benny hinn

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Permalink Reply by Ron Payne on July 23, 2008 at 2:32am

'God bless your credit card'
20/07/2008 18:50 - (SA)

Johannesburg - South Africa report.

Johannesburg - God's blessing would last only two minutes and it would create 500 churchgoing millionaires or even billionaires - all they had to do was use their credit cards to pay $1 000 in offerings to televangelist Benny Hinn.

Pastor Tommie Ferreira of the AGS Church in Johannesburg was so upset about the "blessing" that, after a week, he wanted to know who of the donors actually had become millionaires.

Ferreira told Rapport he did not mean to bring about Hinn's downfall.

He merely wanted to know if any of the hundreds of churchgoers who donated amounts of up to $1 000 (about R7 500) to Hinn's Miracle Crusade last week Saturday had now become millionaires.

About 18 000 people streamed to the Coca-Cola Dome in Randburg to hear Hinn's message of healing and miracles.

Ferreira, who is a keen choir singer, voluntarily sang in the Miracle Crusade's choir.

He said one of Hinn's American guest speakers, Pastor Todd Koontz, spoke about financial burdens and said 500 audience members would receive "an exceptional blessing".

"He said the service would yield millionaires and billionaires within 24 hours.

"Everyone had to donate $1 000 because an exceptional blessing rested on $1 000."

Koontz apparently really had the congregation scrambling when he said, "This blessing will be poured out for only two minutes."

Had credit-card machines

Ferreira said: "People stormed to the front - poor people, rich people, people from all sections of our society."

Hinn's co-pastors apparently had credit-card machines ready with which they could take donations.

"He (Koontz) said God would bless the people's credit cards and they would be able to rule over South Africa with their money.

"Eventually there were no fewer than 1 000 people who made such donations."

According to Ferreira's calculations, Hinn must have collected millions of rands with these donations - perhaps more than R7m if each of the 1 000 church-goers donated $1 000 in the hope of becoming millionaires.

Furthermore, after Koontz's collection of the $1 000 donations, Hinn collected general donations.

Ferreira said: "It makes my hair stand on end."

He said he could not live with his conscience if he did not speak to others about this possible trickery.

Still collecting money

"I'm not attacking them (Hinn and Koontz). It just really gets my goat when people make unfounded claims and then they're off with these people's money."

Dr Sarel Smit of the AGS church Lofstad in Hursthill, Johannesburg, who supported Ferreira as he spoke to Rapport, was equally worried about the method by which Hinn collected donations.

"Especially at a time like this when there is dire need, people run the risk of losing their faith in the Lord in this way. God will provide for your needs, but not your greed."

Rapport spoke to an employee in Hinn's South African office in Durban who said on Friday morning that they were still busy collecting money.

"We've had a very good reaction from last weekend," said the employee, who asked not to be named.

He said that before the collection of the $1 000 donations, Koontz had delivered a message about "you reap what you sow".

"Americans always talk in dollars. If some of the churchgoers believed that they would not be blessed, then they should not have given their money.

"The church-goers did not have to give $1 000. If they couldn't afford it, then they could've given less. And, some of them did.

Will build an orphanage

"Pastor Todd (Koontz) spoke of good seeds. If you don't actually sow them, you'll never have a good harvest."

The employee told Rapport that Hinn's congregation soon would build an orphanage in South Africa. Hinn's South African office feeds about 1 000 children in Durban daily.

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Permalink Reply by Pastor Bob B on August 1, 2008 at 5:34am

I can think of at least 2 other huge ministries that started doing this kind of stuff and soon after came tumbling down. I am just heart broken about stuff like this and I am going to pray that God will intervene in this situation before more people are hurt by it.

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Permalink Reply by christopher lingk on July 24, 2008 at 11:06pm

Benny Hinn should be VERY ashamed of what he is doing. Not only is he making a mockery of God's healing power, but he is one of many preachers and pastors who give "christianity" a bad name. Now, I've always said that one should never put their faith in "man", but in God only. People will, and do fail before God. We are imperfect before God. Butttttttt, when we do fall short and realize our sins, we as christians are supposed to turn to God, ask for forgiveness, and REPENT of those sins. Benny Hinn obviously is quite AWARE of what he is doing, and obviously doesn't care.
As for the people who are made aware of what benny hinn's ministry is doing and STILL continue to support him..........then I don't believe God will bless their "giving". Some people say, "Well, at least I'm doing what God commanded by tithing". But, when God has revealed that the ministry is corrupt, then those tithing are merely contributing to the false ministry. This is only my opinion of course and not backed by scripture........so if i'm wrong, straighten me out brothers and sisters.
As for Mr. Hinn, If he doesn't see the errors of his ways, he might as well "live-it-up" while he can. I don't think he's going to enjoy the rewards which God has for true believers after we leave this earth.
I apologize if I come off as angry in this post. I just get soooo upset when I see pastors and preachers so blatantly twisting God's teachings for material gain. Perhaps I need to ask God to deal with my anger towards these individuals and pray for them instead.
Anywho, God bless.

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Permalink Reply by Marc on September 28, 2008 at 9:08pm

First off...I think all Pastors/Leaders in the church should be very well taken care of. Now, some of the things he has listed are overboard. However, if you donate money and you like his ministry....who cares what he does with the money. After all...it was a gift. If he is taking advantage of people he will answer to God without our judgements.

Lets take this for example...

Its his ministry and he has decided to take 10% for himself and his family for whatever purposes. No one was saying anything when his ministry was taking in 150,000 a year! Now it is taking in 100,000,000. He used to be able to spend 15,000 and now he can spend 10,000,000. These numbers are not real...just examples. He budget grew as the ministry grew.

If I was followed around the world by thousands of people I would take a private jet as well.

Just a thought...

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