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Thursday, May 14, 2009

Propserity: The Gospel Of Excess


"I get so mad when I see these pimpin' preachers driving Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, flying around in their private jets, and making it seem like prosperity and money is the way of God when 90 percent of your congregation is on Section 8 or can't figure out how they are going to keep their lights on or feed their kids." ~Donnie McClurkin by Kenya N. Byrd Essence Magazine 3/26/2009

Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous
In a recent interview with Essence Magazine Donnie McClurkin posed that lifestyles of leaders of churches were out of control and out of hand. He further stated that individuals sometimes preach and place monetary burdens on their congregations while they themselves live a life of luxury. There was and is much commentary on both sides of the issue as to just how a preacher should live and conduct themselves among the congregation.

Now the backdrop is this, for a number of years the church has been under attack for its excess social and moral practices. It would seem that the current financial recession is also bringing much of this to the surface, and I say thankfully.

The lifestyles of the minister and church have caught the attention of everyone both favorable and unfavorable, church and secular. Rod 2.0 Beta reports that not only is attendance at mega church New Birth MB Lithonia, GA. down but tithes are down over 20% since 1993. They also reported this about Bishop Eddie Long and his 2009 Easter Service which normally was held annually at the Georgia Dome:
  • "Bishop Long, who routinely preaches his sermons dressed in expensive tailored suits and dripping in diamonds, acknowledges that his members are no longer receptive to his "prosperity" message since many of them have lost their jobs and homes."
The first observation that we must agree with is that there ARE excesses and immoralities that have occurred that have not represented Christ nor his church. There are individuals who "fleece the sheep" for selfish gain and accolades. Secondly, there are yet a growing number of instances in which individuals within the church have caused the church to continue to be seen and regarded in a negative light.

Improper Biblical Insights:

Much of this sort of thing can be raced back to E.W. Kenyon but the whole Word Of Faith prosperity type teachings got it's start, in modern times, from individuals like the late Kenneth Hagin who taught that you can "write your own ticket" with God. Affectionately called Dad Hagin, in his book entitled "How To Write Your Own Ticket With God" which is a expose all fast rack to the throne room of heaven, Dr. Hagin said that the Lord said this to him:
  • "If anybody anywhere, will take these four steps or put these four principles into operation, he will always receive whatever he wants from me or from God the father"..."That includes whatever you want financially." The formula is simply, "1- say it, 2- do it, 3- receive it, and 4- tell it" As recorded in Exceedingly Growing Faith 2ed (Tulsa, OK: Kenneth Hagin Ministries 1988 pg. 73-74 (Numbers added)
In Hagin's teaching there was no acknowledgement of faith or believing prayer or even the will of God. Another part of the problem that we face within the church today stems from how many individuals misinterpret or just plain lie about their place and position within the kingdom of God. Some tend to think they are Kings, while others claim that they are "special preachers to the nation" (ala: Juanita Bynum) . For a long time now the late, defunct preacher, Bishop Earl Paulk, taught what was deemed as the "Doctrine Of The Kings Meat" which was wrapped in his "Kingdom Now Theology". These teachings allowed him to have congregational excesses such as money and sexual favors over a period of about 40 years, while restricting others to the pews and demanding that they not questioning the "anointing". By the way Bishop Paulk's most recent lawsuit was dropped in 2007. I don't know but I haven't heard that he repented along the way. If he did (before he passed)please let us know by referencing the article.

Some of these individuals proudly proclaim who they are and what they want and do. For instance, there's Dr. Bill Winston who confesses that he is a "prosperity preacher". Many of his supporters go on to contrast by saying what else should a preacher be? A "poverty preacher"?

Although that may be a trite response, the real danger is in his theology. Not only does he fall in the line of faith teachers and the Word Of Faith movement by teaching that faith is a force, he also teaches that believers (members of his church) are kings and he is a priest.

Dr. Winston, a former highly successful IBM Sales Director, has said that the congregation is to go out and get the money and to come in and give the money to him because he is the priest. In reward for this they can then have that new Mercedes, mansion or even an airplane. In other words the promise of God has a material one to one equivalency. Still, there are additional problems. In his book, "The Kingdom Of God In You" Dr. Winston sets forth the notions that even sincerely saved persons can unwittingly live under satan's rule, and that the promises of God rarely come from the outside sovereign work of God, but from the internal kingdom already within an individual. It's evidence that Dr. Winston doesn't recognize the total sovereignty of God both internally and externally and relinquishes and ultimately restricts God's sovereignty to external circumstances only. These are disturbing teachings and suggestions to say the least, and have very serious biblical and theological implications. Dr Winston has a new book coming out called the Law Of Confession which I plan to also review on this site.

