Monday, July 25, 2005

I Must Have the Spirit of Cain

I was up last night watching TV and I came across a televengelist I had never seen before. His name is Robert Tilton, and before the half hour was over I was ready to hunt him down and drown him in a river.

During the show, all he really did was to read a few verses of scripture and then tell people to give him as much money as they possibly could.

His big schtick is that the Devil wants people to be poor, and God wants you to be rich. According to his show last night, "if Jesus were around today He wouldn't want His people driving volkswagons and living in apartments."

Then he kicked it into high gear with a testimonial from a poor family that gave their last $1,000 to Pastor Bob and then the Dad started getting raises, and the wife eventually got a job, and now they are looking for their own home. All because they give $1,000 to Bob Tilton every month. EVERY MONTH!

As you can imagine, I got pretty fired up about this guy. I mean, I live off raising support, and I need people to give to my ministry so that I can eat. This guy is making an absolute mockery out of true ministry, and getting rich in the process.

I did a little research on the guy and found out that he used to have a show going for a long time based in California. After an expose by ABC, he ended up being sued by his contributors, his wife divorced him, and he moved away to Florida. Now, he's back again and making millions.

I don't really care that he has money. I care that he's lying, taking advantage of the poor viewers who listen to him, and he's making a mockery of ministry in general. This is the kind of guy who makes me feel like a fool when I send out a support letter.

The really sad part is that he targets poor black families and challenges them to give money that they don't have. (That's why he's on BET.) He puffs himself up by claiming to be a prophet sent by God, and demands that people give him $1,000. I can't believe it, but people listen to him. Just listen to some of the stuff he has to say. These are all actual quotes I pulled from the web, and all in all this pretty much sums up his thirty minute sermons.

"Am I talking to you? I tell you someone greater than me is talking to you.

"Not only is worrying a sin, but being poor is a sin when God promises prosperity."

"Psalm 112 says, 'The man who fears God, riches shall be in his house.' Which means I've got to have a house."

"Pay your tithe and believe God will fulfill His Word of riches and wealth to be in your house"

"I like a thousand-dollar vow, because I don't like half-hearted people, lukewarm, just, "Well, I'll do a little . . ." I like a thousand-dollar vow of faith. . . . I'm not talking to you that's got it. You that's got it don't pay a bit of attention to me. I'm talking to you that don't have it, and I'm showing you how you can get it! Yes, the Lord's work gets a portion of it. But you get the biggest portion. You get the biggest blessing. I'm trying to talk you out of that dump you're in! I'm trying to talk you into a decent car!... I'm trying to help you! Quit cursing me! Quit cursing me! God, what will pull this blessing from you? I am a blessing. I have been blessed supernaturally by God. I bring a blessing to you this day, and I know it, and my responsibility is to take it to you"

“You say, ‘Well, I want to give a hundred’ or ‘I want to give two hundred and fifty,’” he would often say. “Nope. Nope. Let me tell you something, if you don’t have faith to make a vow of faith to God for a thousand dollars and believe that He’s going to show you where to get the seed to pay on it or pay it the best you can, it won’t work.”

"There's somebody out there who needs to make a $5,000 vow. You know who you are... I know you don't have $5,000, you don't even have $1,000... but you have to vow! Step out on faith! Prove to God that you will draw nigh to him and he'll draw nigh to you! God doesn't draw nigh to us! He doesn't come to us! He's God! We have to draw nigh to him! Send in that $5,000 gift and God will draw nigh to you! He is telling you to do it and you know it!"

"Every time you vow and every time you pay on your vow it rebukes demons."

"Do not attack this anointing! Do not attack this anointing, Saith God! For this anointing gives you the power to get wealth!"

"Say the word $1,000. The Devil hates the word $1,000. Say it!"

