¿MINISTERS OF FINANCE? part I

The video was by a hip-hop artist called Rhymefest. Aside from being a Nice song it speaks to a very real phenomenon that plagues Christendom in general and the black church in particular.

The message of Martin Luther King Jr. for instance is rejected by much of the contemporary church in general and the black church in particular. I guess this should be of no surprise because MLK was rejected by the 'black church establishment' when he was alive.


Forty-two years after his death, MLK's model of ministry (one that confronted political and economic institutions of power)-- has been sidelined by the prosperity gospel.


Most prosperity ministers such as Bishop T.D. Jakes, Eddie Long and Creflo Dollar have become brands, similar to the likes of Michael Jordan or Jay-Z. Generally they preach that God rewards the faithful with wealth and spiritual power. They've built megachurches and business empires with the prosperity message.

You don't generally build huge churches by making folks uncomfortable during service. If you are participating in sin while regularly attending church, you should feel uncomfortable, because your not right.
The Bible tells us this would happen in the latter days: "Preach the WORD; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine."

¿Why?

 

 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears... But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry."(2Timothy 4:1-5)

The prosperity gospel began as a fringe doctrine in the black church. It was pioneered by "Rev. Ike," a prosperity televangelist with a pompadour. In the 1970s he bragged similar to a rapper that "my garages runneth over."


"....in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; " (1Timothy 4:1-2)

LET IT BE KNOWN: Jesus said: "ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good."(Mark 14:7)
Therefore God's favor is not reflected in monetary prosperity. Think about it, the disciples (the 12 and Paul) were fvored.. How manyy of them were rich?
None they were dirt poor. Even Christ (our example) had NOWHERE TO LAY HIS HEAD!

¿Why?

"For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out... they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition."

¿WHY!?!?

"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."

(1Timothy 6:1-11)

Those Prosperity Preacher's referred to in the Rhymefest video will tell you they don't love money. But they seduce the flock with it. They request to see W2's before joining the church. They have ATM's, and bookshops, and coffee-shops, cassette tape and C.D shops Inside the church.

:-?

The Rev. Raphael Warnock, senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where MLKjr preached, says that prosperity preaching is not just a distortion of Jesus' message but a betrayal of the black church's heritage. "The black church was formed by slaves who saw Jesus' message as a tool for social justice."


"Many Americans give lip service to entering the social justice arena and speaking out against the economic and politically powerful," Walton said, "but very few of us are willing to pay the price."
"We like to identify with Dr. King in theory, though we emulate Rev. Ike in practice.

Some things never change.

"Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." (Mark 7:6)

May the Lord add a blessing to the understanding of His Word in Jesus name...

LOCKSMIF... LLAVES (keys)