For some individuals, giving the benefit of the doubt of spiritual correctness is all based on what ability they have or accomplishments they have amassed. For instance in the recent address the General Assembly of the Church Of God In Christ Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake set forth the following notion and response in defending his action of endorsing and signing the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights (UDHR):
  • I’ve got too much work to do for the Lord, to be obsessed with somebody else’s faults or pursuits. One hundred and fifty eight people got saved at West Angeles on Sunday. I pastor your largest church, and it gives more to missions that any other church in our denomination. Each year for the last twenty four years my jurisdiction has given more than any other jurisdiction in financial reports. Wisdom is justified by her children. Before you believe a person’s allegations, check to see what kind of children that person has produced. What kind of work have they done?

In other words, from the Bishop's statements the gauge that the church should use in discerning right from wrong and truth from error is material success. Whether that be in the ability to create large churches or in the ability to wield massive amounts of money. (I'll do another post regarding The Bishop's misstatements on the UDHR in another post) So in essence, wielding money and drawing crowds is a validate of success when Jesus name is attached. This is not the gospel of the Kingdom, this is the gospel of self and self kingdom pursuit and validation. Neither John the Baptist nor Jesus had churches, buildings or large treasuries, but both were more highly successful than any now walking. Then there are a list of Apostles that follow the same route.

Naturally, we understand that the Kingdom requires material blessing and financial arrangements. The problem is the obtuse rendering of these things and the seeming pyramid structures, schemes and psycho-manipulation that these ministers use to amass money and increase their wealth.
Those schemes never seem to exist greater than when mixed with vacations disguised as spiritual retreats to places such as Las Vegas. Yes, as confirmed by Melvin Jones at Pulpit Pimps, Sin City is where Bishop I.V. "Money Man" Hilliard plans to retreat for spiritual empowerment in July 2009. Now, we know that there is no city that is so called more spiritual than another, however there are some more conducive to sin than others. By it's nickname (Sin City) Las vegas has been labeled as "Whatever Happens Here, Stays Here" and this is quite telling. Last I knew the only thing I wanted kept secret was SIN. On the other hand, we don't minimize that there are good people in Las Vegas. Thank God for Christians trying to win their community by their example, what we point to is the thought that material doctrine usually lead to materialistically based decisions and excesses with materialism and social status at heart.

Then there's the Leroy Thompsons of the world. Dr. Thompson's book, "Money Thou Art Loosed" set forth the notion that "prosperity is a mark of covenant. God desires for His children to live the abundant life financially, and there are things we can do to cooperate with God in faith to cause money to be loosed into our life."

These principles and "things" we can do usually have no regard or preferential treatment for them that are saved. In other words, if the unrighteous do the things that are outlined in most of these books and teaching messages, even they too will receive and overabundance.

One of the more popular ones of them all is Creflo "Crank Dem Dollars" Dollar In his book "8 steps To Create The Life You Want: The Anatomy Of A Successful Life" Regarding the books basic premise he says this:

"For instance, your words produce your thinking, your thinking drives your emotions, your emotions dictate your decisions, your decisions determine your actions, your actions shape your habits, your habits form your character, and your character determines your destiny. Today, I ask, is there anything missing in your life? If so, commit to walking out the eight steps in this book, and you will understand how to position yourself to experience change. What are you waiting for? You’re only eight steps away!"

Heretical Teachings & Metaphysical Beliefs
Another part to this teaching is the flat out heresy that exists among some of the more popular prosperity teachers. As if obtuse materialistic teaching weren't enough, Kenneth Copeland for instance has no idea about the deity of Christ from scripture or otherwise. He levied a long prophetic utterance in his "Believers Voice Of Victory" some years ago in which he claimed that the Spirit Of The Lord had spoken to him and told him the following:

"...The more you get to be like me, the more they're going to think that way of you. They crucified me for claiming that I was God. But I didn't claim I was God; I just claimed I walked with him and that he was in me. Hallelujah. ["Take Time To Pray" Believers Voice Of Victory 15,2 Feb. 1987:9]

The next month he would followup on questions he received by saying that he didn't say that Jesus wasn't God only that Jesus never made that claim here on Earth. [See "Christianity In Crisis", Hanegraaff (Harvest House 1993) pg. 138]

Obviously one can see either the total spiritual deception or total lack of biblical knowledge. Jesus made the claim to be God clearly in John 8:58 for instance
"58-Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59-Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by."