If you do send in a gift, Tilton showers your mailing address with holy trinkets. You'll get Holy Financial Prayer Cloths that have been prayed over by Tilton for you to put under your pillow. There's holy oil packets that you use to anoint your wallet, and coins that you have to rub together and say "I trust that you want to bless me God, and I vow to recieve your blessing in response to my gift of $1,000." If you stay on long enough, you might just get the eight and a half by eleven prayer poster with a picture of Tilton with his eyes squeezed shut and his outstretched hand saying "God wants you to give MORE so that He can give more." And of course, everything comes with a self addressed envelope that you can use to send your money back. On the envelope is written: "I want you to give AS MUCH MONEY AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN GIVE RIGHT NOW! IF YOU THINK $100 IS ENOUGH, GIVE $200! Remember this is what we call creative faith."

A woman who used to work at the Office where Tilton's mailings arrived explained how these vows were recieved by Tiltons Word of Faith ministries:

"You're sat down in a cubicle and given a letter opener. You have bundles and bundles of mail and a trash bin beside you. You slice open the envelope, take the money out and throw the letter away in the bin. The bins are picked up and emptied into trash sacks and put into a special room. They weren't there the next day. There is no one to read the letters and no one intends to read the letters that are mailed in. But you cannot help but read them. All these letters were like, 'Pray for me,' because they were terminal or their son is terminal or there was no money for food . . . desperate situations. And nearly all of the letters were from rural Florida or rural Georgia and they often contained cash in wierd amounts. There would be like $17, and the letter would say, 'I realize I have to give $2 more than I usually give.'"

"There were about a dozen other women opening mail and a bunch told me that we were expected to open enough letters to produce $1,000 per hour. It was an unstated criteria that you open enough envelopes to generate $1,000 an hour. It was unbelievable, literally unbelievable."

After opening the letters for two days, she told a manager at her employment agency that she had concerns about what was going on there. She was then told to leave mail services' office immediately and not finish the work day.

Which raises an interesting question. Tilton can't do this on his own, he needs a staff of people opening his mail, and he needs a network to air his show. If this one woman opening letters part time had trouble supporting Tilton's ministry, why doesn't BET feel like they should do something to stop this man from stealing money from their customers? "It's a serious ethical question for [BET President Robert] Johnson," said Jeffrey Haddon, a professor at the University of Virginia who studies TV evangelists. "A network that pats itself on the back by saying it serves the black community ought to stop selling time to people who take advantage of them."

I'm enraged by this guy, and I want him to stop, but I know there is nothing I can do. It's not illegal to ask people to give you money, and he's not stealing it from anyone, he's just taking advantage of people to the tune of millions a year. I don't know what I can do to stop this guy other than to tell people about him, and to boycott BET and products marketed on BET. Maybe of we got enought people together to boycott the network that makes his "ministry" possible, we could get him off the air.

Then again, who am I to talk against God's Chosen Profit. (Oops) I am just some guy. I'm not an anointed man of God like he is, and I don't have the authority to speak for God as he does. Should I really interfere with something someone has explicitly said is the divine plan of God? Maybe I shouldn't be bad mouthing him right? Afterall, Tilton himself said:

"I'm not sent to everybody, God only sends me to a few people. Some people watching will get mad at what I'm saying. That is the spirit of Cain."

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Josh,

one word to describe this man; loser. i got your message the other night, call sometime and we'll talk about it. hope all is well
Erik

Anonymous said...

You cannot judge Robert Tilton unless you know him personally - I am privileged to know the man and although you may disagree with his theology and his style, he is 100% sincere in his beliefs and actions and it takes a lot of money to run such a ministry as he has. It was also proven in court that he was framed by ABC and that the scandals about him were false but of course, this was never publicised because it would make ABC look bad. And that story about the woman working with his mail is completely false also.

Joshua said...

I disagree. I can judge Mr. Tilton without knowing him. He has placed himself in a place where he can and should be judged. That is the risk of calling yourself a teacher. It says in Scriptures to discern teachers, to beware false teachers, and to instruct people in the way they should go. Robert Tilton might be a great guy, the evidence I have found seems to contradict that. I could care less about whether he's a good guy or not however, because he is preaching heresy. He's a heretic, he does not belong to the Church, and I hope God stops him from continuing his "ministry" because he is doing damage to the name of God.

I do not apologize.

CG said...

The one person "privileged" to know him is "anonymous". LOL

Anonymous said...

