He Didn’t “See” It Coming

Truth Matters Newsletters – March 2010 – Vol. 15 Issue 3 -He didn’t “See” It Coming -The Divorce of Benny Hinn – By Rev. Robert Liichow

Discernment Ministries International

He Didn’t “See” It Coming

The Divorce of Benny Hinn

By Rev. Robert Liichow

Let me begin by stating that DMI does not support or endorse divorce apart from the more extreme circumstances. Nor do we rejoice when someone falls (see Prov. 24:17) Having given that caveat, please allow me to make some comments on beginning with the statement of Mr. Hinn’s own people

I come to you with a broken heart. You may have heard by now that my wife, Suzanne, whom I love very much and always will, filed for divorce on February 1.  Even though Suzanne has been under great stress, the children and I never expected this to happen. Divorce was the last thing on my mind and theirs. It was a total shock when her lawyer called me the morning of February 17 to inform me that she had filed 16 days before. Suzanne never gave the family even a hint that this was on her mind. Even to this moment, the children and I don’t know why she did it. Neither did her parents know, until I told them myself on the 17th….My wife had no biblical grounds for what she has done. We both have kept our covenant with God and stayed pure before him, and I am praying with all my heart that our precious Lord Jesus will heal my family and protect His work for His glory.   (1)

Benny and Suzanne have been married for thirty years. Then suddenly, out of the blue, completely unknown to Benny, their children, his or her parents or siblings, BOOM she drops the big “D” word on unsuspecting, innocent, humble Benny.

In reaction to the news, Benny Hinn Ministries said in a statement: “Pastor Benny Hinn and his immediate family were shocked and saddened to learn of this news without any previous notice. Although Pastor Hinn has faithfully endeavored to bring healing to that relationship, those efforts failed and were met with the petition for divorce that was filed without notice. (2)

Even the newspapers in Uganda are commenting on the fact that Benny Hinn was obviously sandbagged by his wife in this whole episode. Poor bloke blithely going through daily life without a clue, a hint, a mere whiff of a problem seems like a rather “normal” unsuspecting Christian man.

Ah, but there is the rub. Mr. Hinn does not claim to be just any regular normal Christian. Quite the contrary, Mr. Hinn has built a religious machine which brings in an estimated $100 million per year tax free. (3) This machine has been built over the years through carefully grooming an image, an image of a man especially visited and anointed by God Almighty Himself. An image of a humble immigrant, who stuttered severely (just like Moses) (4) and was personally taught by the Holy Spirit the meaning of the bible and other mysteries, simply read Good Morning Holy Spirit (an international best-seller).

One quickly gathers from the above mentioned book and Welcome Holy Spirit another tome proving that Benny Hinn has a deeply personal and abiding fellowship I.e. a sentient ongoing personal unique one-on-one communication with the Indwelling Spirit of God. This union is so complete and unhindered that Mr. Hinn regularly calls out specific ailments as revealed to him via his Divine Friend, the Holy Spirit. On virtually all of his television programs one can see Hinn standing before the multitudes saying things like “The Lord is showing me a woman, a lady with back pain, pain in the lower back…you are feeling heat right now on your body, the Lord is healing you.” At times Hinn yields to the “Spirit” to prophesy throught him. Sadly, all of Hinn’s prophetic pronouncements have failed to come to pass. [A RATHER LONG LEARNING MOMENT {AKA: RABBIT TRAIL} ].

 

Although well documented Mr. Hinn has never accounted for his many false prophetic utterances. Frankly, unfulfilled prophecies are sort of the elephant in the room that sign-gift people prefer to ignore. In Mr. Hinn’s case all of his divinely directed prophetic words failing to come to pass has not yet tarnished his reputation of “God’s man of faith and power for the hour” {ok, that is my little saying regarding Benny}.

Forgive the slight foray into the vagaries of false prophecy, when what I want you to focus on is Hinn’s alleged ability to supernaturally see what is currently transpiring in peoples’ lives, especially regarding their physical condition. Among the ranks of the Pentecostal and sign-gift folks such an ability is relegated to being one of the nine “sign-gifts” of the Holy Spirit.

