https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFFDmfgor1A

Televangelist Benny Hinn Admits Going Too Far With Prosperity Gospel in Wake of Billy Graham's Death

In the wake of the death of renowned evangelist Billy Graham, controversial faith-healing televangelist Benny Hinn, who has often been criticized for his endorsement of the prosperity gospel, said in a stunning confession Wednesday that sometimes he has taken the erroneous gospel too far.

"We get attacked for preaching prosperity, well it's in the Bible, but I think some have gone to the extreme with it sadly, and it's not God's word what is taught and I think I'm as guilty as others. Sometimes you go a little farther than you really need to go and then God brings you back to normality and reality," Hinn, 65, said as he reflected on Graham's death with a ministry colleague in a Facebook Live broadcast.

He admitted that as he has grown older and come to understand the Bible more, he now realizes that some of the things he learned from preachers when he was growing up aren't biblical and the popular interpretation of the prosperity gospel — the teaching that believers have a right to the blessings of health and wealth and that they can obtain these blessings through positive confessions of faith and the "sowing of seeds" through the faithful payments of tithes and offerings — is one of those things.

"The more you know the Bible the more you become biblically based and more balanced in your opinions and your thoughts because we are influenced. When I was younger I was influenced by the preachers who taught whatever they taught. But as I've lived longer I'm thinking wait a minute, you know this doesn't fit totally with the Bible and it doesn't fit with the reality. So what is prosperity? No lack. I've said this before," Hinn said.

He then elaborated on how he believes "no lack" should be interpreted.

"Did Elijah the prophet have a car? No. Did not even have a bicycle. He had no lack ... Did Jesus drive a car or live in a mansion? No. He had no lack. How about the apostles? None lacked among them," Hinn said. "Today, the idea is abundance and palatial homes and cars and bank accounts. The focus is wrong ... It's so wrong."

He said even though he has been accused of living lavishly and flying private jets in the past ,that is not how he currently lives.

"I mean forgive me. People have accused me of things that aren't even real. One guy wrote a comment 'Oh he's worth 40 million.' Oh how I wish. I would give it all to the Kingdom before God Almighty," he said.

"'Well he flies private jets,'" he continued mimicking criticism. "No, I don't. I have not flown private in dear God years. I fly commercial just like anyone else....

"We all sadly make the mistake of thinking that this is what God wants and God says 'No, that's not what I want.' It's time to live biblically. You know it all comes down to one thing. Do we love Jesus, yes or no? If we love Jesus then it's all about Jesus. If we don't love Jesus then it's about other things," he said.

Hinn was one of six televangelists who were part of a 2007 Senate inquiry that raised questions about the personal use of church-owned airplanes, luxury homes and credit cards by pastors and their families, and expressed concern about the lack of oversight of finances by boards often packed with the televangelists' relatives and friends. No definitive findings of wrongdoing were made. Hinn's World Healing Center Church and Joyce Meyer Ministries were the only two ministries that fully cooperated with the investigation and even implemented financial reforms.

Hinn, who was born into a Christian family in Israel, has repeatedly been accused of being a fraud and criticized for living extravagantly while leading a ministry that rakes in more than $100 million annually.

In a 2009 interview on ABC's "Nightline," Hinn denied being a fraud.

"I think if I was fooling the people, over 35 years of it now, I would have been caught already fooling them," he told the network.

Last April, after criminal investigators from the IRS and inspectors from the U.S. Postal Service executed a closely guarded raid on the offices of Hinn's ministry in Grapevine, Texas, he revealed that they were looking into "certain operations of the church."

While he did not go into much detail about which aspects of his ministry federal officials had reviewed, he said in a statement on Facebook that he was confident the investigation will end favorably.

"As has been widely reported, Benny Hinn Ministries is cooperating fully with the governmental entities that are reviewing certain operations of the Church. The ministry has undergone intense scrutiny over the years, and we remain confident that there will again be a positive and speedy outcome in the days ahead," his ministry said.

During the broadcast Wednesday, one of his colleagues, who has known him for 30 years, said Hinn would give every material thing that he has for the presence of the Lord.

As a pastor, Hinn also said he wants his life to end right with God.