Josh, I came across your blog doing a search on the "spirit of Cain."
I'm a non-denominational believer with no bias for, or against, the teachings of Robert Tilton.

I do not know Mr. Tilton, nor am I trying to defend him per se. But consider what the "spirit of Cain" truly is. It is the spirit of division. The spirit of strife...

Mr. Tilton may or may not be a "true" Christian, but at least He is not advocating blatant anti-(Church/Christian) rhetoric...(and NO that does not justify his potential misuse of poor people's funds.)...

I think God will ultimately bless those who act according to the faith He has given them, regardless if they sow their seeds of faith to crooks..

Bottom line I respect you educating those who may wish to sow their seed into better soil, but watch out that you don't become consumed with attacking someone who God still considers your brother.

Joshua said...

I understand what you mean. I'm all about bringing the church together no matter what people think as long as they agree about the divinity of Christ. Though I understand this to be a divisive thought, I do not believe Mr. Tilton is a brother in Christ. I believe Mr. Tilton is a brother in Christ in the same vein as Judas, who sold Christ for profit. I have watched Mr. Tilton several more times, and see him misquoting scripture and practicing heresy on national television in order to make a buck off of the very people that Christ concerned himself with helping. They will know we are Christians by our love, and if we televise our gross lack of it for the sake of making money by bastardizing the Gospel of Christ, I think we cannot be known to be Brothers and Sisters.

In short, I'm all for the unity Christ prayed for in his last prayer, but not if that means holding hands and singing songs with unabashed greedy eyed heretics. Allowing them to dilute our brotherhood actually begins to destroy unity, not create it.

Anonymous said...

As far as judging is concerned, I can judge if something/someone is from God or not.......Or if what they say/preach is from God or not.....I can not and will not judge a man of God. Only God knows his heart.....P.S. I don't like him period.

Anonymous said...

I agree one hundred percent with you my brother. I am assuming you are a brother because of the concrete unwavering gaul you have that can only come from the bold righteousness of a masculine frame. However if you are a sister i honor you just the same. AS FAR AS NOT JUDGING A MAN OF GOD. U Will KNOW A TREE BY IT'S FRUITS. A Good tree will not produce CORRUPT FRUIT. PERHAPS THE INDIVIDUAL WHO MADE THE COMMENT ABOUT NOT JUDGING A MAN OF GOD needs to COME OUT OF THE CLOSET.

Joshua said...

Glad to hear what you have to say. I'm not sure why the comments were made regarding my masculinity, as bold statements can be made equally by men and women. Nor do I find it helpful to attack a person by making conjectures about their sexual orientation.

Anonymous said...