For the uninitiated these gifts are found in the following text:

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed; and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gift of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues; But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 1 Cor. 12:1-11 (KJV)

These nine sign-gifts are then broken down by sign-gift folks into the following three categories and honestly, they seem to make some sense:

 

As I stated I have no problem with this demarcation however we must admit our limited understanding of these gifts and how they were (1) bestowed, (2) defined and (3) used in the Church. It is generally greed that the Holy Spirit descended upon the Eleven (11) while they tarried in the Upper Room. We know they came out and spoke in other languages supernaturally as the Holy Spirit gave them the utterance (reread Acts chapters 1-3 carefully). We read that the Apostles laid their hands upon others and imparted spiritual gifts to them—as the Spirit wills (1 Cor. 12:11) not according to the disciples desires. We read of the occasional miracles in the Book of Acts (miracles were not commonplace) and healing here and there. However, when it comes to the sign gifts of the word of knowledge and word of wisdom we are given no definition of what these two gifts are, other than their names and no clues are given as to how these gifts operated. This being the case, and I assure you it is, then how can anyone claim to possess these two gifts today, as does Mr. Hinn!

Anyone who has been involved in the sign-gift movement for any period of time can recite (more or less) the following are simply three representative definitions of the word of knowledge:

The definition of The Word of Knowledge is: A Supernatural revelation of certain facts in the mind of God that deal with the past or present….The gift of the Word of Knowledge in Demonstration: ‘Normally, A Born Again believer who has asked for & received The Baptism in The Holy Spirit & this Gift will suddenly know, hear, see, smell, taste, or become aware of a single bit or piece of information that is suddenly revealed to him/her that deals specifically with the past or present. The information can come through inward revelation, outward revelation, dreams, visions etc. The individual receives a piece of supernaturally revealed information that is coming directly from God.   (5)

The spiritual gift of the WORD OF KNOWLEDGE is the bestowal of certain facts from the mind of God which He sees fit to reveal to one of His servants supernaturally by His Spirit. It is only a word, or a portion of God’s endless storehouse of knowledge. (6)

The Word of Knowledge therefore, is knowledge received from the Holy Spirit to enable us to more effectively minister to the needs of people, to know and understand situations, circumstances, stategies of the enemy (kingdom of darkness) etc. It enables us to know how to speak in the above situations with a knowledge that can surprise, baffle, dis-arm, open-up, bring answers, healing and understanding. (7)

Where did Pentecostal leaders come up with its now widely accepted definition? After all, a room full of intellectually honest Christians reading the same KJV verses could never piece such a definition together.

Since this is not a biblical definition, where did it come from?

The working definition used by Benny Hinn and millions of others came from the somewhat tortured mind of a Mr. Howard Carter, a British missionary. While in prison for an anti-war position in 1916 he engaged in a study of the Holy Spirit and His gifts. In the end the book was published titled: Questions and Answers on Spiritual Gifts which is in reprint today. (DMI has a copy in our library). Carter declares that while incarcerated the Lord divinely revealed to him the nature and operation of all nine spiritual sign-gifts and what is more, Carter is supposed to have been used by the Spirit in all nine of them throughout his ministry. Now you know —the definitions we read about are simple regurgitations of Carter’s original explanation.

Next time you are trolling through the channels and happen to see Pat Robertson with eyes closed pointing to the camera and saying “someone has a bad left knee and God is healing it right now,” you will know you are witnessing the word of knowledge along with the gifts of healing in operation (at least in theory). Or when you gaze upon Benny as he intones “right now in the balcony someone’s ears are being touched” you’ll know you are in the presence of the supernatural revelatory power of God flowing through His vessel. Right! If you believe that, I have some land you might be interested in.

Now back to the illustrious Mr. Hinn. What ought to amaze everyone is not only the abysmal track record of non-healing but also the complete lack of touch with those closest to him. Case in point:

Then in December, revelations of the heroin-overdose deaths of two of Hinn’s employees hounded his ministry. The deaths which occurred in late 1997, finally came to light in a report in the Dec 2, 1998 edition of The Orlando Sentinel newspaper. Up until the newspaper’s report, details of the fatalities were know only by law-enforcement and church officials. The newspaper disclosed, ‘A longtime aide to Orlando minister Benny Hinn died of chronic heroin abuse last December, a month after coming under suspicion of supplying a fatal heroin overdose to another church worker.” David Delgado, who served the televangelist for a decade, was found dead in New York City after returning from Hinn’s crusade in Jordan. According to the newspaper Delgado, 45, began as a ‘catcher” (one who keeps those being “slain in the Spirit” from hitting the stage floor) at Hinn’s healing campaigns and escalated to become a friend and personal assistant to the faith healer. He would help organize details such as Hinn’s “schedule, meals and grooming.” Delgado’s widow, Mary, revealed that her husband knew he was dying from cirrhosis of the liver, which can be a side effect of heroin abuse. According to Orange County Sheriff’s records, at the time of his death, Delgado was under suspicion for the heroin-related death of Joshua, and later drove a truck for the ministry, died Nov. 15, 1997 at his Florida home after injecting himself with a massive dose of heroin. Delgado was being investigated in the death because Williams appeared to have been drugged following a visit to Delgado’s home. (8)

