THE NOBLE BEREAN: Volume Four October-December 2005

“Sowing Your Faith Seed” or “Dialing For Dollars? ” –The TBN Praise-A-Thon

By Michael C. Gaudiosi - The Berean Radio Network

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN! Well, here we go again! It’s Praise-A-Thon time! If you tuned into TBN during the week of October 31^st, you saw the parade of stars…the spiritual elite stars that is! Among them were Paul and Jan Crouch, Juanita Bynum, Paula White, Jentezen Franklin, Mark Chironna and a host of other Word Faith teachers that gathered together for one week telling you to “sow a seed” or “sow a seed faith promise” or “sow a faith promise seed” …etc, however you slice it, it’s the same thing! The whole idea here is for you to “go to the phone and give”. This is your act of obedience to the Lord and if you hesitate, you are in rebellion! They don’t come out and say that directly, well at least some of them don’t, but that is usually what is meant here. I have been watching this lunacy all during the week it was on, and I wanted to give my two cents worth in this newsletter.

Now, I was thinking at the outset, that if I watched long enough, I’d eventually hear the story of Elijah and the widow woman (see 1 Kings 17:8-16). Well, I did and it was only three days into the TBN Praise-A-Thon! If you read that passage of Scripture, you’ll see nothing in regards to Elijah, or the widow woman sowing any “seed faith offering”, just simple obedience to the Word of the Lord! It’s just amazing that as they are pushing for pledges on television, the Lord out of the blue, “speaks” to them and says something to the effect that there are 10 or 20 people that need to sow $1000 dollars! I actually saw Paula White say that God told her that people need to give $66.12 per month for a year in accordance to Psalm 66:12, which states: Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. So you see, it has to be of God, because the word “wealthy” is there!

I watched in utter horror as Juanita Bynum stirred up the TBN in-studio audience to a frenzy of hooting and hollering, jumping up and down, and all manner of chaos. This went on for a good five to ten minutes, only to eventually lead up to this so-called “prophetess” asking…no, rather DEMANDING people to get to their phones and give $1000 dollars. She even had the audacity to insist that single parents watching via television MUST give $300 dollars! I saw Larry Huch give an outrageous speech on how Jesus shed His blood seven times! He tried to explain this ridiculous claim by erroneously "teaching" from Leviticus 16:14 - And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. Aaron the high priest sprinkled the blood of the bullock seven times, hence Larry Huch's claim that Jesus shed his blood seven times!(Note: Mr. Huch needs to realize that the bullock was not Christ, but only a FORESHADOW of Christ). Then Larry threw in the sales pitch: That you are to go to the phone and pledge $100 dollars for every time Jesus shed His blood, which comes to a grand total of $700 dollars!! Mr. Huch, please go and read Matthew 22:29 - Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

Amazing!! They do not simply ask people to pledge, but rather are direct in putting the guilt trip by getting people to think that if you don’t call in and pledge, then you are not obedient or faithful to God’s vision of TBN reaching the world with the Gospel and you will not receive your miracle. The emphasis in these Praise-A-Thons, year after year, is that the Gospel needs to be spread throughout the world, and TBN is the only means for this to be accomplished. Never mind the fact that there has been scores of missionaries sacrificing everything to go into the world and preach the Gospel, some even losing their lives, long before TBN ever existed! Now as I watched, I heard the same dialogue over and over. Each preacher that spoke may have presented it differently, but the idea was the same. Now, I do not want to emphasize on what the TBN crowd were saying, as bad enough as it was, but rather the emphasis here is on what they DID NOT say! If you were to listen to their dialogue long enough as I did, then you would know what they were NOT saying! TBN is supposed to be a Christian TV network, but during these 7 days of Praise-A-Thon, in all the time I had been watching it, I did not hear ONE SINGLE WORD of the Gospel! I mean, yes, they said the word “gospel” a few times, and also mentioned the blood of Jesus, by "pleading the blood" here and there, but they did not preach THE Gospel of Jesus Christ!

 

Not once did they mention the cross! Not once had I heard even one call for sinners to repent! Nothing about sin and separation, justification by faith. Not once I heard denial of self, take up the cross and follow Jesus! It’s just the exact opposite! It was all about SELF! What God can do for you! They are always telling you that if you’re going through difficult times in your life, well hang on, your breakthrough is coming! God is going to bring you to a new level! Just go to the phone and sow your seed to TBN! They NEVER tell you that difficult times are a part of growth as a Christian. James 1:2-3 states - My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. So you see, based on Scripture, it does not matter how much you give to TBN, you’ll still go through trials, that’s a given! But no matter what, they will still tell you to go to your phone and pledge your hard earned dollars to their network so they can continue to stay on the air and promote the likes of Joel Osteen, TD Jakes, Marilyn Hickey, Kenneth Copeland, Jesse Duplantis and more false teachers like them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!

