From the Desk of Jeff King

Fleecing the flock

I cringed as I watched Mike Murdock seduce TV viewers into giving to the Daystar Christian network. The man who wears a $25,000 Rolex watch and drives a $70,000 BMW advised a single mother to sow a generous financial seed. In exchange, she and all the donors could expect uncommon favor, wisdom and prosperity from the Almighty. The snake oil was gushing at this point. He instructed Christians to go to their phones and make a pledge. And do it quickly. Delayed obedience becomes disobedience, he warned. Now Murdock was laying a guilt trip on them.

I turned off the TV. Murdock, an evangelist from Texas, never once addressed sin, repentance or walking humbly with God. I can't recall if he ever mentioned the name Jesus, although he repeatedly called upon the Holy Spirit. Murdock is the Donald Trump of the Word Faith movement. His website promotes a conference entitled "The Uncommon Millionaire." Just once I'd like to see a preacher come on TV and announce, with a straight face, he is asking for . . . absolutely nothing. Instead, the man of God would invest into the lives of viewers by truthfully preaching from God's Word without any hint of compromise or profit. Isaiah 55:1-3 is one passage I'd like to hear go over the airwaves uncensored:

Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you –
The sure mercies of David.

This is beautiful. The LORD is wooing us to come to Him directly. You can bypass the pledge cards and membership drives. Notice that the invitation is free to anyone who thirsts or hungers for truth. According to the Jewish sages, as wine causes the heart to rejoice (Psalm 104:15) so does Torah (Psalm 19:8). Torah sustains the soul and nutures it just as milk sustains the suckling. The LORD says to "eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance." Notice, too, that God uses words like "listen carefully" and "incline your ear." In other words, don't pay attention to the Hinns, Murdocks and Copelands. Their manna is counterfeit.

I'm not against professional ministers making a living. Yeshua told His disciples that a laborer is worthy of his wages (Luke 10:7). But too many televangelists are preying on Christians to support lavish, carnal lifestyles. The apostle Paul, I believe, had these predators in mind when he wrote Ephesians 5:5-6 – "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them."