How can two of Hinn’s closest aides die from heroin overdoses without Benny even knowing they were stone cold hypes? From what can be learned it seems that these men were fairly long-time users and even more shocking is that we read that Williams was taking care of Hinn’s small child while a heroin addict! How can these things be? How can a man whose written international bestselling books on developing an intimate fellowship with the Holy Spirit not receive divine insight into some problems being faced daily by those around him? Where was the word of knowledge for Benny when his close friends needed it the most? Why didn’t Benny know what danger he was placing his small child in by leaving him attended by a junkie? The bottom line of this sad episode in the Hinn saga is that Hinn sold his church in Orlando and moved operations to Texas. Hinn at least got the “get out of Dodge” revelations clearly enough.

Now we come to this most recent segment, Suzanne Hinn pulling the marriage plug after thirty 30 years. Again we find the man of faith and power dumbfounded and shocked completely blindsided by a woman he now describes as “under great stress.” Is Hinn totally clueless when it comes to people? Ok, maybe he did not divine how to spot a couple of hypes, but his wife? Thirty years? No one had any idea of what she was contemplating? “I still have a few choice parcels left for just the right family, sir…”

Benny declares that there has been no infidelity. Ok, love believes the best (1 Cor. 13) and until proven wrong I will accept his statement. However, could it have something to do with Mr. Hinn’s practice of having his wife and family stay on another floor when they travel with him during his “miracle crusades.”? That gets pretty old fast after years of monthly crusades. Could it be that she is simply fed up with the hypocrisy and trying to live the lie KNOWING full well her hubby has never healed a soul and has made a living off of selling false hope to the desperate and dying on every continent! It was brought to our (DMI’s) attention at an apologetic conference when several teachers were discussing Mrs. Hinn’s face dive & belly flop at OCC shortly before the Hinn’s blew town. The clip (on Youtube.com with over 100,000+viewings) shows Mrs. Hinn berating the congregation and I quote “you all need a Holy Ghost enema, right up your rear end” she does a flop on the state and is cartel off by staff/henchman/body guards. The discussion was whether or not Suzanne was bi-polar and unstable. No definitive information is available on her mental state as of today, however, she comprehends it is time to jump ship.

One would imagine that this is now perhaps the icing on the cake for Mr. Hinn and his SINistry. With the years of false and unfulfilled prophetic (pathetic) words; the millions of people crowding stadiums around the world to listen to his every word and receive his healing touch who’ve got away unhealed, financially poor and disheartened must be asking themselves how could they have been so deceived. The lack of insight into the addiction of his close friends, the “unexpected” divorce of his wife—all should make anyone wonder about the stability of this man. All I can say is that we must pray for the Hinn’s. Benny Hinn while alive is a candidate for repentance and so I pray God grant him repentance and that He open the eyes of those still following this blind guide. ♦

Copyright © 2010 Robert S. Liichow

End Notes

1. http://www.bennyhinn.org/emailleters/pbhletter.cfm?referrer+na_eb022510  obtained on 02-26-2010 Underlining added for emphasis.

2. http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/865076/-/wikt0b/-/index.html 02-26-2010

3. It is unknown exactly how much money Mr. Hinn takes in due to our current tax laws. However from interviews, book sales, crusade attendance it is easily estimated that Hinn brings in at least 100 million a year, if not more. Much of it collected overseas in foreign nations. We have no way of knowing how much money Mr. Hinn may have salted away overseas. Please keep in mind that all of these SINistries receive tremendous amounts of currency (cash) from their meetings locally & abroad and it is very difficult to track that currency especially when it is collected and counted overseas in some hotel room.

4. Hinn, Benny. Good Morning Holy Spirit, Thomas Nelson Publishers. Nashville, 1980, p. 10

5. http://seatedprophetic.org/the-holy-spirit-his-gifts/gift-of-the-word-of-knowledge-the-word-of-wisdom-the-discerning-of-spirit/ obtained on 02-25-2010.

6. http://www.joywell.org/Gifts/wordknlg.html, obtained on 02-25-2010

7.http://www.gospel.org.nz/FreeArticiles/Rodney’sArticles/THE%20WORD%20OF%20KNOWLEDGE.htm

8. http://www.pfo.org/nuscandals.htm, obtained on 02-27-2010. Underlining

YouTube Video – Benny Hinn – “It’s Time for me to tell it all.”

