Iowas senior U.S. senator, Sen. Charles Grassley, was born in, then and grew up in, New Hartford, Iowa, the next town over from where I was reared. Our farm was south and east of Parkersburg or just 7 miles by gravel and blacktop road from New Hartford where we had our meat locker and where we went for farm equipment repairs.
When Chuck Grassley first went to the Iowa Legislature in 1959 as our state representative, he was just a 26 year-old kid who had graduated from nearby
Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa). He worked at now shut-down Rath Packing Co. in Waterloo where he was an assembly line worker and did some farming. Much was made of his youthfulness. He was big stuff in the weekly paper that spans the two towns. Grassley stayed 15 years in the Legislature, and our paths crossed a number of times, as I began my newspaper career in that area in 1972, and hed come to speak with us editors at the newspaper in Waterloo..
Grassley, a Baptist, would be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1974 and to the U.S. Senate in 1980 and re-elected four times. Now 74, he chaired the Senate Committee on Finance when Republican were in power and is still his partys ranking member. A fiscal conservative, he was once ranked as the third most powerful
U.S. senator, and he has been notably a supporter of whistle blowers and their freedom to speak out without recrimination. He had condemned government waste. Even though he comes from a major farm state, last July he released a commissioned report that more than $1 billion in farm subsides were going to dead people. Its unconscionable that the Department of Agriculture would think that a dead person was actively engaged in the business of farming, he said. He has often condemned fleecing of the taxpayer.
Now Grassley has turned scrutiny on televangelists and megachurch ministers who seemingly live lavishly as they ply millions from people for their ministries. Their multiple homes, huge estates, jets and wide travel seem to run counter to what Jesus spoke regularly about serving the least. When the probe began in November, six major figures were identified. Quickly tabbed as the Grassley Six were Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Eddie Long, Joyce Meyer and Randy and Paula White. They are noted for their preaching the so-called gospel of prosperity, speaking from their own prosperous worlds to low-earning people in TV Land who scrimp together dollars to send them with the hope that they, too.
Some have labeled these pastors pimps in the pulpit. Calling their donating listeners partners, the TV ministers strive to get them on a ready donating schedule with dire predictions of going off the air if certain million-dollar levels are not met. But even in tough times for the TV ministries, the pastors dont seem any more threadbare.
At any hour of the day on cable TV, it seems, one of them is preaching in front of a large congregation usually forcefully and with an animated congregation and a phone number on the bottom of the screen to call to make a donation. Grassley wonders about excessive compensation to the preachers and whether money raised is really related to ministries performed. Grassleys probe came amid the scandals at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla., where its president, Richard Roberts, stepped down under pressure for a string of issues including expensive travel and money helping family members.
Charles Grassley was seeking financial records from the ministries, including information about spending practices, costly things like jets and the perks that go with their mega-ministries. The evangelical community regards it as unfounded because ministry is difficult, high-profile pastors accomplished much to get to where they are at and how can the wasteful government really point fingers at anyone?
Many outside the evangelical movement are puzzled by the apparent lack of outrage, wrote Mark Pinsky of the Orlando Sentinel. He quotes Quentin Schultze of Calvin
College in Michigan, a deeply conservative school. Within conservative media ministries, criticism from outsiders often is seen as a badge of honor that validates a ministrys righteousness, said Schultze, author of Christianity and the Mass Media in
America.
Some recall Evangelist Billy Graham who lived reasonably modestly and used donations for transparent programs. Others point to Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life and pastor of huge Saddleback Church in California. He has been outspoken about pastoral high living. Success in any area often creates a spirit of entitlement I deserve this that is the exact opposite of servant leadership, he said. It is evidence of insecurity and low self-esteem. Insecure people show off. Secure people serve,
Warren is quoted in Pinskys article.
Grassley’s efforts probably won’t go anywhere.
