This post is filled with vitriol, and hostility, and anger.
I have taken a long time away from television and an even longer time away from “christian tv”. Why I decided to watch it again, I cannot say. Here is a synopsis of what I have observed tonight.
Paula White show…talking about the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, and in fact walked through a full size replica built somewhere in the south. The whole point of her show was to talk about the Day of Atonement and how we need to honor that day today as Christians, because if we do God will bless us in 7 ways. So how do we honor the day and get the blessings? By sending a sacrificial gift to her ministry.
Another station…Grant Jeffrey is speaking with a couple about how the liberal media has distorted the whole Israeli/Palestinian conflict and how it is completely the fault of the Palestinians as to why there is no peace in the middle east and that Israel has done so much to try to make peace.
TBN…the Pastor being interviewed speaking about how the church needs to take control of every area of culture.
Jimmy Swaggart “Camp Meeting” a young man singing with a praise team on how HE was going to take back all that the devil had stolen from him, including his soul. Then an evangelist comes out and speaks to the congregation on how they are to honor God by giving sacrifically so that they receive God has for them. And the Lord told him that some can give $1000.00 or more. He prays and then people come running up to the stage to drop their money on the steps, hoping for that elusive blessing from God. After that a man in the congregation screams out “simbala…migutala…simbala…traniqua…blahbity bipity do…” and then conveniently interprets for us too.
Another station, ” Free 3 Fold Blessing Oil”… with a testimonial, woman sent for the oil because she couldn’t get pregnant, she anointed her “belly” went to the doctor and found out she was pregnant.
KTV…going to see horror movies will open you up to demonic influences…and partying too hard will cause you to get beat up and find yourself in a limo to hell with satan as the driver.
There is so much wrong with all of these but I will only say this. In most of these settings it was the viewer or the person in the congregation that needed to do SOMETHING to get God to do SOMETHING for them. Many of these situations puts the onus of failure or success on the person. There is only one problem with that. What is being taught is not Christianity, it is a false religion that uses just enough Christian words in order to manipulate people.
If Jesus is not the center, if Jesus is not the author and perfector of our faith, if Jesus is not the One that has fulfilled the law and secured for us forgiveness of our sins, a restored relationship with the Creator, and all the blessings of God, then it is not the Christian faith. Period.
And many are being deceived by the deceived.
Musings of a "not so good" Christian 
haha very nice! it’s funny how people still fall for those, but at the same time it’s also scary how some people are just so good at using faith as a way to manipulate people. thanks for posting!
Thank you for your response! It is funny, but at the same time it was heartbreaking to me seeing people on the one program literally running up to the stage and throwing their money at the feet of the evangelist because of his promise that God was seeing their sacrifice and was going to reward them abundantly. I despise using God as a tool of manipulation.
We have made Christianity over in our own image. For some, like the tv evangelist, it takes on the look of greed. For some it takes on our personal preferences and convictions. For some it takes on a look of comfort.
May God wash away our blinders so we can see Jesus for who he is and stop making him in our image. May we be transformed into the image of Christ.
I am in total agreement with your prayer Leanne!
The problem I see, is that most people expect God to either give them things or do things for them. These evangelists feed on that very common misconception that God is just the eternal giver of stuff!
They prey on the emotional and physical and financial needs of others, and it work for them. May God have mercy on their souls.
I’m going to just put it bluntly. I can’t watch those shows. They’re total crap. It’s just a ploy for them to extract money. They’re exploiting people, and God’s name — all because they are greedy. They will have to answer for it some day. For real.
Nice post. Great second to last paragraph – you nailed it.
this is awesome. ah faith…faith is such a personal journey. personally my journey was finding my own untainted relationship with god. there was no one who could help me to get to that place, either. it was all about opening myself the messages from my creator that were whispered so quietly that if i went about my normal obnoxious life, i never would have heard. i didnt have to send anyone any money. i had to start serving others that were less fortunate than myself, and when i started doing that i started to see god everywhere. especially in the eyes of the precious children i was teaching. there was no one on television (or in a church for that matter) who could show me that. god had to do it herself. and i had to listen.
Yes scripture says that those who practice such deception of christians shall be given their just desserts (my paraphrase). I can’t imagine the look on their faces when they stand before Christ expecting to receive crowns of glory for all their “good works” and receive nothing. Can anyone say, “Misappropriation of funds”? And yes Drive that nice cadillac “but oh don;t you want to see your pastors in a nice car?” That’s what I have heard from the pulpit and it makes me sick. Sick enough to walk out of church and not go back! The money that could be used to save needy that is going down the drain just so a pastor can drive a nice car. Well my car is a nice car and its a Ford Taurus, runs great. Ah…But I have money left to help the needy!!!