCLUDING A PROPHET, PRODUCES FRUIT IN HIS MINISTRY, DOESN'T MEAN HIS LIFE OR MINISTRY IS ONE HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT ON WITH GOD.

Christians shouldn't be skeptical of ministers of the gospel. On the other hand, there are spiritual cons in the ministry who have perverted the gift of God; they are motivated by personal gain. So Christians can't always just look at the fruit a minister produces publicly to determine if his ministry is right on spiritually. Does he walk uprightly before God? Does his life reflect the gravity of his high call to the ministry? Are spiritual gifts used according to scriptural guidelines? These are questions which will help the Body of Christ from being taken in by charlatans in the ministry. (Kenneth Hagin)