Integrity Bank, a christ-centered Bank in Georgia, failed last Friday and was shut down by state regulators.

The banks philosophy:

"We felt if we prayed and obeyed God’s word and did what He asked, that He would help us be successful,” the bank’s founder, Steve Skow, told the Journal-Constitution in 2005. 

Mr. Skow would do well to learn the word's of Job, when God took away all his success.  

"Naked I have come from mothers womb and Naked I will depart. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!"

Job 1:21

—- 

Atlanta Journal Constitution 

http://tinyurl.com/5tc5qy

Greetings, fellow Netizens! It is I, Belteshazzar, your newest and latest contributor to all things tithing here at City Business Church. I've been a long-time reader and commenter here and the Mortons have kindly asked me to lend a hand in creating new content. I've been commenting under the name Former Inner Circle Member (FICM), which was a rather vain moniker I'll humbly admit. I've decided to change my alias for a couple of reasons, mainly to get rid of the old awkward one, and also I was jealous of the other bloggers for having such cool super-hero sounding names. In the end, I chose "Belteshazzar" because it's a pretty good hint as to my true identity without giving it away completely. I have good reasons for remaining semi-anonymous, so I will neither confirm nor deny any guesses. If you think you know who I am, look me up on Facebook or email, I'm not hard to find. If you don't know who I am, well, it's probably not important.

I was a part of Bible Temple/City Bible Church for over 10 years. I went to a Christian High School and aspired to be in full-time ministry so I promptly went to Portland Bible College. That worked so well, after my first year I quit to spend the next year working off my tuition debt and figuring out what the heck I was going to do next. But I was still drinking the kool-aid and spent the next decade working my boney butt off trying to please God and the leaders of the church. Man, I did it all, youth ministry, music, mission trips, outreaches, small group leader, started a student group on my college campus, and spent 3 services on Sunday and 2 nights a week in meetings, on top of working at a Christian company and going to a real college. I did everything but actually take a paid staff position at the church. I say all that so that when people have reason to question me or the legitmacy of my complaints at CBC and MFI, or as they call it my "lack of unity", I want people to know that I'm not making this stuff up because I was offended by some off-hand remark or don't understand how things really work there under the big bubbles. I tried it all, and despite all the normal dysfunction of being in a church being run by imperfect people there is one "doctrine" they still teach that I am unable to forgive. I've forgiven all the other petty things done to me or said about, heck, I really don't care what they think of me. But I can't help but feel righteous rage that they still teach and promote tithing and prosperity over the Gospel of Christ. It's something I won't back down on, and I'm not about to apologize to them or anyone else for criticizing, mocking, or satirizing the teaching of tithing=wealth.

So, in the spirit of that, I'll leave you with something I hope you will think is funny or at least though provoking. There was an episode of South Park a few years back where the kids discovered that the Underpants Gnomes were stealing…well, underpants . When confronted, said gnomes gladly shared their business plan:

1. Collect underpants

2.  ?

3. Profit

With a little rearranging, we get…

1. Tithe

2. ?

3. Prosperity

For all the Bible quoting they do about how God will bless you if you give, phase 2 seems to be remarkably absent from this business plan. Next post, I discuss how tithing could actually be costing the church money in the long run.

I just had to post this.  These are serious responses from a blog I found about Sen. Grassley investigation into prosperity gospel preachers.  It is actually scary how brainwashed these people sound.  Reading through I almost threw up in my mouth, just a little. Its strange to me that at least 80% of the responders are women.

Gail H: When I first heard about the investigation, I was stunned. Then very upset- what if it were true that the Copelands and others have taken us for fools? Then, God spoke to my heart and I realized, they have not made fools of us or taken us for what we have. The reason for Sen. Grassley’s attack is nothing more than satan rearing his ugly head once again. You see, if we are downtrodden, in ill health and suffering, why would any one want to follow Jesus. Sure rewards in Heaven are nice, but what about right NOW? Do you want to follow someone that leads you into despair and sickness? Prosperity means so much more than the media could ever fathom.

Maxine Wilford: I have been supporting KCM for many years, and I have never heard Brother Copeland beg for any money. So I say to Mr Robert Luchow, you do not know the Copelands and it is best for you to stay out of this. God does not take kindly to people(ignorant or not)touching His anointed one.