"We all want to finish right," he said of pastors. "We all start right. Sometimes we, you know, stumble here and stumble there, but when you come right down to it, we all want to finish right. I'm 65 years old, I surely don't want to blow it at this point in my life and I thank you for praying for me. I really mean that."

Hinn, who began the conversation by reminding his audience of a prophesy he made in 1989 that the deaths of his mentor, Oral Roberts, and Billy Graham would bring about a great revival, said since both men are now dead, the revival has now been set in motion. Roberts died in 2009.

"What we are gonna see is a revival. Three things are going to happen, there's no doubt in my heart and mind because it's in the Bible. If you look at the Old and New Testament you'll see three things happening always at the same time. Number one, evangelism. What was the first thing that happened in the book of Acts? People saved," he responded. "The second thing, miracles, people healed. But the third thing was what? Prosperity. ... Here we are in this season. We're gonna see amazing things happen in those areas of our lives and get ready for your children to be saved in a big way, your families to be saved in a big way, loved ones respond to the Lord in a big way."

He also pointed out that Christians across the world are being persecuted and that American Christians have been spared "up to now" but he wasn't sure if "we will be spared for a whole lot longer."

"I am really praying. I want persecution to come for my sake 'cause I want to get purer before the Lord ... I think persecution ... like fire purifies," he said.

"The early church was persecuted. There is no respecter of persons and persecution is a part of our life. All who live godly will suffer persecution and we've been spared in America but things already are turning against us. No, you know what? For us, that's really a better way to say it. They're against us in the natural but who cares the natural? Think what God will do with it for our lives. What glory it will bring, the power it will bring," Hinn said.

In 2015, Hinn was hospitalized with atrial fibrillation, an issue he said he has been dealing with for more than 20 years.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, atrial fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia, which refers to a problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. This can result in the heart beating too fast, too slow or just irregularly altogether. If the problem goes unnoticed, it unfortunately can lead to increased risk of stroke, chest pain or heart failure.

https://www.google.com.ng/amp/s/www.christianpost.com/amp/televangelist-benny-hinn-admits-going-too-far-with-prosperity-gospel-in-wake-of-billy-grahams-death-219011/

comments

Pastor Chris come and see your mentor ooooo

"Meanwhile, Bishop David Oyedepo is planning to add another one to his fleet.

I would tell you that there is little wrong in the prosperity that Oyedepo preaches

1) I have never seen Oyedepo on TV asking for anybody to give to his ministry, schools etc.....

2) I have seen Oyedepo's car before(the one he drives himself). He has been using the same silver car for about three years or so. While I don't know the model, it is a very average car. Seen his house too and sitting room - very very average.

3) As per jet, Benny does not have 6,000 branched churches, Schools to administrate over, Oyedepo does. Ghana branches of Living Faith alone is 150 scattered everywhere. In one particular month he visited 27 countries hence his ministry requires it not as a luxury but a quick means of transportation. So hey it depends on how large and centralised a ministry is and living faith leadership appears to be very centralised.

4) Oyedepo always talks about the limitations of the prosperity gospel but ppl never listen to that they only pick what they want to pick. Even Kenneth Hagin once conformed that "there is a thin line between the permissible and the objectionable when it comes to issues of financial prosperity".

5) Oyedepo doesn't actually have 150 million USD in his account- he just believes it is an insult to equate the worth of a believer to a sum of 150 million.

6) I have visited all kinds of Churches and I tell you Offerings in WC is just once. Apart from special services.

7) If you like slander Oyedepo for preaching tithe or claim tithing is irrelevant. All I know is that Living Faith pays tithes of Billions to another large ministry in Nigeria every month. It takes a man of conviction to do that.

Now if there is anything that frustrates me about Bishop Oyedepo, it is that he refuses to care about his image or even lies put out there against him. Same for pa Adeboye. See how Joseph Prince quickly cleared himself from the yeye Forbes list. Now I am not bothered that Oyedepo and Adeboye are being insulted or mocked but my issue is how it can easily affect baby believers who are easily tilted. And if major pastors are left to be attacked consistently on social media, it is the root of Christianity that would shake
In years to come both the catholics, orthodox and Pentecostals would all suffer for all these unchecked attacks and backbiting within d church. Christianity in general might become more difficult to practice in a few years in this country because the devil has laid a ground work by trying to delegitimise every "who" is "who" in Christianedom and when those folks who are being attacked go on to be with the Lord, we the rest would be dealing with a society that is unreceptive

I pray for the next generations of Christians in Nigeria because they might suffer from the foolishness of we their predecessors.