Pat’s Pathetic Prophetic Track Record

Truth Matters Newsletters – January 2008  Vol. 13  Issue 1 – Pat’s Pathetic Prophetic Track Record – by Rev. Robert S. Liichow

Discernment Ministries International

Pat’s Pathetic Prophetic Track Record

By Rev. Robert S. Liichow

Fortunately for the people of God 2008 does not have to be a mystery waiting to be revealed because we have the prophet (big time profit) Pat Robertson’s word directly from God’s lips to his ear and then to us via his 700 Club show. Maybe before the startling revelations for 2008 we should consider some of his previous prophetic (pathetic) insights:

• In 1980, Robertson predicted the start of World War III, telling his audience that God said the year would be full of “sorrow and bloodshed that will have no end soon, for the world is being torn apart, and my kingdom shall rise from the ruins of it.” He also prophesied in the same year that the Soviet Union would invade the Middle East to seize its oil reserves.
• In 1988, Robertson claimed that God told him to run for president. He did not even win the Republican primary.
• In his 1991 book ‘The New World Order, Robertson forecast that U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller would be elected president in 1956.
• In 1998, Robertson threatened that as punishment for flying rainbow flags during Disney World’s annual Gay Days event, the city of Orlando would be struck by “earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor”.
• In 2004, Robertson predicted that George W. Bush would win reelection in a “blowout”. Although Bush was reelected, it was by 50.7% to 48.3% – the closest ever margin for a sitting president.
• In January 2006, Robertson forecast that the U.S. midterm elections would leave the Republican party in control of Congress. He also predicted that the Iraq war would “come to a successful conclusion” that year and U.S. troops would begin withdrawing.
• Robertson also predicted in 2006, that devastating storms and hurricanes would lash the U.S. coast. He must have thought this a particularly safe guess, but in fact no hurricanes made landfall in the U.S. in that year. He also prophesied something like a tsunami hitting the northwest coast causing much devastation…no such thing occurred. In 2007, he predicted a terrorist attack on a major American city, possibly nuclear in nature with maybe a million people dying. “(Uh Pat, thankfully you were wrong about that too).

Concerning last year’s mishap Robertson responds, “All I can think is that somehow the people of God prayed and God in his mercy spared us.”  Concerning Bush’s social security reform, Robertson said, “I have a relatively good track record. Sometimes I miss.”

Mr. Robertson thinks awfully highly of himself to say “I have a relatively good track record.” His prophetic track record is ABYSMAL.  (1) What if we applied the standard Robertson uses on himself to the biblical prophets? All of them would be something like less than 10% accurate.

It is a serious thing to make pronouncements in the name of the Lord which are false. Not only is it a violation of the Second Commandment, but it brings shame and ridicule upon our Lord and His Church. Someone needs to tell Mr. Robertson that for a biblical prophet a “relatively good track record” is 100% accuracy nothing less.

Every time a self-proclaimed charismatic “prophet” gives out a word from the Lord and it fails to come to pass these false prophets attempt to explain it away by saying “we prayed and averted the problem” or if something good did not happen “we did not meet the conditions of the prophetic word.” Or if something is time specific then we are told that it is a genuine word from God, but the timetable has been pushed back or any number of reasons. Even the false prophet/false teacher Kenneth Copeland partially learned his lesson about spewing forth prophetic words in his monthly magazine “The Believers Voice of Victory.” Copeland originally ran a column entitled “The News Before It Happens,” but when these words from God continually failed to come to pass month after month, he dropped the column (he still profalies in God’s name in his conferences however).

I guess charismatic believers have the world’s shortest attention spans and memories because after twenty years of prophetic error people still wait with baited breath to hear what “God” has to say to the Church through His servant Pat “the profit” Robertson. Well, be in suspense no longer….Here is our future!

2008 Prognostications

On Wednesday’s “700 Club” broadcast, the founder of the C.B.N. predicted that evangelism will increase and more people will seek God as the chaos develops. Robertson said, “We will see the presence of angels and we will see an intensification of miracles around the world.” (source: www.foxnews.com/story) Pat also said that the price of gas would go up and that “I also believe the Lord was saying by 2009, maybe 2010, there’s going to be a major stock market crash,” (source: http://hamptonroads.com/2008/01/pat-robertson-predicts-violence,-recession2008). Which is it Pat 2009 or 2010? Hasn’t “God” made up His mind yet? ♦

 Copyright © Robert S. Liichow

 

Part Two – The Heretics Promises Of Long Life Fall Short As They Age – Time for A New Paradigm

Truth Matters Newsletter – August 2006 – Vol. 11 Issue 8 – Part Two – The Heretics Promises Of Long Life Fall Short As They Age and Die So Time for A New Paradigm – By Robert S. Liichow

Discernment Ministries International

Part Two – The Heretics Promise Of Long Life Fall Short As They Age – So, Time for A New Paradigm

In the July Issue we began to consider the claims made by many of the charismatic extremists regarding their teachings on longevity. Many make the claim that it is God’s will that His people all live to be 120 years old. They base their claim on the fact that Moses lived to be 120 and when he died his eyesight was perfect and he had the strength of a young man (read Deut 34:7). Since we have a better covenant based on better promises, then we should obtain at least as much, if not more, than Moses!