Jesus' declaration was the reason they (the pious Jews) wanted to crucify him. They considered that Jesus had committed blasphemy by equating himself with God. Not to mention John 1:1-18, Mt. 1:23, Jn. 20:28 and the entire usage of the word Lord (kurios) in Gk. which was the Septuagint (Greek New Testament) rendering of the Tetragram (the 4 sacred letters YHWH) from the Old Testament. Careful examination of this opens a whole new world of Jesus both declaring himself as God and openly receiving from others the same declaration. In fact John the Baptist declares Jesus to be the Lord (ie: God) for whom he is preparing the way according to Is. 40:3. This is confirmed in all gospels (Mt. 3:3, Mk. 1:3, Lk. 3:4, Lk. 1:16, and Jn. 1:23) The disciples ask the "Lord" (kurie, soson) to save them (Mt. 8:25) Peter later cries out the same, "Lord save me" (kurie soson me) when he began to sink after walking on water (Mt. 14:30). Jesus uses the double wording of Lord, Lord (Kurie, Kurie) to to emphasize his title of deity or control in the destiny of souls. (Mt. 7:21-22, Lk. 6:46 and Mt. 25:11) There are a host of other instances but the point is made clear, Kenneth DIDN'T get that word from the Lord Jesus or any heavenly angel at all. What Kenneth did was preach another gospel and we know the penalty for that. (Gal. 1:8-9)

Finally in this segment, there's Mark Chironna leveling prophecies based on one's ability to give, never mind who's receiving...just give. I've documented his false doctrine in "Not My Chironna" This gentleman has a broadcast called "Creating Your World" during which he affirms the metaphysical nature of words, teaches that believers have a "field of attraction" around them, and reduces the move of God to the ability to "make connections". Not to mention the fact that he teaches that everyone has the ability to use words to both shape and create circumstances in their lifves either favorable or non favorable. This goes beyond mere positive confession. It enters into the realm of mind altering creative abilities.
Materialistic Declaration

As Creflo suggests it is because of great character there is great prosperity. Wealth is because some have better abilities than others, playing heavily offf of the scripture of the steward that received talent according to their several ability (Mt. 25:15) one would naturally ask what accounts for the wealth of the atheist, such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffett? In every prosperity preachers arsenal there is a variation of this exact same premise to some degree along with a host of false prophecies.
Speaking of Creflo, I have a friend that was once a member of World Changers in Atl. Pastor Dollar PERSONALLY and SPECIFICALLY prophesied a son over her pregnant womb by the "spirit" and "inspiration" of the Holy Ghost. Several months later when A GIRL was born, pastor was shown to have added at least one more false prophecy to his arsenal.

We Must Stand For Truth At All Costs

Galations 5:1 ~ "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Christ has come to deliver us from the materialistic declaration of the prosperity crowd. These type of thoughts were the thoughts of Jesus day. He condemned those practices now along with his Apostles following suit after him. The scripture said this:

Mt. 6:33 ~ "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you"

Do either of these scriptures restrict us from material gain? NO. Do either of these scriptures require that we use poverty as a sign of righteousness? NO. Do either of these scriptures outline materialism as an indicator of spiritual success? NO. What these scriptures teach is that we, you and I, must prioritize our lives so that Jesus is at the top or the center of the plan. It can't be "me and Jesus" It must be Jesus alone.

Mt. 17: 1-8 ~ "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2-And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3-And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4-Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5-While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 6-And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7-And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8-And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only"


Blessed!

(Please excuse an earlier version full of spelling errors. Thank you.)

25 comments:

  1. You know Earl Paulk is dead right?
    His relatives said he repented. Im not sure what weight secret repentances hold.

    But this stunning array of wealthy false prophets in your story are also a judgment of God upon the itching ear culture in the church. They get what their wicked hearts desire. Some will follow these men straight into hell because they actually do want the riches without God. God is simply a prop to justify their rotten teachings.

    I believe that the church is so spiritually immature/carnal theives and wolves have easy pickings.

    Thanks Pastor B, for pointing out these wolves (I dont think they have even bothered to put on their fake sheep's clothing) so that those who truly desire the leading of Christ can flee to safety.

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    Replies
    1. I highly recommend many scholarly books including one titled "Misquoting Jesus" by Dr. Bart Ehrman. They will dispel the fog. He is the chairman of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

      Delete
    2. C,

      Since you are an evangelist of Dr. Ehrman, you should know the sentiments regarding his work around here. You can start by researching the various articles I've done on his work already. If you have any debate on those articles you can post them under those tags to make the conversation fruitful. I don't think that adding his blanket darkness to the confusion discussed in the article helps too much.