Lastly as a Christian I won't criticize any other Christian for using a jet because I know fully well that if I had the money and require it then I would buy it. Whatever is unlawful for the pastor is unlawful for every other christian. If a pastor can't be rich then all Christians can't be rich either, if a pastor can't own a jet then no christian can own a jet.

For me, I maintain that a private jet is nothing more different than a private car.

NB: Please don't bother quoting me for slander, if you don't agree just talk your own comot for NL, I no get time for argument till 2am midnite.

Humility at high level, only a humble man will publicly admit his errors and also declare a change of heart

GoodMuyis:
Humility at high level, only a humble man will publicly admit his errors and also declare a change of heart

You are so right sir. How I wish many of our leaders will be humble enough to publicly admit their errors like this.

repent while the time is still in you're favour.

Beautiful!

Meanwhile, Bishop David Oyedepo is planning to add another one to his fleet.
#freethesheepie

Wow! A conviction has been wrought! I've always known that there's nothing wrong with preaching about how children of God can be prosperous, but it becomes wrong when our pastors begin to overflog it as if it were the gatepass to heaven. Lalasticlala, come and see abeg.

Ok

Lagbaja01:
Pastor Chris come and see your mentor ooooo

Dont be ignorant son. He isnt Pastors mentor rather he learnt this 4rm Pastor Chris? Pastor Chris doesnt fly private jet, doesnt own a school, doesnt accumulate cars becos he gives them out, doesnt live in mansions or possess any, i challenge anyone to prove me wrong. Even the jet he got last year must ve been given out as seed. My pastor na giver o!

Lagbaja01:
Pastor Chris come and see your mentor ooooo

At this point,pastor Chris is ready to deny him

GoodMuyis:
Humility at high level, only a humble man will publicly admit his errors and also declare a change of heart

Nigerian pastors can never never be humbled enough to admit their errors. Everything they do is right

nonut:
Meanwhile, Bishop David Oyedepo is planning to add another one to his fleet.
#freethesheepie

I nor talk am. One day we go hear story.

jared007:
Ok Dont be ignorant son. He isnt Pastors mentor rather he learnt this 4rm Pastor Chris? Pastor Chris doesnt fly private jet, doesnt own a school, doesnt accumulate cars becos he gives them out, doesnt live in mansions or possess any, i challenge anyone to prove me wrong. Even the jet he got last year must ve been given out as seed. My pastor na giver o!

Hmmm, make I no talk

You guys are all the same

Freeze is right after all

Good.
It is God's blessings for a Christian to prosper but the problem is there is too much focus on it than salvation,righteousness and right living.

freeze has been vindicated ....shame on yahoo yahoo pastor especially dat coza pastor

hmm finally realized all was vanity and that he going to hell after all

Ok


Papa Oritsejafor can you hear your friend?

After misleading millions? Pastor Benny, you can't die well!!

Unlike our Nigerian Businessmen aka pastors

Daddy Freeze while reading this.

UnchangeableGod:
You are so right sir. How I wish many of our leaders will be humble enough to publicly admit their errors like this.

They do but it's usually after they lose their re-election or are no longer in office..

if you are married, i hope have divorced your wife, if u are not married i hope u r planning to divorce....joke apart, stop defending all these gods of men, they are humans with flesh and blood just like you, they are not better than you in the kingdom of God so far you are geniunly born again.... let there deeds on earth reveal who they are just like the popular bible verse "let your light so shine before men....."

jared007:
Ok Dont be ignorant son. He isnt Pastors mentor rather he learnt this 4rm Pastor Chris? Pastor Chris doesnt fly private jet, doesnt own a school, doesnt accumulate cars becos he gives them out, doesnt live in mansions or possess any, i challenge anyone to prove me wrong. Even the jet he got last year must ve been given out as seed. My pastor na giver o!