Lol. I hear you brother(josh)...
Conjecture huh! Honestly I didn't even realize josh was the name under the blog until now, and had i known, then there would not have been a neccessity to make my comment about what i have been ENLIGHTENED ABOUT.
However,based on the INTENT OF YOUR HEART (which i'm assuming is to come to the HONORABLE DEFENSE of the female gender in this matter), i stand corrected. If I were speaking in a HISTORICAL SENSE of politics and civil acts that have occured from GENERATION to GENERATION ( Both in american history books, and THE BIBLE) then your statement of REPROOF concerning what may have LOGICALLY seemed to be a CONJECTURE would not have only been HONORABLE but it would have also been totally SOUND. However RELEVANTLY SPEAKING in terms of MINISTRY today(and not just mere life) It is very (RARE) though equally SIGNIFIGANT upon HONORABLE MENTION, that you will find a Woman that has the bold righteousness that is required to take a stand in DEFENSE of the POOR and NEEDY, at the EXSPENSE of PERSECUTION and CONFLICT only for the BENEFIT of SATISFYING the heart of GOD. More often than not you will find that most women that are operating within MINISTRY today
ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE have ended up being at the forefront of GREAT MOVES of God today because most of the men are either (PHYSICALLY) or (MENTALLY)locked up. but the work of MINISTRY must go forth. Therefore God can and will raise up Women to PROMOTE the GOSPEL. Here are a few just to name those who represent the (MINORITY) of such individuals. JOYCE MEYER, PAULA WHITE, QUANITA BYNUM,PRINCESS DIANNA. All these have been ( and in some cases still are) pacesetters in terms of what it means to "Take it by force" in MINISTRY today. But More OFTEN THAN NOT most become CAPTIVATED by the PROMISES of SIGNIFIGANCE. In pursuit of CHARASMATIC GIFTS,ANNOINTINGS, and CALLINGS all for VAIN GLORY, WHICH is not COMPATIBLE with ADVERSITY, and HARDSHIP trying to promote a CAUSE that EVERYONE ELSE JUST WANTS TO IGNORE as long as it is not affecting them directly. So assuming you are experiencing these things in pursuit of your cause. If not then it is in considerable question where this "Holy Ghost" fire is coming from. Could it be coming from a passionate HATRED FOR HYPOCRISY and DECEPTION? If so this is a good thing. The HOLYSPIRIT is the INTELLIGENCE of GOD. He does not think like us. HIs ways are not our ways, nor HIs thoughts our thoughts. So just because something is a "GOOD" Idea doesn't neccessarily mean it is a "GOD" Idea.(Selah) Consider this, and the Lord give thee wisdom concerning your zeal for CHRIST. In the ABSCENSE of FINANCIAL STRENGTH, in the ABSCENSE of SUPPORT from Friends and FAMILY, in the ABSCENSE of DIRECTION, there will still be a need for PASSION, because only what you for CHRIST (not self-gratification) shall LAST. In conclusion there is no gender with SPIRIT, for he created them MALE and FEMALE. In response to SEXUAL ORIENTATION masculinity, as well as femininity, these are just MINDSETS that stem from AFFECTIONS about the things that are REALLY HAPPENING, as well as the thingsthat APPEAR to be happening and whether MALE or FEMALE one must have the mind of CHRIST which was BOLD or(masculine)in the face of ADVERSITY, while at other times he was very MERCIFUL or (feminine). I pray the ENLIGHTENMENT OF THIS WONDERFUL TRUTH OUR FATHER is revolutionary in nature, and thereby ELEVATES your calling. God bless you my brother.

Anonymous

Anonymous said...

Lol. I hear you brother(josh)...
Conjecture huh! Honestly I didn't even realize josh was the name under the blog until now, and had i known, then there would not have been a neccessity to make my comment about what i have been ENLIGHTENED ABOUT.
However,based on the INTENT OF YOUR HEART (which i'm assuming is to come to the HONORABLE DEFENSE of the female gender in this matter), i stand corrected. If I were speaking in a HISTORICAL SENSE of politics and civil acts that have occured from GENERATION to GENERATION ( Both in american history books, and THE BIBLE) then your statement of REPROOF concerning what may have LOGICALLY seemed to be a CONJECTURE would not have only been HONORABLE but it would have also been totally SOUND. However RELEVANTLY SPEAKING in terms of MINISTRY today(and not just mere life) It is very (RARE) though equally SIGNIFIGANT upon HONORABLE MENTION, that you will find a Woman that has the bold righteousness that is required to take a stand in DEFENSE of the POOR and NEEDY, at the EXSPENSE of PERSECUTION and CONFLICT only for the BENEFIT of SATISFYING the heart of GOD. More often than not you will find that most women that are operating within MINISTRY today
ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE have ended up being at the forefront of GREAT MOVES of God today because most of the men are either (PHYSICALLY) or (MENTALLY)locked up. but the work of MINISTRY must go forth. Therefore God can and will raise up Women to PROMOTE the GOSPEL. Here are a few just to name those who represent the (MINORITY) of such individuals. JOYCE MEYER, PAULA WHITE, QUANITA BYNUM,PRINCESS DIANNA. All these have been ( and in some cases still are) pacesetters in terms of what it means to "Take it by force" in MINISTRY today. But More OFTEN THAN NOT most become CAPTIVATED by the PROMISES of SIGNIFIGANCE. In pursuit of CHARASMATIC GIFTS,ANNOINTINGS, and CALLINGS all for VAIN GLORY, WHICH is not COMPATIBLE with ADVERSITY, and HARDSHIP trying to promote a CAUSE that EVERYONE ELSE JUST WANTS TO IGNORE as long as it is not affecting them directly. So assuming you are experiencing these things in pursuit of your cause. If not then it is in considerable question where this "Holy Ghost" fire is coming from. Could it be coming from a passionate HATRED FOR HYPOCRISY and DECEPTION? If so this is a good thing. The HOLYSPIRIT is the INTELLIGENCE of GOD. He does not think like us. HIs ways are not our ways, nor HIs thoughts our thoughts. So just because something is a "GOOD" Idea doesn't neccessarily mean it is a "GOD" Idea.(Selah) Consider this, and the Lord give thee wisdom concerning your zeal for CHRIST. In the ABSCENSE of FINANCIAL STRENGTH, in the ABSCENSE of SUPPORT from Friends and FAMILY, in the ABSCENSE of DIRECTION, there will still be a need for PASSION, because only what you for CHRIST (not self-gratification) shall LAST. In conclusion there is no gender with SPIRIT, for he created them MALE and FEMALE. In response to SEXUAL ORIENTATION masculinity, as well as femininity, these are just MINDSETS that stem from AFFECTIONS about the things that are REALLY HAPPENING, as well as the thingsthat APPEAR to be happening and whether MALE or FEMALE one must have the mind of CHRIST which was BOLD or(masculine)in the face of ADVERSITY, while at other times he was very MERCIFUL or (feminine). I pray the ENLIGHTENMENT OF THIS WONDERFUL TRUTH OUR FATHER is revolutionary in nature, and thereby ELEVATES your calling. God bless you my brother.