Bettie: Ihave followed and supported the Copeland's ministry since 1977. I have been a good Berean and checked their teaching with the scriptures and never found a questionable doctrine. I will do whatever I can to help stop this illegal persecution. Certainly I will join others in prayer and God will hear from heaven and heal our land.

Tammy Roig: I am fully behind KCM. I truly believe this is more a personal attack than a religious one. Sen. Grassley is just using the power that was given him to pursue and deep seated jealously of successful ministers. I have been following KCM for six years and have never seen them "begging", "pleading" or "tricking" people into sending them money. I believe that KCM, Joyce Meyer and Creflo Dollar are all Godly ministries that function under Godly principals and are not "fooling" their partners and givers.

Deborah: We have supported KCM for about 15 years. They have changed our lives because of what they have taught us about The Word of God. The Senator fails to understand we have the mind of Christ, along with The Word, along with the teaching we receive from these ministries. I think the greatest way to settle this issue is to vote these life long Officials out of office and put in people who understand the phrase "One Nation Under God…."

Karen: If these ministers are blessed with prosperity, I am happy for them. It is God's reward for the work they do. I could not put a price on the positive changes in my life as a result of these ministries. Throughout this attack, we must be continue to believe and trust God.

Sharon: This is all out spiritual warfare. Satan is having a temper tantrum because the good news of God's love is covering the earth and the church is being prepared for what we need to know in these last days. I am humbled and honored to watch KCM walk in love yet stand firm both legally and in the Spirit.

There is a good story in the Washington Post about a new trend where churches teach their congregation how to get out of debt. The article, of course, includes, the obligatory "prosperity gospel" reference:

"Alan Wolfe, director of the Center for Religion at Boston College, said the problem for some church members is that "Christianity has always had a complicated relationship with money." 

On the one hand, Wolfe said, believers are told that the love of money is the root of all evil. Then there are those who preach a prosperity gospel, which promotes that God wants believers to have an abundant life with extraordinary financial blessings."

The article also includes this little tidbit:  

"What we are trying to get over to people is that we have to teach about stewardship the same way we teach about forgiveness," said the Rev. Kerry A. Hill, president of the Collective Banking Group, a consortium of pastors in Prince George's and the District who help area churches finance projects. "A lot of pastors agree that we have talked about tithing, and we need to talk about the other 90 percent."

My advice if you're really in financial trouble: Stop tithing.  And if you don't feel comfortable not tithing. Then stop going to church. You can't afford it. 

Senator Grassley has filed a press release updating the public on the progress of his investigation into the ministries suspected of violating tax laws.

Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn, seem do be doing pretty well:

"Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn have engaged in open and honest dialogue with committee staff. They have not only provided responses to every question but, in the spirit of true cooperation, also have provided information over and above what was requested.  "Both Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn have indicated that they are also instituting reforms without waiting for the committee to complete its review."

Here is one extremely saddening article God Wants Me to Be Rich about Joel Osteen and Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, that has an average weekend attendance of 45,000 and an annual budget of $72.6 million. Couple of highlights:

"Osteen will tell you that his success is a result of God’s favor, that his message is God’s message, and that all that he has achieved is a blessing from God. Clearly, he is more than just an inspiring pastor; he is also a master marketer and—pardon me for saying this, Joel—a damn good chief executive."

"Last year, Lakewood generated $76 million in revenue, which amounts to just over $1,600 for every member of its congregation. Its take includes $44 million donated directly by congregants, who are asked to give 10 percent of their gross income; $10 million in product sales and sermon tapes; and $13 million brought in through direct-mail solicitations. The church’s greatest expense is the TV airtime it buys: $22 million last year to broadcast the show in more than 100 markets…An additional $13 million goes to administrative costs and salaries, and $9 million a year is spent on facilities and maintenance."

And the best reader comments I found:

"It's funny Osteen is preaching this message, because the person he links the "prosperity gospel" to was homeless, did not carry money on Him and depended on strangers to facilitate His meals, shelters, and companionship.  He called his apostles to drop their careers and follow Him and the early followers did not believe in earthly wealth and dispersed their resources so that no one would be left behind."

