Thanks to Independent Conservative for keeping us aware of what men like this are gaining from the “gospel.” I was actually more surprised by the results of the news poll at the end of the video than I was that yet another preacher is using the Gospel to live like a king.
With all the damage that men like this do to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, is it any wonder why Atheism is growing?
Christ Alone Wyoming 
A few things:
First of all, this coming from the UCC doesn’t surprise me at all. They’ve become a cesspool of apostacy, especially on their liberal views of homosexuality & the church (they actually endorse it)
Anyway, this is something that makes me very angry!!! Christ NEVER called someone to follow Him because it’s going to make your life easy. If anything, following Christ, in my opinion, especially in this day & age, is a lot HARDER. If you’re a Christian, you can’t expect to coast through life!!! It’s an uphill battle, which you wouldn’t survive if you didn’t have the Lord to lead you.
My father, a professor of Theology & a godly man, was at peace in the summer of 2000 (I was 11) as the cancer that he had ate away at his body & through which the Lord called him Home. He knew that as a believer, he had no reason to fear death. This probably was no easy task, thinking about the fact that he would leave me, my brother & mother behind, until one day we would be reunited amongst the glories of heaven & the Throne of the Lord & be together for eternity.
I have some distant relatives, whom I refer to as Uncle Chris & Aunt Audrey, who certainly aren’t enjoying a huge manison on the hill. They & their boys live a simple, but spirit-filled life on their farm (they’ll be moving soon from their farm in IL to a farm near Rochester, NY). They may not be raking in the dough, but they’re a family filled with the Holy Spirit & love for their family members & those around them. Theirs is a life, not based on worldliness & ease, but on the Gospel & they’re one of the most joyful families I know. The same with my 83 yr. old grandma in California & several other family members.
HOW CAN SOMEONE SAY THAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS TO BE ONE OF PEACE & HAPPINESS!!! Our Lord stated clearly that life as a follower of Him will be difficult & much harder that following the ways of the world, but those who persevere through these trials & live faithfully will have a great reward waiting for them when we meet Christ face to face.
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Wow, there’s a lot that could be said here, but it would be such a large post that no one would read it. So, I’ll try to keep it brief.
First, God bless you and your family, Caleb, for the loss of your father. It is a testimony to the Word and Spirit of the one true God that we may find peace beyond the loss of one we love so dearly. I am facing this same issue today: My father is probably in his last days because of cancer.
Second, the life of one following Christ in faith is DEFINITELY not one that would would be characterized by the word “ease”. Christ has called us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. (Matt. 16:24-26) We CANNOT live a life of luxury and ease at the expense of the need of our brethren and declare we live a life pleasing to God. (1 John 3:17) How can we expect to be glorified with Christ if we do not suffer with Him? (Romans 8:17) Suffering for Christ is not only physical, or fiscal, but when there are so many in the world with need, how can one justify millions of dollars being spent for luxury? A laborer should receive what he has earned (Luke 10:7, 1 Tim. 5:18) and preachers/teachers should be honored with a good but modest living (1 Tim. 5:17), but to live in luxury at the expense of the needs of others is not faithfulness to God.
Thirdly, consider the message of the prosperity-gospel preachers who live such life-styles: Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Creflo Dollar, Joel Osteen, et. al. It is not difficult to discern that their message is not one of serving Christ, but serving themselves.
ReformationNation: Kenneth Copeland and his personal 20 million dollar jet.
More Scripture that, IMO, speaks to this issue:
Parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31)
Seek only to have what is necessary (Prov. 30:8-9)
Love of money is (one) root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10)
Love not the things of the world for they are not of God (1 John 2:15-16)
And there’s plenty more, but I will stop for brevity sake.
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I’m sure Kenny-Benny-Creflo could find that part where Jesus said, “Take up thy big screen TV and follow Me.” I’ll just tack on a little bit more to what Cruci-Fide said:
Luke 12:15–“And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.'”
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