Now again, I want to make the point that this whole newsletter is based on what I‘ve seen and heard with my own eyes and ears on TBN, not someone else’s account, or by hearsay, but by my very own eyewitness account. I saw and heard Paul Crouch for myself say that Christians need to unite together and support TBN and not squabble over doctrine. Squabble over doctrine? So the implication here is that people like me, that disagree with their warped theology, and stand for sound doctrine are the Pharisees that cause division. Well, let’s see what the Scripture has to say about this.

In Romans chapter 16 verse 17 it states - Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. Now this is how Paul Crouch and the TBN crowd would quote this Scripture - Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences; and avoid them. Notice what is left out? Those who cause division are not the ones like me who stand for biblical doctrine, but are the TBN bunch who teach “contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned”. 2 John chapter 1 verses 9-11 says - Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.  ¹⁰If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:  ¹¹For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Right off the bat the Apostle John states here that it is sin not to abide or adhere to the doctrine, or the teaching of Christ, and those that do not, HAVE NOT GOD!! Kind of makes me wonder about Paul Crouch and TBN when he says that doctrine is irrelevant. John also states that we are not to welcome them in our house, or wish them God speed, or God’s blessings otherwise we are partakers in their evil deeds! Think about that before you pledge your “seed faith” to TBN! So where does true unity come from? Read Acts chapter 2:42-46 - And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.  ⁴³And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.  ⁴⁴And all that believed were together, and had all things common;  ⁴⁵And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.  ⁴⁶And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. What was first at the top of the list? Verse 42 states they (the believers) continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine! Then and only then was there true fellowship and unity!! Paul Crouch needs to go into the Scripture and read this for himself. So much for squabbling over doctrine!

TBN will continue to tell you that if you give, God will bless you, He will bring you health and wealth, and even help get your loved ones off drugs, and even get them saved! So they are selling miracles, even though they claim you can’t buy God’s blessings. My reply to that would be the same as Peters in Acts chapter 8 when Simon offered Peter money for the Holy Ghost. He said in Acts 8:20-22 - But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.  ²¹Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.  ²²Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. I have never ONCE given one thin dime to TBN and God has blessed my life abundantly, and I don’t mean wealth and prosperity, but with always meeting my needs! Read on and I’ll tell you how!

SOLA SCRIPTURA – THE SCRIPTURE ALONE!

It is true that we need to be givers! Jesus said in Luke 6:38 - Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. The Apostle Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 9:7 - Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. But read what it says in the next verse v8 - And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

My point here is, if you’re going to give to the preaching of the Gospel, then give to your local church! I am a member of a solid Bible believing New Testament fundamental baptist church in Waterbury CT and I support this church financially because of the support we give to twenty-seven missionaries around the world who give their lives on a daily basis in order to preach the Gospel to a lost and dying world! This is sowing seed into good soil! You’ll never see these missionaries on TBN! My church is looking to support two more missionaries, and as God moves we’ll be able to support more! It is a blessing for me to give to my church, because of our stand on sound scriptural doctrine and our heart for missions around the world, and the Lord blesses me by taking care of my needs and meeting them all, both spiritually and physically! Find a Bible believing New Testament church that preaches the whole counsel of God and supports missions around the world, and then support that church with your time, efforts and talents, and your finances!

Better to give to your local church than to a TV ministry, although I have nothing against giving to ministries outside of the local church, so long as they are of like mind and faith. But my giving is first to my local church that takes top priority! I’m not going to give my money to a “Christian” ministry that spends a week begging for money without even once preaching the Gospel! I know this may make some people upset, especially that I dare speak against the great TBN! After all, I’m only a tiny hole-in-the-wall internet radio ministry, what do I know? Well the size of the ministry is irrelevant, all I’m doing is what Paul commanded in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 - Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. It says prove ALL things! That includes TBN and also The Berean Radio Network! I could go on and on, but, like I said, that’s my two cents worth! Search the Scripture for yourself!

SOLA SCRIPTURA! The Scripture ALONE! May the Lord bless you!

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Used by permission of The Berean Radio Network.  Our thanks to Mike Gaudiosi for his fine article.

Blessings,
Rev. Wise