Towards the end of July I had the privilege to have a radio interview conducted by Pastor Emory Moss of Strictly Biblical Teaching Ministry. Pastor Moss is not only a friend of mine, he is one of the few voices boldly speaking out against biblical error and heresy on the radio in the Metropolitan Detroit area. Before the broadcast he asked me to be prepared to answer the Word of Faith claims to the right to live to be 120.

Let me answer his question now (in case you are also asked “why not” by some extremist). The answer is simple. Why just pick on Moses? Since when did His life become the cornerstone for marking longevity? Without a doubt Moses lived to be 120. Why not chose our first father Adam? He lived to be 930 years old (Gen. 5:5). Or why not chose Enos who lived at least 815 years (Gen. 5:10). The fact is there is nothing in the New Testament that guarantees God’s people any certain length of days. People are free to make any claims they wish as long as they do not twist Scripture to make their point. An example of one person known to many of our readers was Jamie Buckingham who received a “divine” revelation from Oral Roberts:

In July 1990, Roberts gave a special “word of wisdom” to Jamie Buckingham who was suffering from cancer, assuring him that he would not die but live to continue his ministry. In 1991, Jamie Buckingham, encouraged by Robert’s “word of wisdom”, claimed that God had told him that he would be given at least another 50 years of life. However, Buckingham died one year later. (1)

Not surprisingly Mr. Roberts was wrong again regarding what he thought was a word from the Lord. Buckingham did not live, he died. If I had been Jamie I would have been highly suspect of anything Roberts uttered because of his abysmal track record of spouting false prophetic words. Then Jamie goes on to say that the Lord told him personally he would live another 50 years, making him 100 years old (not quite hitting the 120 mark). Yet he perished of his illness the next year.

It is this glaring lack of success among the leaders of charismatic extremism that has led to what I call a “mega-shift” in practice within the charismatic camp. Years of positive confessing and not possessing accompanied by the many deaths of charismatic leaders has led many to look for other “keys” to anti-aging and longevity. As we explore some of the ingredients in the new approach please keep in mind they are not negating the former practices. It is simply that positive confession alone was not enough, it seems it was only one side of the long life coin. Today sign-gift believers are being given the missing ingredients. Now we will begin where we left off in July:

PART TWO

It is easy when you are young to boldly declare that doctors exist for the weak in faith as Fred Price teaches. Price continues to teach that true believers can and should live to be 120 years old:

Price boasts of himself “When you have developed your faith to such an extent that you can stand on the promises of God, then you won’t need medicine. That’s the reason, I don’t take medicine.” While he says we don’t allow sickness in his home (Is healing for all?  p. 20 Harrison House 1976) and condemns others for having it. Nor does he personally take medicine somehow it snuck in on his wife. In 1990 she developed cancer and underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment. It was by God’s grace not the law of faith that she was cured. (2)

As all of these people have begun to age and many are in into their middle to late 60’s, some are older a “new” thrust has been added to their agendas, one that is proving very popular. The new thrust is really nothing more than common sense healthy living with a thin veneer of charismatic “dust” sprinkled over it.

Back in the day, no self-respecting televangelist would have medical doctors on their shows, unless they were shilling a fake miracle. TBN has Dr. Reginald Cherry on their network as a regular program. Cherry is a real Board certified medical doctor who heavily endorses alternative forms of treatment. (3) He is the doctor to the charismatic elite, especially Jan Crouch. Naturally on his program and web site he panders his brands of nutritional supplements and makes the following claims concerning them:

God has now given us the knowledge to take extracts from the various substances He created and formulate advanced nutritional supplements to address the major health concerns that threaten us today. God has instructed me to formulate a daily, high potency nutritional supplement along with a family of specialty supplements based on specific conditions to help the body of Christ in these last days. (4)

These are not your average One-A-Day vitamins Cherry is selling, oh no, “God” told him how to formulate each product by divine insight. Statements like these coming from a real Board Certified medical doctor who is on TBN must be true! If God did indeed reveal to Dr. Cherry some form of supercharged vitamin complex then they should work every tie and in every case produce positive results. So far, this does not seem to be the case.

I am sure if tested, Cherry’s products would contain the same ingredients that LifeSource Nutrition offers in all its products. They place a full page advertisement in Charisma magazine almost every month… (5)

The LifeSource people place their tag line “Can Cancer and Disease Be Prevented?” Obviously, the answer to their rhetorical question is yes if you buy and take their products.