"I am not Christian, but I do find these mega-churches rather amazing. You have a silver tongued man and his pretty wife beside him coning thousands of worshipers out of millions of dollars. What an amazing business model. As the US economy falters and the masses become more uncertain of their worldly futures I am sure these self appointed silver tongued men will do quite well."

So I find it completely disgusting and repulsive that in a time when people in China, Africa, and the Middle East are being raped, tortured and killed for simply saying they are a Christian, a church like this will spend $22 million dollars on TV promotions.  As the article points out, Osteen is known for being a very liberal, lukewarm, middle of the road preacher.  He doesn't like to offend.  I think this is the kind of church/person Jesus was talking about when he said "I will spit you out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:16).  God be with the man come judgment day.

And for more information on America's impending destruction be sure to check out this gem of a story: Megachurches, Megabucks

This is another installment in my occassional series on the financial status of the United States.

Washington Post columnist Steven Pearlstein shares his thoughts on the future of our economy:

This thing's going down, fast and hard. Corporate bankruptcies, bond defaults, bank failures, hedge fund meltdowns and 6 percent unemployment. We're caught in one of those vicious, downward spirals that, once it gets going, is very hard to pull out of.

Pearlstein recently won the Pulitzer, precisely because he predicted that our nation was in financial trouble. And Steve doesn't blame Republicans or Democrats, he blames the American people for living a lifestyle beyond their means.

And in my mind the "prosperity doctrine" is just another byproduct of America's prosperity entitlement mentality. That somehow Americans believe God wants everyone to be rich, and God wants everyone to live a lavish lifestyle. I think we're going to find out real quick that this simply isn't true.

It's also one of the positives I see in this Recession. The curtain is being pulled back on the prosperity gospel, and more and more people are recognizing it for the fraud that it is. And perhaps people will stop going to church to learn how to be rich, but instead will start attending church to learn about the Love and Grace of God. 

Here's a fun article from a columnist in Michigan, mocking televanglists and their "prosperity gospel".

It's not a gospel you'll find after Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. It isn't tucked in near Revelation. You won't find it anywhere in the Bible. The basic idea is that God will grant financial and spiritual wealth to the faithful. What a deal. Just really, really, really believe and take the rewards to the bank.

After all, doesn't God help those who help themselves? No, wait. That's not in the Bible. Benjamin Franklin said that, and while he accomplished a lot, I don't think Franklin contributed anything to the Scriptures.

So far, the prosperity gospel seems to work well for the televangelists who are cashing in on all the stuff they sell and the Social Security checks little old ladies are donating to their churches. I'm not sure how prosperous the donors are getting.

Good point. You'd think after over 10 years of practicing the prosperity gospel, the members of City Bible church would all be filthy rich and overwhelmingly happy. But uh, you know, I think they're all pretty much living the same lives they were living a decade ago. And there's nothing wrong with that. But if you're not getting rich, then you've just spent the last 10 years of your life, listening to one boring repetitive sermon after another.

I keep remembering what Jesus told that rich guy: "Sell everything you have and give the proceeds to the poor. Then follow me." The rich guy declined.

The prosperity preachers apparently don't include that story in their sermons.

They don't. They also don't include the verse about camels going through needles. But then, the prosperity gospel isn't about the Bible. It's about the pastors preaching it.

Whatev. I really just enjoy the fact that the mainstream media is picking up on the "prosperity doctrine" and pretty much coming to the same conclusion that we all did four years ago. The prosperity doctrine is a sham. And a mockery. It's a smamockery!

Me wrote: "David, honestly, your statement about Mal. 3:8-12, whether or not it was written to believers implies that God somehow changed His idea of tithing and blessing between now and then. Simply untrue."

Me, As a counselor I thought that you would know that when a patient simply makes an assertion, it does not make it true. Your assertion "Simply untrue" is just such a statement. If you would take the time to research the tithe on this blog, you will find many reasons given against the Mandatory Tithe being required to receive God's blessings. In my view, we need you to leave assertionism behind and come forward with well-interpreted Scripture.

