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Christian TV - good, bad or indifferent?

Andyintheuk

Andyintheuk

Member
I was channel surfing this morning through the Christian channels and noticed a huge variation in quality but more worryingly, the preaching. One was demanding, yes demanding $1,000 on the promise that God will reward me with even more, almost like a type of investment: 'Donate $1,000 and God will reward you, double, five times, even ten times! MasterCard and Visa accepted.' Even went as far as, 'Draw down your savings, if you don't have savings, put it on your card.' I was Gob-smacked (UK colloquialism)! Scriptural back up quoted: Luke 6:38.

Another sounded like he was on weed, a sickly smooth voice (OK, easy to be critical) but his sermon sounded more like a life coach than a gospel preacher. What happened to Repent and believe, love, adore and worship God, the great commission ... ?

Yes there were some really good inspiring channels, David Pawson got my brain working overtime but the rest....!!!

Your experiences and views welcome.
 
ugh. I...don't know. I think the Catholics may have the Protestants beat when it comes to TV programming.

I saw something (US-based), "Gospel" TV station...complaining about Trump being criticized, "liberal" judges, etc. I was...not happy.

Other times, I like some of the programming, but could do without other parts. Like Swaggert's ministry, SBN. He preaches The Cross, that I like, transformation thru Christ, good stuff, but...the constant fund raising and conservative slant on...everything...gets to me, after a while.

Intersting topic, btw.
 
Same as in Jesus day....
Beware of pharisees. Lovers of $$$$$$$.....
Do as the y say not as they do!!!!!
Matthew 5:22

However at my age i am a little less critical of preachers as I have a more realistic view of who Christ is
And that all the rest of us are at the bottom of the food chain
With no righteousness saved by grace.....
 
This is what I think of all those prosperity preachers that beg you for money to line their own pockets. TBN is the worst.

2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
 
It's really expensive running a TV channel, the pressures must enormous: I get that. But if the networks were to step out in faith and instead concentrate on quality output the audience numbers would increase and advertisers would start calling.

Yes there is a place for asking for donations but I've noticed they're only interested in your cash, they're not interested in your prayers, just your tax deductible donations.

Compare and contrast with Christian radio which is also not cheap to run. I find that quite inspirational and helpful on the way to work. Yes I hear calls for donations, fair enough but I also hear calls for prayer and also advertising.

Please pray for the TV networks that more sincere Christians will take over and boot the fraudsters and false teachers and prophets out.

Don't get me wrong, there is some quality but it's in a minority.
 
It's like most things you just need to discern the spirits that are speaking, 1 John 4:1-6. There are only two spirits that operate as one is truth and the other error. There are good preacher/teachers that stay within the will of God and then others that are in their own will. It's like prosperity teachers as prosperity is not always about money, but to prosper in the knowledge of the word of God and allowing our faith to grow in Christ as we trust Him in all things and learn of His truths.
 
Andyintheuk said:
I was channel surfing this morning through the Christian channels and noticed a huge variation in quality but more worryingly, the preaching. One was demanding, yes demanding $1,000 on the promise that God will reward me with even more, almost like a type of investment: 'Donate $1,000 and God will reward you, double, five times, even ten times! MasterCard and Visa accepted.' Even went as far as, 'Draw down your savings, if you don't have savings, put it on your card.' I was Gob-smacked (UK colloquialism)! Scriptural back up quoted: Luke 6:38.

Another sounded like he was on weed, a sickly smooth voice (OK, easy to be critical) but his sermon sounded more like a life coach than a gospel preacher. What happened to Repent and believe, love, adore and worship God, the great commission ... ?

Yes there were some really good inspiring channels, David Pawson got my brain working overtime but the rest....!!!

Your experiences and views welcome.
Click to expand...
Hi Andy!