      Sorry!

      Delete
  2. Pastor, Are you using Donnie as a spokesperson?

    K

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  3. Gcmwatch,

    Thanks for that. I wen back and constructed my info a little better to reflect that. As I was doing some research, quite a few people passed away along the way. Some while waiting for trials over excesses...

    Absolutely, the wolves are in full bloom and they have their faithful to supoport them. Many of them don't care about doctrine. I believe you may have written a recent post on that.

    We must continue to preach the truth however. Thank God for you!

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  4. K,

    I know that seems ashame doesn't it? BUT I don't know of any personal info that may negate his (Donnie's) interview. All I hear is speculation, and much of that is unfounded...I do know this; he made his money in the music industry. With his popularity, he probably doesn't need any money from the church or preaching...In fact he's going back to the till again with a new release.

    I don't know. What u think?

    Pastor B

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  5. By the way, i don't know does Donnie do free concerts?

    I mean that may be aside from the point but some ETHICAL preacher's only occupation is ministry...NOW that's another post...should a preacher have only ONE occupation? A singular occupation gives rise to these sort of abuses...Paul didn't seem to mind working when he could...That's another thought.

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  6. It's like false prophets and teachers on parade in this post.

    I noticed now that alot of pastors are switching up their messages. It has gone from "God's favor is over you" to "trust God through the bad times."

    And the "just shall live by faith" Long gone are the prosperity messages. Now it is time to reap what we sow.

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  7. I think K has a point. In some respects Donnie Mac is problematic. I do agree with his remarks in the article.

    I know he is defining how he will talk about this issue, but most of his public remarks have only added more confusion. When truth is clear, speculation results. Especially with the Obama debacle he didnt really espouse a biblical position as much as he argued that he wasnt "homophobic".

    To me, it sounds like someone that doesnt want their life to become the issue. Although we are supposed to be living epistles.

    I read this article when it first came out, but I was hesistant to go along with Donnie, because he has profited from singing at these guys's conventions and conferences.

    Maybe thats why he didnt call names.

    Honestly, he confuses me.

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  8. Sorry, when truth is UNclear, speculation results.

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  9. Servant Of The Most High God,

    Yea, I've noticed the shift in the type of message that's being delivered.

    In Long's case it seems that people are weeding through the fluff. I only hope they are gravitating to something of substance.

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  10. GCMwatch,

    Donnie is confusing and i agree that he made money off of these same celebrity mega-church gurus that he's gotta be criticizing now. I was wondering how many doors will close in his face as a result...but on the other hand, people that love money usually find a way to deal with personality disturbances or issues...

    It's almost like he's biting the hand that has fed him

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  11. The link that discusses Eddie Long moving his service "Rob 2.0 Beta" is a gay website. May not matter much to some, but definitely not a great resource, or place to send your readers.

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  12. Dorian,

    Point well taken my friend. We know about Rob, Boykin and Jasmyn all are gay, but every now and then they offer a review that we should be aware of...

    Thanks though.

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  13. Pastor Burnett, just for clarification, are you placing
    Bishop Blake among the "prosperity preachers" you mentioned (e.g., Thompson, Dollar, Long, etc.) because of his statements made in the General Assembly (specifically the statement you printed) in defense of accusations that he, the leader of one of the largest holiness denominations in the world, supports gay marriage?

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  14. I think Bishop Blake's GA statement fits right in with the other "Im rich, therefore..." statements from the prosperity prophets.

    Its no secret that Bishop Blake lives the same lifestyle they do and has never refuted (at least on the record) any of the false doctrines they espouse.

    His remarks to me reveal an arrogance based on his monetary achievements. Its the same as the other false prophets listed. What's the difference, he's COGIC?

    The GA speech was just...shameful.

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  15. Concerned Saint,

    Thanks for the inquiry. Let me briefly deal with your assertions and commentary. You said this,

    Pastor Burnett, just for clarification, are you placing
    Bishop Blake among the "prosperity preachers" you mentioned (e.g., Thompson, Dollar, Long, etc.) because of his statements made in the General Assembly (specifically the statement you printed) in defense of accusations that he, the leader of one of the largest holiness denominations in the world, supports gay marriage?
    NO. That defense that he rendered hasn't been dealt with here yet. I will in my next post.