Me wrote:"There's also the fact that Pastor Frank Damazio has completed his PhD work at ORU, which holds the highest accreditation available to a school of theology in the states…"

Me, It is true that FD just received a degree from ORU. ORU's Office of Verifications just informed me that he earned a 3.95 GPA while doing this, too. Good job! At the same time, he did not earn a Ph.D. degree as you claimed; he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree, a degree which is far less academic and much more practical than the typical Ph.D. degree, as joebib has previously pointed out on this blog.

Me wrote: "As far as I know, you've no such credentials, and therefore wouldn't really be a credible source for such criticisms as you so flippantly distribute on this site."

Me, I do not make my posts "flippantly" on this blog. It is true, however, that I do not hold a degree beyond a Bachelors of Religion. At the same time, I do not base anyone's final credibility on the letters after their name. I base my assessment on what they say and the way that they document what they say. I have a friend, as just one example, who does not have a doctorate but is published in learned journals and who has read every article in The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible 4 vol. set, along with 1-2 solid commentaries on every book of the Bible, and much more. On the flip side, there are many atheists with advanced degrees who reject both God and Jesus Christ…

I would prefer you to dialogue with me about my content, sources and hermeneutics rather than dismissing so easily what I say because I don't have an advanced degree.

Me wrote: "After all, he's [David] spent so many hours of his life and time on this earth bashing…churches and pastors with cancer [Pastor Wendell Smith]."

Me, If I understand you correctly, you are saying that because Wendell Smith has cancer, than I should not criticize his teachings. Is this right? As a counselor, if you'll think about it, I think that you will recognize what you just said to me as a good example of pure guilt manipulation: don't criticize Wendell Smith because he has cancer. Do you actually encourage your patients to use guilt to manipulate others?

Where does the Bible say that because someone is sick that others should not disagree with their teachings? I don't know of any verse supporting that idea.

I have prayed, along with many others, that God would heal Wendell, but just because he may continue being sick, does not mean that God is giving him, or any other person with an unfortunate sickness, a license to teach whatever they want and to use the Bible or the gospel of Jesus Christ in whatever way they choose.

Someone recently said, "Very Few people on this blog will comment on what they DO believe, they just want to criticize you for your beliefs." Well, I would like to think that we frequently comment on what we DO believe and then criticize you for your beliefs. Anyways, here is what I believe in regard to one subject…giving.

I believe that giving is one of the most important things we, as Christians, can do to spread the gospel. Honestly.

Give. Everything.         

It's really that simple. Unfortunately, due to the miss-teachings of many prosperity preachers I must now clarify what I mean by "give". So allow me to present my "Give, but do NOT give" guideline.

Give, but do NOT give…a guideline

Give, but Do NOT give 10% of your income to your church to fulfill an Old Testament ritual. Give 10% to your church, but do it to fulfill New Testament direction from Jesus…and than tack on an extra 10% for fun. Or give 5% with a cheerful heart. Or give $20 bucks with a smile on your face. Give whatever you feel God wants you to give.

Give, but Do NOT give only to your church…give 10% of your income to your church, give another 5% to a local charity, then give $20 bucks to the guy standing on the corner, go buy the single mom down the street food, and also buy coffee for the businessman in a suit standing behind you in line at Starbucks, give to orphans in Africa…give to anybody and give to everybody.

Give, but Do NOT give only money (despite what "they" tell you, giving money is easy)…give of your time…give of yourself…give love…give hugs…give 1 night a week to serving food at a homeless shelter, give another night to read books to sick kids at the Children's Hospital, spend your Saturday afternoon mowing your neighbors lawn, spend a hot day passing around water bottles to those stuck outside in the heat, spend another day stuffing envelops for a local charity… treat others like Christ treated you.

Give, but Do NOT give so that God will bless you. Give because of what God has already done in your life. Give because Christ died so that you might be saved. Give because your eternity will be spent in heaven. Give because if you have Christ you have all the blessing you need. (And yes, if you give God will bless you… but do NOT attach the American definition of "blessing" to what God will do for you…God may just end up "blessing" you with disease, tragedy, and pain…and yet… still bring Himself glory.)

In summation, I believe that we should give… everything… and in doing so find complete contentment in what we already have from Jesus (Forgiveness, Mercy, Grace, Salvation) thus giving all the glory to God. 

For those keeping score allow me to also state, "Jesus is my Lord and Savior".