Anonymous

Joshua said...

Thanks Anonymouns. Just curious, would you say that the Scofield King James Translation of the Holy Bible is the only authoritative English translation available? Not trying to stir a pot, just trying to see if I've identified your voice correctly.

Anonymous said...

I have never even heard of that translation. Though I am open to different CONCEPTS and VIEW POINTS about the scriptures( because in the book of the GOSPEL of St. John, "TRUTH" is referred to as a SPIRIT not a CONCEPT,PHILOSOPHY,or THEOLOGICAL VIEW POINT. Therefore if i were to hear a SCRIPTURE REFERENCE being made from such translation, I could still DISCERN or EXTRACT " The Truth" from it because JESUS said, " MY SHEEP" know "MY VOICE" and a STRANGER they WILL NOT follow. However I only STUDY the scriptures from the ORIGINAL KING JAMES VERSION, because I have discovered for MYSELF that It's the closest or most accurately compatible to the historical, and chronological order of events. And not only that but originally the bible was written in Greek,Hebrew,Arabic, and even some Latin languages. I have to depend on REVELATION Directly from GOD about what the WORDS that I'M READING ON THE PAPER mean FIRST to HIM, and then seek the UNDERSTANDING of how to apply it which is contengent upon ones LEVEL of MATURITY in CHRIST and what he requires for that individual to know. Because we can't do better until we know better. Sorry my responses at this point are so long winded, but there is apparently a neccessity to EXPLAIN my LOGIC so I don't come across as BIAS,TRADITIONAL,orRELIGIOUS about my beliefs and FORCE them on other people, which has ALREADY HAPPENNED seemingly (CONJECTURE!) ha! ha! ha! just kidding.

Joshua said...

Certainly you haven't made me feel as if you were pushing your ideas on me. I was just curious about whether or not you belonged to a movement of Christians who believe that the KJV is the only inspired word of God. I was just curious is all. Hope you have a great day!

Anonymous said...

Study to show THYSELF APPROVED unto God. A workman needeth NOT BE ASHASHAMED, RIGHTLY DIVIDING the Word of TRUTH. (2Timothy 2:15)orig.KJV....

ALL SCRIPTURE is given by INSRIRATION of GOD, and is PROFITABLE for doctrine, for REPROOF,for CORRECTION, for INSTRUCTION in RIGHTEUOSNESS, that the MAN (OR wo-MAN) OF GOD may be COMPLETE, THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED for EVERY good work. (2Timothy 3:16)orig KJV (with personal paraphrasing).

Timothy Bradshaw