Beware of Televangelists & Wolves In Sheep's Clothing

Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing. They may have a fierce beauty, but their inner cruelty can reappear in an instant. (Courtesy of Pixaby / InspiredImages)

False Prophets & Fake Faith Healers Hoodwink the Faithful

The Rev. Charles Stanley died a few days ago at age 90. As I read the story of his passing, my thoughts turned to other preachers who populate America’s television screens and pulpits. I daresay most are like wolves in sheep’s clothing.

I am not accusing the late Rev. Stanley of being one of them. I know nothing about his sermons or the doctrine he preached. But his death reminded me of the numerous televangelists who fill the airwaves with false teachings and fraudulent promises.

Con Artists or Evangelists?

My introduction to televangelists dates back a few years to a time when I was unable to attend church because of illness. It was an illness that kept me out of church for nearly two years and led to my early retirement.

I really missed the sermons, but the best I could do was watch services on television. My own church’s services weren’t televised, so I decided to check out several televangelists and found only one that I wanted to hear again.

It took only a few sermons for me to realize that this televangelist preached the same basic sermon every Sunday. The specific sermon that stays in my mind concerned his desire to grow his church.

Ask & It Shall Be Given?

The evangelist that I watched told about having a large congregation but wanting more, which wasn’t a bad desire. Christ did tell us to evangelize.

At any rate, this televangelist said that he asked God for a specific amount of money to buy and renovate a huge arena that a local sports team in his city was selling. We are talking about millions upon millions of dollars – an impossible amount of money for most people to raise.

But lo, and behold, almost the exact amount of money that the evangelist needed miraculously dropped into his lap. I don’t remember the details, but the preacher was able to purchase the arena and grow his congregation.

He’s now one of the country’s leading televangelists. All because he prayed the right prayers and had sufficient faith in God. However, his blessings didn’t stop there.

Apparently, God also blessed his numerous book deals and other ventures. The book royalties and advances, combined with speaking fees, donations from congregants and television viewers, and various types of merchandise, have made him an extremely wealthy man.

It seemed more like a big business than a ministry.

Planting a Seed

Several televangelists don’t leave donations to chance. They are specific about the amount of money they want from congregants and viewers, telling their followers to “plant a seed” by sending a $53 or $67 or whatever to their ministries.

“Send your donation to the address shown on your screen or call this toll-free number to plant your seed – and have your credit card ready,” the announcer says.

Followers are told that their donations will help the ministry share God’s word with the world. Not only that, God will bless them with good health and great wealth if they pray the right prayers and have enough faith.

Naïve, hard-working people send their “seed money” to the post office address provided or pull out their credit cards and call the toll-free phone number shown on the television screen. And then they wait…and wait…and wait.

Some eventually realize that they’ve been conned, but many never realize the truth and continue to make donation after donation.

The Prosperity Gospel

This money scam is what’s called the “prosperity gospel.” Preachers of the prosperity gospel view the Bible as a contract between God and people: Have faith in God and fulfill your end of the contract, and God will ensure your physical health and financial prosperity.

They love to quote verses such as Philippians 4:19, which says: “My God will supply all your need according to his riches in glory of Christ Jesus,” or John 14:14, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

I’ve known quite a few pastors who are truly men and women of God. Yet their prayers and faith apparently aren’t enough because they don’t drive Ferraris or Bentleys, and their homes aren’t sprawling mansions overlooking the lake.

They are humble people and special teachers, but almost any televangelist will tell them that they’re doing something wrong.

Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

Were I able to talk with the Christian con artists who populate our television screens, I would recall Matthew 7:15, which says: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

These ravenous wolves reap large financial rewards from prosperity gospel teachings, while most of their followers live modest lives and earn modest incomes.

Healing the Sick

Faith healing is another ministry that’s highly suspect.

A faith healer’s service goes something like this: The televangelist preaches a sermon and then invites people to come to the front of the church to be healed.

A line forms leading toward the altar. Each person comes before the faith healer, who says a few words and touches the follower’s head. The person falls to the floor and is caught by a member of the preacher’s staff. If the person has enough faith, they supposedly are healed. If they aren’t healed, the fault lies with them rather than the preacher.

Even people in wheelchairs go through this process. What viewers don’t know is that televangelists don’t attempt to “heal” people who arrive for a service in their own permanent, battery-powered wheelchairs.

These people have serious medical problems that keep them in a wheelchair, and no faith healer is going to help them the way Christ healed people with crippling conditions. Consequently, the pastor’s staff pulls them from the line.

To give the illusion of healing, the staff provides wheelchairs to people who are able to walk into the service, but may be unsteady on their feet. The preacher goes through the motions of healing, and the person in the wheelchair – who has some ability to walk – stands and takes a few steps.

Glory hallelujah! He/she is healed!

Fake Faith Healers vs. Christ’s Healing

What you will never see is a so-called faith healer restoring an amputee’s limb or curing someone with an obvious illness that cannot be helped by the power of suggestion or magicians’ tricks. Their trickery doesn’t extend to regrowing amputated limbs or curing someone of Alzheimer’s disease.

And you will never see a faith healer enter a hospital or nursing home and heal anyone. Were they genuine, they could empty the beds and put doctors out of business.

But they know their limitations and avoid people with obvious illnesses and disabilities, unlike Christ – who healed a woman with a long-term bleeding disorder, a man with a withered hand, and people who were blind or had leprosy.

Signs of Scams

Christ knows our hearts. He said that many people will say to him, “‘Lord, lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” Matthew 7:22-23.

Church Answers, an online resource for church leaders, says that there are several ways to recognize false teachers and fake faith healers. They tend to…