Styling on the Road to Ruin

John Whitehead's recent column on the congressional investigation of several high-profile ministries should be even more disturbing to Christians than non-Christians.

I don't know whether they're guilty of the thing of anything criminal; for the sake of the Gospel's credibility, I hope they're not (I know that the moral failures of human beings does nothing to undermine God's truth, but unfortunately many non-Christians don't understand that).

I'm not familiar with this Creflo Dollar guy, but his lifestyle sounds extravagant, even if he's legally and morally on the up-and-up. Rolls Royces and private jets for a minister just doesn't sound right. I wouldn't begrudge ministry leaders from having nice things or having a comfortable lifestyle; 1 Timothy 5:18 indicates those who minister deserve a living. But Rolls Royces and private jets sound badly out of tune with their Master who "has nowhere to lay His head" (Luke 9:58).

And as for Trinity Broadcasting Network which Whitehead mentioned, they often show some good programs (I sometimes hear about them through press releases and other news sources), but I've watched the network probably less than 10 times in my life. The gaudy sets with all this ornate gold trim and frillies and stuff, to me isn't befitting the humility of Christ and frankly makes me want to puke every time I see it.

I don't think people in ministry need to drive around junker cars and live in slum houses (though I do know a number of pastors with a servant's heart who drive junkers because they minister to small congregations and groups for peanuts in pay). If God is blessing a ministry financially, I don't think there's anything wrong with pastors and staff having a comfortable salary. But a lot of this stuff is way over the top; it would bless others more and lend more credibility to the ministry if more of that abundant wealth were spent expanding the ministry or building up other ministries.

Sometimes God blesses with wealth; after all, Job and Abraham were wealthy men of their time, and so were David and Solomon, and indications are that the apostle John came from wealth. But the Bible makes it clear that for most of us, serving the Lord is more likely to involve hard times than an extravagant lifestyle: 2 Corinthians 1:5-7, Philippians 3:10, Philippians 3:18-19, Luke 9:23-24, 2 Timothy 3:12, Galatians 5:24, Colossians 1:24, 1 Peter 4:1, James 1:2-3 to name a few.

I've known some good-hearted people who have bought into this prosperity gospel business. Sometimes it involves such deep theology as "God wants me to be happy, so..." which is sometimes used to justify behavior that is unBiblical (Biblically groundless divorce?, not honoring other commitments?), and sometimes used to justify an over-emphasis on material gain. Though all believers are responsible for obedience to God, these high-powered prophets of prosperity are even more culpable (James 3:1).

This "gospel of prosperity" stuff is a LIE. God will bless some with wealth and will work through their wealth. God will work great things with many more through their needs, sufferings and trials.

There's nothing wrong with having nice things. But when you're a minister with a Rolls Royce and a private jet, but your Lord didn't even own a donkey of His own, there's something very wrong with that picture.