Books are now coming out by the score written by some well known authors, like Joyce Meyer and her latest book entitled Look Great and Feel Great 12 Keys to Enjoying a Healthy Life Now. (6) Another title sweeping the land is called The Maker’s Diet written by Jordan S. Rubin. Naturally Rubin has a website and sells products that go along with his instructions on how to eat biblically. Who is Rubin and why should anyone listen to him?

After winning his battle with Crohn’s colitis, a disease initially diagnosed as incurable, Jordan has devoted his life to developing solutions to help those who suffer as he did by developing and educating on ways to naturally and nutritionally overcome health challenges. Jordan is also a best selling author, including Restoring Your Digestive Health and The Maker’s Diet. Additionally, Jordan is founder of the nationally reputed Garden of Life and GPRX products available on this website, including outstanding products such as the probiotic, Primal Defense…A faith-filled life is a strong and mighty force against disease and sickness, resulting in significant, long-term health benefits. (7)

This book and the accompanying line of nutritional supplements is taking off like wildfire not only among Christians but in the secular “diet-crazed” world too. What is Rubin’s basic belief and practice? Rubin bases his nutritional concepts on Old Testament teachings about what we should and should not eat. Bacon and pork products are avoided, as are all types of shellfish, etc. There is a long list of required nutritional supplements that must be taken by the dieter. Rubin got into some legal hot water with the FDA over the claims he was making about himself and his supplements:

“Maker’s Diet” author tied to illegal supplement marketing. The FDA has ordered Garden of Life of West Palm Beach, Florida, to stop making unsubstantiated claims for “Q-Zyme, “ “Primal Defense,” “Virgin Coconut Oil,” “Fungal Defense,” FYI (For Your Inflammation),” “RM-10,” “Revivall Classic,” or other products. [Singleton ER Warning letter to Robert U. Craven. May 11, 2004] The company was founded by Jordan S. Rubin, “NMD, phD, CNC,” who claims to have cured himself of “intestinal parasites, severe Candida, extreme anemia, food allergies, diabetes, excruciating abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, poor circulation, liver problems, chemical sensitivities, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, arthritis, insomnia, hair loss, prostate and bladder infections, irregular heartbeat, eye inflammation, and chronic depression.” Rubin’s credentials have no legitimate academic or professional standing:

His NMD (naturopathic medical doctor) is from the Peoples University of the Americas School of Natural Medicine, a non-accredited school with no campus.

His Ph.D is from the Academy of Natural Therapies, a non-accredited correspondence school that the State of Hawaii ordered to close last year.

His CND (Certified Nutritional Consultant) comes form the American Association of Nutritional Consultants, whose only requirement for “professional members” status has been payment of a $50 or $60 fee. The CNC requires passage of a test based mainly on the contents of books that promote nutrition quackery.

Rubin’s book, “The Maker’s Diet,” is number 14 on the New York Times list of hardcover advice books. The book’s Web site states that Rubin “uses Biblical and scientific resources to provide a uniquely holistic wellness program.” Entrepreneur Magazine listed Garden of Life as the fifth fastest growing company in America, with 2003 sales of $43.2 million. (8)

In short, Mr. Rubin is a fraud. His degrees are fraudulent, and the claims he was making about his supplements are proven unscientific. Regardless of the facts, his book is number 14 on the New York Times best selling hardback list and it can be found in virtually every Christian bookstore. Why is his book so popular among Christians? Because we are all growing older and if getting back under the yoke of the Old Testament dietary laws will bring health then so be it! If keeping kosher was the answer to long-life then Hasidic Jews ought to be outliving us all, but they are not.

Even the aging charismatic wacko Pat Robertson offers his “age defying shake” on the CBN website:

Where does Pat find the time and energy to host a daily, national TV show, head a world-wide ministry, develop visionary scholars, while traveling the globe as a statesman? One of Pat’s secrets to keeping his energy high and his vitality soaring is his age-defying protein shake. Pat developed a delicious, refreshing shake, filled with energy-producing nutrients. (9)

Inside the “health clinic” aspect of the website he is currently offering two books: 1.) Aging Without Growing Old, by Mary MacFarland, 2.) Health For A Lifetime, by Dr. Julian Whitaker. His age-defying shake although originally offered for free and the recipe can still be obtained for free, he decided to turn it into a profit making venture:

Seems his “age-defying” diet shake isn’t just a philanthropic endeavor anymore. The televangelist is looking to turn a profit from it. After four years of touting the benefits of his weight-loss shake via his nonprofit Christian Broadcasting Network and sending the recipe to any viewer who asked for it, Robertson has licensed the shake for national distribution by General Nutrition Corp. , a Pittsburgh-based health-food chain…Robertson’s weight-loss shake had been turned into a powdered mix in a can: nine servings for $21.99. In large type on the front of the can, the product is labeled “Pat’s Diet Shake.” In smaller type on the back, it is identified as “Dr. Pat Robertson’s Diet Shake.” Robertson is not a medical doctor, but he has a law degree, known formally as a juris doctor, from Yale Law School…The commercialization of Robertson’s shake drew fire from the Trinity Foundation, a Dallas-based religious media watchdog organization. Trinity has been critical of past Robertson business ventures, such as his African gold and diamond mines and Kalo-Vita, a multilevel marketing company that sold vitamins and cosmetics. Ole Anthony, Trinity’s president said Robertson improperly used his tax-exempt, nonprofit ministry to create a market for his shake. “It wouldn’t exist unless it was promoted on the donor-paid-for airtime,” he said. (10)

Robertson’s co-host on the 700 Club, Mr. Ben Kinchlow also got into the healing crazy by serving as an advocate for bee pollen and royal jelly (the bee food only the queen bee eats, and as we all know the queen lives the longest!). Well the company Ben was shilling for suffered the same fate as Mr. Rubin’s regarding the FDA:

In 1992, a federal court ordered destruction of quantities of Bee Alive, a royal jelly and herb combination in honey seized from Bee-Alive Inc. , of Valley Cottage, N.Y. In 1989, the FDA had warned the company that promotional material distributed with a similar product had made illegal statements that the product was useful in treating or preventing chronic Epstein-Barr virus syndrome, gastrointestinal ulcers, colitis, low blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, nervous breakdowns, infertility, impotence, depression, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, anemia, asthma, hemorrhoids, migraine headaches, and other problems.

Despite a promise to stop distributing literature making these claims, the company continued to advertise that Regina Royal Jelly could help children resist childhood ailments, “offers daytime vitality and nighttime tranquility,” increases mental and physical stamina, and “seems to improve the immune system.” Company president Madeline Balletta still promotes Bee-Alive as a “super-food” whose users (including herself) have been relieved form severe fatigue [22,23]. (11)

What is amazing to me is that both Pat & Ben are still avid believers in the charismatic doctrine concerning divine healing. Pat still gives out words of knowledge for healing his viewers on television. (I guess he is hedging his bet by drinking his age defying shake and taking his supplements). After all, one never knows when ones faith might falter.

For a mere $23.00 you can purchase the latest Joyce Meyer book which is also a New York Times best seller. On her website store about this book it says:

You are valuable to God! He has a great future planned for you, and you need to be ready for it. In this exciting new release, Joyce shares twelve practical keys that will help you look and feel great. Working these principles into your life is not as hard as you might think and can make all the difference in the world. (12)

Joyce is getting older too. She has medically battled breast cancer and is cancer free today. Yet she looks in the mirror too and knows in her heart-of-hearts that positive confession will not make those age lines go away. There are other methods used to make that happen along with a whole host of techniques used by the leaders in the extremist movement to make their claims of divine life flowing through their veins appear to be true.

Dear brothers and sisters when you see many of these charismatic superstars on television realize that they use the same treatments that Hollywood stars use to keep up a youthful looking façade. Mr. Copeland dyes his hair to keep it that jet black. T.L.Osborn has worn a full wig for many years (at least 20). These folks use liposuction (Jan Crouch even offered a seminar on lipo a few years back). They get laser work done on their eyes. They wear wigs (Jan Crouch and T. L. Osborn). Benny Hinn is the master of the comb-over and hair dying techniques. Tilton admitted to having had a facelift done (a close look at many of the television gals will prove the same is true for them, but those neck lines always give them away). Jan Crouch had a pair of silicon breast implants for that “fuller figure” Dolly Parton look she covets, not to mention the massive amount of make-up she wears. 

We all remember Tammy Faye Bakker, she was the original “queen” of too much make-up. Both Jan and Tammy have battled cancer and could use our prayers.

Now it seems they have come full circle from once declaring that all we needed was faith in God’s promises of health and long life and we’d have it, to now having faith in eating a kosher diet, taking plenty of expensive nutritional supplements to produce health and a long life. The trick is to confess God’s promises as you take all those dietary pills and thus you’ll be releasing faith in God to use them to bring you to a long long long healthy, wealthy life. In the end hopefully leaving behind a beautiful 120 year old corpse!