Religion has been a great scam since the first witch doctor convinced his tribe that he made the sun come back to warm up the earth and they should pay him for it or he'll make it get cold again. (...or maybe that was Al Gore....)

iakov the fool
 
Rightly dividing...usually that means change the channel, loll. Sometimes not.

Doesn't' everybody know that Jesus is using YouTube way more than television?

There's a lot of smokin preaching going on there. Many great messengers of God. Giving out real tools for spiritual growth, unlike the crumbs of Christian TV.

People bash Joel Osteen for being more of a motivational speaker than a pastor, but have you ever heard his dad, John Osteen? That man had an anointing, and did use scriptures. He's on YouTube.
 
I don't have a Christian channel but Joyce Meyer comes on my free to air channels sometimes.
How is she scripturally? I think she is helpful. Like a good commonsense counsellor. And funny. And authentic.But...... Actually another one comes to mind now. Hour of Power with Rev. Robert Schuller. That's like positive psychology and counselling too. I used to watch his grandfather all those years ago. Oh what a bore!
 
It is mostly all Trash TV. There are a few that are ok but mostly just prosperity false teacher types with the goal of lining their pockets with as much of your cash as possible. Unfortunately, in the world of TV preachers and teachers there are many that spoil it for the few honest ones. Be careful who you listen to - read the Bible instead.
 
skyhigh said:
I don't have a Christian channel but Joyce Meyer comes on my free to air channels sometimes.
How is she scripturally? I think she is helpful. Like a good commonsense counsellor. And funny. And authentic.But...... Actually another one comes to mind now. Hour of Power with Rev. Robert Schuller. That's like positive psychology and counselling too. I used to watch his grandfather all those years ago. Oh what a bore!
Click to expand...
I remember watching Robt. Schuller. He invited someone to give their testimony (a short one) had I thought Schuller was going to have a heart attack when the man started talking about repentance and the blood of Jesus. It seemed to me that you could attend Schuller's church for decades and never hear the Gospel, just his "Positive Christianity".
I was properly underwhelmed.
 
I used to watch Christian TV and one day I was invited to a church when I went to the city and it just so happened to be the programme I watched on TV and same Pastor and it was completly different.

On TV they just showed him preaching but in real life there were two massive advertising screens on both sides of the stage, and after a few worship songs he come on stage and preached about 10mins then it was all about donations and getting more people to church for another 20 mins, then he apologised he had to go because he had a BBQ to attend and it was a long drive so he left.
 
that's the way to do it. i don't think ive experienced anything that horrible here, but I'm in "The Bible Belt," so...we still have some standards going, even in this day and age.
 
And they put that slow brainwashing music on and my friend who invited me it was only her second time going there and she got brainwashed by the music and deception and was about to go up the altar but I was more wise and didnt want her giving her soul to satan so she didnt go up.
 
yeah....I -love- The Pentecostals, don't get me wrong, but...when they start playing that music to get people to "Make a decision for Christ," etc., its...I don't know...I don't mean to sound harsh, but it feels like something psychologists would do, you know? appeal to emotions, manipulate, coax and cajole, etc.

the place you went to sounds extreme. im glad God gave you enough discernment to help your friend out. :)
 
Its not the Holy Spirit, its brainwashing, music controls emotions. Thats why they do it with really slow intimate music and a soft voice rather than pumping big distorted electric guitars and screaming.
 
yeah. I took some history classes, and its interesting...some of the techniques modern evangelists use today were developed and put into widespread practice in the 2nd Great Awakening, in 19th century America. Back then, lots of critics warned of false conversions and appealing to emotions over simply letting The Holy Spirit do the work of converting the unrepentant. Then...

looking at more recent history, you have Billy Graham. I'm happy he dedicated his life to The Lord, but how many -genuine- conversions do you think his crusades produced? Don't get me wrong; if even a fraction of 1% of those conversions resulted in genuine transformation, then he's done all he can do, but...

I have doubts about "soul winning" techniques, let's just put it that way.
 
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