The Dark World of Megachurches

[Philip22]

Hello everyone. I post the following not only for new Christians but others who may be simply unaware and /or just too gullible. My only intent is to help inform and expose the Megachurches which so many seem to blindly follow.

 

[SuperCow]

This kind of thing has been going on since I was a kid. I suppose the preachers might be getting better at it lately though.

 

[Shrewd Manager]

Ah the megachurch narrow path. You'll find they all subscribe to eternal bliss and torment eschatology, although they try to avoid mentioning it. Invest in material prosperity as donations and prepay your fire insurance premiums by way of tithes. Takes a lot of faith, but is it misplaced?

 

[Dustoff]

Julie Roys carries a lot of this kind of info on her website. I'm not really into blanket condemnations but mega-churches seem to carry more than their share of problems.

Lots of info under investigations.

Julie Roys | Reporting the Truth. Restoring the Church.

 

[SuperCow]

It sounds like they’re teaching people to be greedy. It’s not much different from a psychological Ponzi scheme.

Now to be clear, and ignoring the message for comparison sake, I can see justification for a private jet if you are doing a lot of traveling. Depending on how you use it, it might even be cost effective, but there’s no justification for a fleet.

You could justify a large house if only for increased security against crazy people who might want to kill you. (Or unstable fans) If it’s worth more than a couple of million, you better be using most of it to run printing presses or web servers or some charitable business purposes.

If your personal net worth is in the hundreds of millions, I think you’d have to have most of that tied up supporting a thousand employees in charitable business entities running charities or outreach programs.

I don’t believe very many if any of the preachers running these mega churches are doing enough positive things with this money.

 

[JSRG]

The video title seems to be a bit misleading. It says it's about "megachurches" but really what he's really talking about in the video are the prosperity gospel and faith healing. While there's obviously some overlap between those and megachurches, they aren't really the same thing.

Now to be clear, and ignoring the message for comparison sake, I can see justification for a private jet if you are doing a lot of traveling. Depending on how you use it, it might even be cost effective, but there’s no justification for a fleet.

Yes, I agree that if you're doing traveling, a private jet can make sense--and if you're famous, you might want it for privacy reasons. But it's hard to see why someone would need multiple private jets.

 

[philadelphos]

for new Christians but others who may be simply unaware and /or just too gullible. My only intent is to help inform and expose the Megachurches which so many seem to blindly follow.

All churches have false teachers, megachurches merely the obvious. Many errors and crimes are unseen unreported. Scripture is the only standard of measurement, the true light. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet (Ps 119).

2 Peter 2

[1] 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.
[4] For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
[5] And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
[6] And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
[7] And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
[8] (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds
[9] The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
[10] But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
[11] Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
[12] But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
[13] And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
[14] Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
[15] Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
[16] But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
[17] These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
[18] For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
[19] While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
[20] For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
[21] For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
[22] But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Exodus 20:17 - Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

 

[timf]

Christianity was always supposed to be about relationships (us with God and each other).

Running a church as an organizational system tends to reduce human connections to scripted and programmed functions. This becomes more so the larger the church gets.

Also the division between clergy and laity often transitions to an even worse state of performer and audience. This tends to reduce Christianity to a consumer event once a week.

 

[Dustoff]

I have long been a believer that a church should be no bigger than one pastor can oversee their peoples spiritual lives.

 

[d taylor]

-​

Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—

 

[topher694]

All churches have false teachers

All churches, eh? Must have been exhausting for you... visiting all churches, I mean.

 

[bèlla]

I don't believe God intended for ministers to bilk people out of money to fund lavish lifestyles. They're culpable for failing to exercise discernment. I attended three prominent churches in the past. They had their good and bad points. I would never fund a jet, extravagant building funds, or the other stuff they come up with. I'm too discriminating.

A lot of them are salesmen. They know the words and strings to pull to get a response. The church is a business and relies on income for sustenance. That's you and whatever else they're marketing.

I'm not opposed to supporting a worthy cause. But I require accountability. I'm not writing a check and hope you do the right thing. You need to demonstrate that upfront.

It's easy to have initiatives when it isn't coming out your pocket. A lot of this stuff is unnecessary. If you drink the koolaid you believe otherwise. I don't. I know better.

 

[JohnPaul88]

The Osteens come to mind as do Jim and Tammy Faye Baker, Jimmy Swaggart and so forth.

Billy Graham is the only one I can say was honest.

 

[1watchman]

Christianity was always supposed to be about relationships (us with God and each other).

Running a church as an organizational system tends to reduce human connections to scripted and programmed functions. This becomes more so the larger the church gets.

Also the division between clergy and laity often transitions to an even worse state of performer and audience. This tends to reduce Christianity to a consumer event once a week.

Yes, and that is why I left the denominated sects some years ago, to be with a Bible-only Church assembly fellowship, which is worldwide --following much of the Epistles for Church ways: an assembly in every city of one mind (note such as Acts 15:23; Romans 12:5; Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor.1:2; 1Cor.12:25-26; Phil. 4:22; Heb.13:24; Col. 4:15-16; etc. See too what God says in 1 Peter 2:5 and verse 9 about ALL saints as a "holy" and "royal priesthood".

Note that church assemblies in one place sent letters of commendation for ones visiting in other cities, as the Epistles show.

I learned much about this unity universal at the sound cite: Biblecounsel.net, which helped me see what God intends for His universal fellowship. Well, to each his own ways, but let us take "all the counsel of God"; "rightly dividing the Word of Truth", as our God tells us --would you say?

 

[philadelphos]

Quote: “The higher up you go in church leadership, the less likely you will encounter Jesus”

The Lord said, "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" (Mt 7:16)

Romans 16:17-18: "Mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."

 

[Sketcher]

Yes, the so-called prosperity gospel is toxic. However, not all megachurches are prosperity gospel, and not all prosperity gospel churches are mega (or even big or wealthy).

 

[JohnPaul88]

Remember Jim Jones, Paradise Lost Paradise found!

Eerily enough he had a sign behind him that read, "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it"

Yet we haven't remembered anything, we keep repeating history over and over again.