This is a really interesting thread. In Australia, we don't appear to have a cult of personality, as you do in America. We have no evangelists that I know of who cause us to refer to their ministries by their name, rather than as evangelists of God. So, apart from reading Benny's books many years ago, and being blessed by them, I know little of him.
What also I find interesting is that 99.9% of the "complaints' against him have to do with wordly possessions. By that I mean money, clothes, cars, etc - all of which have only a value placed on them by government laws, economic factors, people's perceptions and media favourism. None of which mean didly squat in God's eyes, and none of which have any value in heaven.
When I saw myself as very poor - before God - I would buy very cheap shoes, which would wear out quickly, look disgusting and make me feel poor. In fact I would have to replace them more often for that reason. I have found that buying a good pair of shoes actually saves me money, they stand up to longer use, and therefore make me a better steward of my "shoe" money.
Likewise with the clothes, sheets, towels, even food I buy. Put some quality into the purchase and I get a better lasting, hardier product.
So, this may be how Benny sees his purchases.
I do agree there is a difference between buying good and buying ridiculous though. Personally, there is no way that I can conceive that a gold rolex will tell better time than a Casio watch - the gold rolex would be purely a 'show off' thing.
However, many people in his field also feel that they are evangelising to both poor and rich, and so feel that to have credibility to a very rich person requires an equal appearance. If God puts that perception in their heart - and their evangelising bears fruit - I'm ok with that. I'm not called to their field, so I cannot judge the way God calls them into it.
If God was to ask me to tithe and financially bless their ministry, I would do it, and would never question what the money was used for, because I would trust God to guide the proper use of that money. If they use it wrongly, then I trust God to discipline them, and I would think, tell me not to bless them financially any more.
If I financially bless a ministry because I have a 'hero worship' of the preacher, then whatever money is used wrongly I also cannot complain about because I have still chosen where to put my money. And especially if God has not told me to bless them - I carry the responsibility for my actions and the end result.
Whichever way a ministry gets my money, I cannot complain. Because it's either me or God makes the choice here. If I financially bless a ministry from my own perception, I am actually trying to 'buy' something from God, that I think this ministry is selling, without realizing that God is giving for free. Lack of knowledge / lack of discernment.
So our primary concern in the matter of the non-disclosure of Benny's money, should be to pray for a greater level of discernment among his viewing congregation, so they make Godly not manly judgments. Shouldn't it?
Now, while these TV stations are not Christian biased - God can allow them to disclose things even in Christian lives that need to be clear and open. Billy Graham has been mentioned several times, and he is a perfect example of a man who has lived his life for God, allowed himself to be guided by God and protected by God, and so is a living witness for God in this world. Yet I am sure that some TV stations would love to find the 'dirt' on him too. Regardless of the Godly good he has done for many years. And they haven't been able to, so perhaps it would be a wise thing for a televangelist to look to Billy's ministry and follow that pattern of wisdom. And I do totally agree that for a ministry to have bodyguards reveals either a wordly pride in their own importance or a total lack of trust in God's protection.
Now as to the minsitry itself - I have my worst level of discomfort in the fact that it is named after a man - not The Man. I don't care how many people he has brought to Christ, how powerfully God uses him - if I see him at the forefront of the results - then I am looking at a man - and I am putting both myself and that man in danger of losing the way. We have a jealous God, and He will not allow us to give a man our worship - and that is what truly worries me with these televangelists. If I was to find myself tuning in because Benny was on, then it is time to tune out. I need to tune in to see what God wants me to learn. I need to tune in to be blessed by the miracle working power of Jesus. I need to tune in to grow my Holy Spirit wisdom. Preacher man should become invisible in these services, if watching man is truly focused on God, and God
alone
As to Christians being poor or rich - it is a hugely devisive topic as we have seen on thread on tithes and in other threads. And please, in my comments here I am relating to the attitude in many churches as well as in many Christians - but I am not referring to any person here. Just my comments and thoughts.
Why do we think God wants us to show we are holier than others in our poverty, and by definition sinful in our wealth? God is a God of abundance - do we think that only means an abundance of attitude? Why? Doesn't He promise to give us everything we need? It shocks me to think that many feel we are to interpret that as being only related to spiritual things.
The God I know and trust and love, wants me to have every single good thing He can offer - the comfort of a good home, a good husband, a good family, a good job, a good lifestyle, a good faith....everything good. I think there is false pride and a false humility in presuming He only offers His children a decent life in heaven and a hard life on earth. The God I know doesn't play those kind of games.