    I am emphasizing the Bishop's line of reasoning regarding the irreproach of his leadership regarding the UDHR. He suggests that his leadership (regarding the document in particular) is good because of his success in ministry, and that we should look at his fruit (material) to guage the direction of God and who to believe regarding the matter.

    In other words he is beyond reproach because he has managed to contribute top dollar financially, and amass the largest audience in the brotherhood.

    Those notions are challenged and I do not believe are spiritual grounds nor validation for any action, no matter who the minister is.

    The notions that he sets forth are consistent with Word Of Faith Theology and many of those within the WOF movement who hold similar views on material ability. In other words there is a class distinction between those in the "upper eschalon" and those who are in the "lower rungs" who must have special regard for the actions of those who consider that material success is equal to the approval of God. There IS no such validation within scripture.

    Now, what you really want to deal with is the UDHR and I'll deal with that in another post, as Bishop's apologetic is inaccurate regarding the document. The document IS CURRENTLY being used to endorse gay marriage SO THERE'S MORE THAN A "POTENTIAL" FOR IT TO BE USED as he consistently suggests.

    As I said I'll deal with that later.

    By the way, I have nothing against anyone's material wealth or achievements, especially the Bishop's. That's a good thing to save and use your money wisely. I have a problem when those things are used as levearge to invoke or usurp the "favor of God". It very well may be HIS favor, but there should be a more solid basis on which to make that judgement and one should not automatically assume that because a person has reached a certain level of material ability that they are "uniquely favored". I believe my point from the article was clear. If not that should do it for now...let me know if you need more though.

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  16. Concerned Saint,

    To address the question you raised i have prepared this for you: Did Our Bishop Obfuscate? You can go there to read and comment for specifics on Bishop's endorsement of the UDHR and why we don't need it. This is in addition to the other 2 posts I have done on the subject.

    Thanks and God bless.

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  17. I hate to say this and if Im wrong my deepest apologies, but I think "concerned saint" wasnt really a concerned saint but someone who was fishing.

    Time will tell.

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  18. Pastor Burnett and gcmwatch (Pastor Foster), I am floored!
    I asked one question because I really wanted to be sure that I understood what you were saying, and suddenly I am suspected of "fishing" and having a hidden agenda? This is not right, and I am so disappointed in you both because I perceived you as men of God with great insight and discernment.

    For months I've read and commented on both of your blog topics because I feel that you both value the truth of the word of God, and because many of the topics you address are not being addressed on a large scale by many of our Christian leaders. I have never spoken disrespectfully, nor have I accused you, nor argued, nor have I ever written anything with an ulterior motive. I asked simply because I have extremely strong feelings (negative feelings, I might add) concerning the doctrines and teachings of most of those you mentioned in your article (Hagin, Paulk, Bynum, Dollar, Thompson, Hilliard, etc.), and I was somewhat surprised to see Bishop Blake, the man that you and I, Pastor Burnett, call the Presiding Bishop of our church, numbered among them. I asked if he was in that list because of his statements in defense of the accusation that he supports gay marriage. I asked nothing about the UDHR. I don’t have any questions about that document. I’ve read it in its entirety, along with the response from Bishop Blake, and I posted my comments concerning the signing by COGIC representatives on GCM Watch on March 4th of this year. My feelings about that document bearing the signature of COGIC leaders and the implications of that have not changed.

    Pastor Foster, to answer your question that you so passionately posed in the Ex-Cast program that I heard today, “I am on the LORD’s side”. Please know that I’m not a “fisher”, I’m not a man-worshiper, and I’m not a gullible church-goer that blindly follows any man based on his celebrity, economic status, or charisma. God does not have respect of persons and neither do I. But I am indeed a “Concerned Saint” – concerned about many of the issues both of you have raised on your site, and even more concerned about the Church’s silence on these issues. And I have a special concern when the leader of my Church is implicated in any of the problems I feel are weakening our witness in the world and leading people to destruction.

    Yes, Pastor Foster, you are wrong. You have misjudged my motives, and Pastor Burnett, I believe you have also. Now, I find myself in a dilemma, because now I’m wondering: If you can be so wrong about me and my motives, could you also be wrong about some of the others you write about and theirs? Since I do enjoy your writings (both of you), I suppose I’ll just take the position that Pastor Foster has taken concerning me, and simply say that “Time will tell.”

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  19. Pt. 1
    Concerned Saint,

    Thanks for your response to the commentary.

