As I was preparing my message for today, the Lord
interrupted me again with a direction that I must
obey. The other day, I received the below article -
along with some others into my Inbox. This one in
particular caught my immediate attention. I was
shocked to read its contents.
Let me say that the first reference can easily be
zeroed down to one of three women who are prominent in
the Christian circles today. Imagine that! Some of you
may be patronizing this type of ministry. Do you
really believe that Jesus will say to you as you enter
Heaven's Glory one day - "Well done, My good and
faithful servant. You have been faithful over the
resources that I gave you" - when you see what is
happening to the monies you contribute?

And excuse me a minute while I get on my soap box and
preach a little here! What is this new fad among women
ministers who are going out and getting breast
implants, face lifts, and lip jobs to make their lips
bigger and more noticeable? Is it any wonder that
there is so much adultery and divorce in the Church
today - with all of this emphasis on the flesh among
Preachers?

Since when do people care if a Woman Minister has a
Barbie doll physique or has a face free of wrinkles?
We are all for exercise, fitness, and looking your
best for Jesus. But, we must all agree that the only
thing that really matters in a Preacher's life and
ministry is the anointing of the Holy Ghost! That is
the only thing that the devil fears above all else!
Well, below is an article written by Lee Grady, the
editor of Charisma - a popular Christian magazine.
May it stir you to the core as it did us.
It's time to get "radical" for Jesus! It's time to
"stand up" and be counted.
And never forget what God's Word says in Hebrews 12:14
- "...and holiness, without which no man shall see the
Lord."

- Connie Giordano

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Some bigheaded preachers demand rock star treatment.
If the apostle Paul were around today he might throw
rocks at them.
Just when I thought we charismatics had finally taken
enough abuse from the egomaniac ministers in our
midst, I've learned that some of our leaders are
taking things to a new extreme. We've moved beyond the
red carpets, limousines and entourages of the 1990s. A
new strain of the celebrity virus is spreading in
large segments of the church.
"What is this sickness spreading in the body of
Christ? All I know is that God is grieved by all of
this shameful carnality."
One friend of mine in Texas recently inquired to see
if a prominent preacher could speak at her conference.
The minister's assistant faxed back a list of
requirements that had to be met in order to book a
speaking engagement. The demands included:
- five-figure honorarium
- $10,000 gasoline deposit for the private plane
- manicurist and hairstylist for the speaker
- suite in a five-star hotel
- luxury car from the airport to the hotel (2004 model
or newer)
- room-temperature Perrier
This really makes me wonder how the apostle Paul,
Timothy or Priscilla managed ministering to so many
people in Ephesus, Corinth and Thessalonica. How did
they survive without a manicurist if they broke a nail
while laying hands on the sick?
I was relieved to know that this celebrity preacher's
requirements in 2007 did not include a set of armed
bodyguards-because I just might want to jump uninvited
into her Rolls-Royce and say a few words.
It gets worse, if you can believe it. At a charismatic
conference in an East Coast city recently, a pastor
stood on a stage in front of a large crowd and smugly
announced that the guest speaker was "more than an
apostle." Then the host asked everyone to bow down to
the person, claiming that this posture was necessary
to release God's power.
"This is the only way you can receive this kind of
anointing!" the host declared, bowing in front of the
speaker. Immediately, about 80 percent of the audience
fell prostrate on the floor. The few who were
uncomfortable with the weird spiritual control in the
room either walked out or stood in silent protest.
So today, I guess it's not enough to feed a celebrity
preacher's ego by treating them like a rock star. We
also are required to worship him.
And apparently in some places you even have to pay big
bucks to speak with him. In a city in the South, a
well-known preacher is known to ask for money in order
to secure a five- or 10-minute counseling session. The
minister uses Proverbs 18:16, "A man's gift makes room
for him and brings him before great men" (NASB), to
support this bizarre practice. Some people are known
to give more than $1,000 for a short meeting.
People on fixed incomes need not apply. (That would
include lepers, blind beggars, Samaritan women or any
other social outcasts who were welcomed and healed by
Jesus without payment.)
What has become of the American church? What is this
sickness spreading in the body of Christ? I don't know
whom to blame more for it: The narcissistic minister
who craves the attention, or the spiritually naive
crowds who place these arrogant people on their shaky
pedestals. All I know is that God is grieved by all of
this shameful carnality.
How far we have fallen from authentic New Testament
faith. Paul, who carried the anointing of an apostle
but often described himself as a bond slave, told the
Thessalonians, "Having so fond an affection for you,
we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the
gospel of God but also our own lives" (1 Thess. 2:8).
New Testament Christianity is humble, selfless and
authentic. And those who carry the truth don't preach
for selfish gain or to meet an emotional need for
attention. May God help us root out the false apostles
and false teachers who are making the American church
sick with their man-centered, money-focused heresies.
- Lee Grady
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http://www.walkingintruth.org/
http://www.walkingintruth.org/donate.html
WALKING IN TRUTH MINISTRY
P. O. Box 383016
Duncanville, TX. 75138-3016
Copyright 2007 by Connie Giordano