Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[DesMoines Register]

Aides to Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Ia., on Monday downplayed reports that he was dumped by Iowa Republicans as a delegate to the Republican National Convention because of his investigation of six televangelists. Beth Pellett Levine, Grassley’s press secretary, said Grassley won’t be a delegate, but he will attend the convention and will have floor access as a federal elected official.

She said Grassley, as well as Iowa’s two Republican congressmen, Reps. Steve King and Tom Latham, will not be delegates “in order to give additional Iowa Republicans the opportunity to participate in the floor proceedings and activities of the national party convention.”

Levine said that Grassley told state party leaders he would be a voting delegate if they wanted, “like he has previously, but the more Iowa Republicans who participate in the event the better, in his view.”

James Carstensen, a spokesman for Latham, said the congressman “never requested to be a voting delegate so as to allow more party activists to participate in the convention.” Aides to King, similarly, said he didn’t want to take a spot away from other delegates.

Columnist Robert Novak wrote on Saturday that “evangelicals and their allies” dominating the state convention in Iowa earlier this month “dumped their critic,” Grassley. Novak said Grassley aroused the ire of Christian conservatives with his investigation into the finances of televangelists.

In an article Monday, the Washington Times said that evangelical Christians denied Grassley his request to be a voting delegate and that “political observers” in Iowa saw it as retribution.

Grassley aides, however, said that there was no request and that party Chairman Stewart Iverson instead asked him if he wanted to be a delegate.

Grassley’s probe is into how televangelist Kenneth Copeland of Texas and five other media ministries spend their money.

Read more here.

[From me]

When did the Health/Wealth crowd start getting considered evangelicals?  If Grassley wanted to investigate me he could.  This would be a great opportunity for those televangelists to prove to the public how trustworthy they really were.  

What do you think?

[From the Honorable Sen. Chuck Grassley]

“Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn have engaged in open and honest dialogue with committee staff. They have not only provided responses to every question but, in the spirit of true cooperation, also have provided information over and above what was requested.

 

“Both Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn have indicated that they are also instituting reforms without waiting for the committee to complete its review. Self-reform can be faster and more effective than government regulation and is the hallmark of my oversight of The Nature Conservancy, the Smithsonian Institution, American University and the American Red Cross. These organizations are all going strong and are arguably better off than they were before. I support voluntary, independent accreditation programs like those sponsored by the Land Trust Alliance and the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and encourage these ministries to pursue similar accreditation. The most successful non-profit organizations recognize the need for transparency about their operations and accountability to their donors and the taxpaying public. They appreciate that Congress has a responsibility to review the effectiveness and fairness of tax laws for taxpayers and tax-exempt groups alike.

 

“The ministries that continue not to cooperate appear to be heeding the advice of attorneys who are not familiar with congressional oversight in general and specifically the Finance Committee’s oversight and legislative work in the area of tax-exempt organizations over the last seven years. These attorneys who aren’t part of the ministries themselves have a natural incentive to prolong the process as long as possible.“

[Times Online]

“It is not yours, it is God’s, and you are not going to get it.” So saith Kenneth Copeland, the television evangelist, when asked to submit his ministry’s private financial records to Washington.

Mr Copeland is one of at least six American “televangelists” facing the scrutiny of a senate investigation for alleged financial wrongdoing. The Eagle Mountain International Church - otherwise known as the Kenneth Copeland Ministries - preaches a doctrine of financial prosperity, with the promise that God can make a follower both healthy and wealthy. The faithful are encouraged to dig deep and give to the Church, where donated dollars will provide a one hundredfold return in happiness and wealth.

As Mr Copeland’s televised congregation listen to their minister boom, “You are not created for poverty,” they deposit cash in a donation envelope across which is written: “I am sowing $____ and believing for a hundredfold return.”

Mr Copeland certainly practises what he preaches. According to a report into the pentecostal charismatics, commissioned by the Senate, the ministry built Mr Copeland and his wife Gloria a mansion “the size of an hotel” and enabled him to acquire a $20 million Cessna Citation to help him to spread the word of God across the US.

Speaking to his assembled congregation on the runway by his new aeroplane, Mr Copeland said: “The Lord spoke to me and said ‘you’re gonna believe for a Citation 10, right now’.” He also promised that the jet, one of four owned by the Church, “will never ever be used as for anything other than what is becoming of you Lord Jesus”.

The ministry also owns an airport capable of accepting jet landings, leases land for Mr Copeland’s cattle and horses and also leases land to the family so that it can operate oil and gas wells.

Read more here.

[From me]

I posted my views on church and ministries tax free status here last week.  Churches and ministries aren’t guaranteed tax free status forever.  If ministers and ministries start becoming arrogant towards the government, the tide could turn against all of us.  I also mentioned this past weekend I don’t know whether or not they need private jets.  As long as ministries are up front about their donations and gifts and they pay their income taxes, what they spend is between them and their donors.

But what about the arrogance of:

“It’s not yours, it’s God’s and you’re not going to get it and that’s something I’ll go to prison over. So, just get over it!”  Kenneth Copeland

Is that really how ministers should respond to our government?  I don’t see prosperity as a God given right. Jesus never promised us lots of money.  In fact he promised us trouble. 

Luke 9:23

Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Jesus said if we follow Jesus we must give Him everything we have.  Taking up one’s cross means one thing-Death!  According to the Health/Wealth teachings I guess I must be living in sin.  We are struggling financially as I type this.  If I gave a large “seed” to one of these Health/Wealth teachers would I become rich?  Would it change my life?  No, but it would pad their pockets.

Look what Jesus said in:

Luke 12:41-44

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.

 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

How do the Health/Wealth teachers explain this?  If I’m missing something please show me.  Because I don’t like struggling financially.  I would love to have lots of money so I can give a lot away.  I would love to go on mission trips and support ministries.  I don’t want a jet.  I don’t want an expensive car.  I would like to buy a motorcycle so I could save money on gas.  I could go on and on.  But I’m happy paying my bills and enjoying the ministry God has given me.  I’m grateful for my family and friends.  I’m convinced that God doesn’t promise us wealth.  Abundant life is more than money.  The widow mentioned above was rich in God’s eyes. Everything is different when we look at life the way the BIble lays it out.  I doubt I’ll ever have a lot of money.  That’s OK.  I left the world of making money to become a vocational minister–not to get rich.

What do you think?