Word Of Faith Preachers. Are They Men Of God Or False Teachers? What Do You Think? Have Your Say
I think it is High Time that men of God STAND UP and speak the truth in love in response to what the Bible says about proper Christian conduct and how a Man of God should be an example to the Church and the unbeliever.First of all I believe the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is the Son of God,That Jesus was born of a Virgin,That Jesus died on the cross of Calvary to provide redemption from sin,and that Jesus rose on the 3rd. day.And I also believe that Jesus Christ is THE ONLY WAY in which a man can find Salvation and eternal life and apart from faith in Jesus Christ men will be judged by God who is Holy to an eternity in Hell for their wickedness and sin.I also believe what the Lord said in
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Only those who are Born Again will be saved form God’s wrath and eternal torment in hell.
Secondly the Bible clearly states that we are to consider all things by the Word of God so that we know how the Man of God should conduct himself.And the word of God says in 2 Timothy 2:15:
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
And the word of truth is what we are to use to conduct our lifes.And if one studies God word they will find In 2nd Timothy 3:16-17: it states
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Gods word is profitable for many wonderful things and here in particular 4 Things.
1-For doctrine 2-For reproof 3-For correction
4-For instruction in righteousness
And these 4 Things are provided by God to us for a reason because without sound doctrine,without reproof,without correction and without instruction in rightousness
Then v:17 would not be correct which says:
17: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
So when some suggest that someone is judging by agreeing with what Senator Grassley is bringing out in the open about these Pastors lifestyles.
It has been reported in the US press that some of these 6 ministries Pastors under public scrunity who are Benny Hinn,Keneth Copeland,Crefflo Dollar Joyce Myers and others, that they fly in Cessana Jets,drive Rolls Royces and Bentley Convertables,live in Mansions worth from 2 Million Dollars up to 10 Million Dollars,stay in Presidentalial Suites for a sum of one Thousand Dollars up to Ten Thousand Dollars a night and have a Salary of $500,000 up to 1 Million, or 2 Million US Dollars .One of these 6 Pastors when asked on CNN IF THEY BELIEVED JESUS WOULD AGREE TO THEM HAVING A ROLLS ROYCE? HE SAID “YES Jesus would agree”
So when we look at what is taking place with Senator Grassley,s requested inquiry on ministries such as the above and in light of the scandal at Oral Roberts University where as even the President Richard Roberts resigned a little while back after his accountant informed the world that he was instructed to “cook the books” by Richard Roberts himself and the accountant was Fired.
And when you take into account that these 6 ministries teach false teachings that I Quote..
“We are all little gods” and that we have the power to create through our words,and the Properity Gospel.
Now if anyone agrees with what these above Word of Faith preachers teach,then let me ask you 3 questions.
#-1- Are you a little god?
#-2-Do you have the power to create by the words you speak?
#-3- Are you the Creator?
If you honestly answer no to any of these questions then I sincerely suggest that you check out the teachings of the above Word of Faith teachers because that is exactly what they teach.Check it out for yourself because that is not what the bible teaches at all.
Now perhaps one is being judgemental if you think that Doctrine Reproof,Correction and Instruction in Rightousness is not an appropiate measure to be guided by not only in these 6 Pastors ministries but in any Christian ministries.
And let me ask have you really dug into what The Word of Faith Movement teaches?I suggest that any one reading this finds out and become aware of what these ministries teach.The choice is yours.
It’s about time that MEN OF GOD STAND UP and speak the word of truth in love and through Gods Word find Doctrine and Reproof false teachers and bring Correction so that people are not mislead and bring Instruction in righteousness so that people wiil be aware of what is happening.
I am an ordained Pentecostal minister in Regent Park -St. Jamestown Toronto.And I have a duty as a watchman of the church God has called me to lead.Here are some scriptures to that warn us of the very things we are talking about.
2nd.Peter 2:1-3 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2: And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3: And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
1 Timothy 4:1: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1rst Timothy 6:3-11 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
4: He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
5: Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
6: But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7: For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8: And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
9: But 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.
10: 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.
11: But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
1rst Peter 5:2: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3: Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
If anyone would like to discuss what My views are on any of the above statements or on the bible in general,please feel free to respond to this email… Pastor Mike Grady info@mgrady.net
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