Sunday, December 14, 2014

Benny Hinn Fraud: 4 Points

This is from Corrie Mitchell, posted over at radio host Janet Mefferd's website......may be of interest to some of the non-SDA readers here who follow the fraud known as Benny Hinn.....

"There are a lot of things you should try at least once in your life — skydiving, .... traveling alone. Let me give you one thing not to add to that list: attending a Benny Hinn Holy Spirit Miracle Service.

If you ever go, here are unsettling things you’ll experience:

1. You’ll second-guess your Bible knowledge.

When you hear Benny Hinn make statements like, “The prophets all prospered. They had no debt .” . it stops you in your tracks. Wait — what? No they weren’t. Were they? You might grab your Bible to check, or you might just realize, Of course that’s not right. What about Elijah, who lived in a cave and had ravens bring him bread to eat? Or John the Baptist, who wore clothing made of camel’s hair and ate locusts and honey?
Or, what about Jesus, who was born in a stable, buried in a borrowed tomb, and had no place to lay his head?


2. You’ll realize he’s in control of everything in his world.

From the musician to his audience to the very God he claims to represent, Hinn exerts control over it all. He orders his pianist to play a certain way, and tells him to stop and switch it up when he wants a different mood. He tells his audience how to worship and how much money to give him. And he knows his audience so well — he mentions their material needs, then says things like, “I want you to sow $1,200, because I believe 120 is the number of liberty in the Bible.” Then he confidently promises they’ll be debt free in one year, as if he’s in control of that, too.
Question for Mr. Hinn: If 120 is the biblical number of liberty — which…what? – then why not just have people give $120?


3. You’ll discover that he owns up to the prosperity gospel.

Unlike the Joel Osteens of the world, Hinn embraces the prosperity gospel by name. He even calls out “anti-prosperity pastors” and says they just don’t get it. At a Holy Spirit Miracle Sevice, Hinn will say “sow your seed” and “prosperity is for real” more times than you can count. And more:
You can’t expect millions from the Lord if you give him some small amount.In Jesus’ name, we’ll have surplus. Financial surplus is mine . . . is ours.You’re coming out of debt in the next 12 months if you really believe this.
Hinn even sends you mail a week later, complete with return envelope and offering card, reminding you to sow your “seed-gift” in order to change your circumstances.


4. You may end up walking out.

For two reasons. One, these things last upwards of five hours. But the main reason you won’t last the five hours is that you’ll get to a point of such total outrage at what he’s saying that you won’t be able to stomach hearing it any longer.

When the service first started, I found Hinn somewhat humorous. Then I realized the thousand-plus people there were taking every word he said as truth, and I felt really sad for those people.
But it didn’t take long for that feeling to be replaced by anger. Hinn is taking advantage of hurting people — and using Jesus to do so, no less. That’s why you walk out."
Beware of false prophets, .....
Ye shall know them by their fruits.
Matthew 7:15,16