    First let me backtrack. In my last post I said, "To address the question you raised i have prepared this for you"That was a very bad choice of writing. I did not mean to imply that what I had written was just for or because of YOU or your commentary. I apologize for that. I noticed it when I did it but was too lazy to go back and fix it...So I didn't mean to single you out.

    So far as Pastor Foster's comments, I believe you have posted directly on some blogs that he's done and he has his own experience with you. I can't speak on or address that as I haven't been privy to particular posts that gave rise to that suspicion.

    So far as Bishop Blake is concerned and both of our relationship to him being COGIC members, I couldn't agree more, it's disconcerting to even have to address this like this and as much as I DO respect Bishop (I've personally had no negative interactions)I am pained to have to be as "critical" as I've been of his actions...This certainly doesn't make everything he does wrong, but these are major items of major importance to not only COGIC's witness but the Church's witness in general.

    Now, I look at his advisors as I know that individuals just don't sit in a room by themselves and make decisions...some people think that COGIC operates like that and in some local churches they may...but he's got CALSS 1 advisors around him and I feel they (whoever they are) haven't done an adequate job advising him on many of these issues...

    Let's go back...When Gomes came to his church to preach...Where was his staff in advising him of Gomes history? To me that helped start the outside church "ball of wax" going in the wrong direction. Here we have a OPENLY homosexual professor speaking at the church??? What is that???

    Now one can say that he overlooked his advisors because that's what he really wanted to do etc...but I can only assume that somebody didn't do their job...So far as the UDHR, I KNOW Bishop hasn't and is not personally doing all the research...The initial response tells that. we have 4 people respond all claiming that they know what they were talking about and all 4 of them wrong in their assertions that this document had nothing to do with the homosexual agenda...

    IF I can find this info never traveling to the Hague, NY, or Washington DC. or anyplace of "importance" what about these guys who are around this and run in those circles...

    What makes it so bad is that IN MY OPINION they do inadequate research and Bishop's name is attached to it...That makes me upset about the whole issue.

    See part 2:

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  20. Pt.2 (for some reason I couldn't post the complete comment at once. Does anybody know why?)

    Concerned Saint,

    Now, I know I'm opening another can of worms, because some have said Bishop is guilty of all they imagine...Until it's proven and not just speculated, I'm not one of those people who believe every suggestion, because I've lived long enough to see that people SAY just about anything. That's ok, but as I've said before, provide evidence and then I'll take things seriously...

    Let's be specific. Some have said Bishop is a homosexual...OK...WHERE'S THE EVIDENCE? You mean to tell me that with about 100,000 people going in and out of the church weekly, noone can get a cell phone video of a "supposed" homosexual preacher in action??? Not even a sound blurp??? Then not even a SINGLE PERSON to go on record and even try to put together a story???

    Then you mean to tell me that a board of a church would sit back and hide the massive amount of money it would take to cover something up like that...those accusations don't even make sense to me because it stretches things beyond credulity.

    A lot of people suspect and say a lot of things...I know everybody doesn't lie all the time but I also know that there are enough liars that all they want to do is sink anybody's ship because of the inadequacies SINS of their hearts...

    I would hope at the end of the day that my efforts have made the church BETTER and more effective in ministry. If we have to repent, let's just do that and set the example for America and let the Glory of the Lord rise upon us!

    I wish to see this church enjoin the type of ministry that made it famous...the ego effacing type of ministry that preached the truth without reservation and lived what they preached.

    Somehow we've got this all twisted around, but that doesn't stop me from honoring the Lord in holiness in our churches and services. So for the critic who says that "Burnett need to leave COGIC" if I do leave, it won't be because of unproven speculations and what amounts to high class and viscous rumors.

    So Concerned Saint, thank you for sharing and if it seems that I singled you out, my apologies, please count that to my laziness. I'm glad that you have great concern for our church as the Lord has many that share the same concern...

    Thank you and my most sincere apologies.

    God bless.

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  21. Pastor Burnett, thanks for your heartfelt response. Apology is certainly accepted. God bless you.

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  22. Concerned saint, my deepest apologies to you. I dont know who "concerned saint"is and I have had several people use that moniker on my blog. Usually their remarks were one which I would term "fishing". Some I did not let post.

    I am glad I was wrong. But I would humbly suggest that you get another name which would distinguish yourself.

    Im not being trivial and I will engage anyone with a sincere desire to engage me even if they hold opposing views.

    I have just become wary of that phrase. Incidentally, it popped up more often when I wrote on Bishop Blake.

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  23. The day is coming that will burn like an oven say the prophet Malachi...where EVIL men will be consumed once and for all...They will be ashes on the ground!!!

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