Damascus Road Church

The other night I was watching Christian Comedy Central (TBN/DAYSTAR).  Occasionally I take a look at these channels to see exactly what the average joe flipping through channels sees as "Christian."  I usually have two different reactions to what I see--laughter or anger. Either reaction is usually partnered with a deep rooted disgust that these pink-haired, money-hungry, prom-song for Jesus singing freaks have hijacked what the Bible says is Christianity. 

Of course, the church has been giving Jesus somewhat of a bad name since AD 33.  What I mean is that we will never reflect a perfect image as the body of Christ; it's just that what we see from our TV evangelists is often as perverted of an image as you can often find.  I think I could probably handle it if it was just Christians making "church people" look a bit foolish.  But more often than not, when I turn on channel 18 or 20, I see a full out molestation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

Let me give you some examples.  Last night one guy spoke for over 20 minutes.  I listened and listened and listened.  He mentioned Jesus' name once and that was to invoke His name as power to bless the viewers financially.  Of course, that is only if you "sow a seed."  The gospel that is being literally pitched by these guys is nothing short of a pile of prosperity crap.  Their evidence of God's blesisng is health and wealth.  Their evidence of God's judgment or man's lack of faith is suffering.  Hmmm...guess that rules out Jesus entire life experience (Did I mention that this guy has two BIG gold rings, nice watch, and a suit fit for mobster?)

Now these guys are getting a bit more saavy with their pitch these days.   They used to be able to sell anyone a small vial of holy water that would heal cancer for $77.77.  They've realized that enough people paid their money as they pray that their next round of Chemo won't be as painful as the last.  So, their new pitch is to say "If you sow a seed into this ministry….I am called to resurrect every harvest you …God told me there would be a 100 people, a 120 people….who would sow a seed of $100 and Jehovah God will give you a harvest that you didn't get before."  I am not sure who this guy dialed when he called "God", but it certainly wasn't the God of the Bible. 

Yes, this is a bit of a rant.  But I am sick and tired of people giving God's church and God's people a bad name by selling Jesus as some sort of commodity to fix your earthly woes.  This guy even went so far as to say, "If you give $100 today...I guarantee you the next 30 days willl be the greatest days of your life," and that, "within 24 hours God will bless your socks off." Then, as a way to prove that he's really listening to the Spirit, he starts throwing out really specific (sense the saracasm) words of knowledge like, "I feel that there is someone needing a job promotion…a guy is watching whose wife has left...a couple who is saving up for a home…if you give $100 God is going to fix all those things."

The gospel of prosperity sickens me and makes me want to puke.  I want to throttle a guy like that because he's sellling people a bill of goods that is based on false doctrine.  The gospel is about a value system that is counter cultural.  It is a value system where our God and savior said power is sacrifice, wealth is giving it all away, healing comes through suffering. My prayer is that we read 2Corinthians 4.7-18 and learn to live with an eternal perspective.  So that, whether God blesses us or allows us to suffer, he is glorified in our wealth and our poverity, in our sickness and in our health.   

Here is John Piper's opinion too....