This mega-shift towards long life goes beyond mere nutritional supplements. Charisma magazine but a very long article on “Christian Yoga” in the July 2006 issue. Yoga in all its forms comes directly from Hinduism and have no place in the Church. The theory behind every form of yoga is to “yoke” the devotee with their specific god or goddess they are serving. Here is what the leader says in Charisma:

Susan Bondenkircher, developer of a Christian yoga-video series called Out-stretched in Worship (www.Christianyoga.us) says her Christ-centered yoga classes direct participants toward God, not false gods. And the instruction can serve as an evangelistic tool. If someone who’s not a Christian is practicing yoga, we can give them the opportunity to see God through what we’re doing. (13)

“That dog won’t hunt,” in other words her statement is false. You cannot take pagan practices and make them “Christian.” What fellowship has light with darkness (read 2 Cor. 6:14)? The answer to Paul’s rhetorical question is —NONE! Yet this does not stop Charisma magazine from promoting Christian-yoga as a valid means for communing with our Lord. The Bible never mentions any form of yoga as being a means of divine communication or a tool for meditation.

I believe it is potentially dangerous for Christians to meddle with eastern practices; possibly opening themselves up for demonic attack.

If yoga is not your thing there is yet another way to climb the ladder of health and long life. I was sent a book by a good friend and ministry supporter some months back (thanks Tom) called “The Holy Movement: Matters of the Colon.” Once I had stopped laughing at the title I realized that Debora Lee Meehan was serious about the astounding benefits of high colonics and enemas. The book is printed by New Century Press, Chula Vista, CA. Here is a blurb from the back cover of her book:

The Holy Movement is the hottest historical and biblical presentation of Colon Hygiene for this new millennium. Presented boldly and quite humorously, Debra Lee Meehan possess the ability to communicate real life situations in a fashion that is easily understood as helpful truth for all. The Holy Movement shows how spiritual principles may be manifested into the physical plane for the purpose of healthy and abundant living. (14)

The book is filled with New Age techniques and lingo, none of which have anything to do with the Bible. There is not one text that directs us to get a high colonic! There may be a medical reason when such a procedure is necessary but it does not help manifest spiritual principles into the physical plane.

I hope this article is opening your eyes to seeing how far out people are willing to go when they begin to realize they are growing older and are seemingly unwilling to meet their Lord in a genuine face-to-face encounter.

Let’s close this article out by considering a few biblical truths. To begin with God is Sovereign, He is the One who is in complete control of our lives and how long we live. James makes this truth plain when he writes:

Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appearth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye [ought] to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. James 4:13-15.

What many of our extremist friends have forgotten is that we are the clay and God is the Potter. The Apostle Paul makes the following statement regarding our physical lives:

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory; 2 Cor. 4:16-17

In context Paul is speaking about the reality of heaven when our earthly bodies perish. Try as we might to push back the forces of the fall we must admit that every day we ar a day closer to the grave and our reward. Frankly, we should be living every day or Christ as if it is our last instead of projecting into the future.

Brothers and sisters there is nothing wrong or sinful about taking care of the body God has entrusted to us. We are to be good stewards over it just as we are called to be good stewards over any other possession. I believe the problems begin to enter in when claims are made almost guaranteeing us long life if we will such as Dr. Cherry’s supplements or drink Pat Robertson’s life enhancing age defying shakes.

Really all that is needed is very simple —-eat a balanced diet of fruit, vegetables and meat. Get some exercise daily, which can be as simple as walking in the morning or evening. If you are overweight, lose the weight. If you smoke, stop smoking. Live a life of moderation and dedicate each day to the Lord and strive to serve Him however you can. You may live to be 120, you may live to be 54, it really is immaterial assuming you have lived your allotted time on earth to bring Him glory.  ♦

Copyright © 2006 Robert S. Liichow

End Notes

1. Obtained from http://www.fundamentalbiblechurch.org/Foundation/fbcwhere.htm

2. Obtained from http://www.letusreason.org/Wf27htm on 07-17-06. Underlining and bold type added.

3. To learn more about his history, beliefs, education go visit his web site at:

http://www.drcherry.org/drcherry_bio.htm

4. Obtained from http://www.drcherry.org/supplements.htm

5. Charisma April 2005 p. 15 full page ad for LifeSource Nutrition

6. Charisma, April 2006, p. 21.

7. Obtained from http://www.gprxstore.com/catalog/product-theParentId11id82.html

8. Obtained from http://www.ncahf.org/digest04/04-25.html

9. Obtained from http://www.cbn.com/communitypublic/shake.aspx

10. Sizemore, Bill – Is Anything Wrong With Pat Robertson Making a Killing? The Washington Post, August 25, 2005.

11. Obtained form http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/bee.html

12. Obtained from http://shop.jmmestore.org/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1327.

13. Obtained form http://www.joycemeyer.com on 08-01-06.

14. Charisma, July 2006. P. 30