Have you ever looked at your Bible and thought, “I don’t know enough to open the Bible and know what it says” or “I’ve always wondered what God says about (fill in the blank)”?
Don’t worry. You are not alone. Millions of dollars are spent every year on Christian Living books and Bible Study books. So many don’t get completely read, studies have only the first lesson or two finished. Then they sit on the shelf collecting dust. Then so many of us think, “Maybe my translation of the Bible is too difficult. Maybe, if I got another translation that is easier to read, I’ll understand it better.
I speak from experience. When I first had my heart opened by God to receive Jesus, I was hungry. Starving for God’s Word. And didn’t know how to read it. Oh, I had Bibles….. plural. I had a loyalty card at the Bible Bookstore near my house and spent hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars on Bibles, Christian Living books, Bible Studies, Bible Software, Bible tabs, Bible covers, highlighters, pens the wouldn’t bleed through. I was, possibly, the one of the best highlighter/pen/pencil equipped persons at church on Sunday. I took notes, highlighted…… and was learning nothing about God’s Word.
Now a decade later, I have learned HOW to study. It’s a lot of work and takes diligence and dedication but it is well worth it. I have been blessed to know God like I have never known Him before. And with that comes the realization that I will never be done studying God’s Word or learning about Him.
You can learn too. You can go from flying over Scripture, seeing it from 30,000 feet to pouring over it with a magnifying glass to DISCERN TRUTH.
One of the ways is to take a Free Online class on How To Study. Here is a great class with two different time offerings.
I saw this book promoted on a YouTube video where Costi Hinn was being interviewed. I was intrigued to see what the Prosperity Gospel looks like from behind the scenes from his perspective. You see, I came from a church where I felt uncomfortable much of the time but really couldn’t put my finger on the problem, since they spoke often about being a bible-believing church. Since leaving the church many years ago, I have done a lot of study in the scriptures to learn that I hadn’t been given complete exegesis of the Holy Scriptures in context. Upon reading this book I immediately saw several things.
This is not a book that bashes a particular man or Ministry
This book is very easy to read. It is not a theological book that many would be lost trying to read
It provides a real life examples from the life of a real man who lived behind the scenes of a real life Prosperity Gospel Ministry
If you aren’t sure whether or not the church you are in is a Prosperity Gospel Church, or there have been times where listening to a certain pastor or Ministry just doesn’t sit right with you, this may be the book to help you determine whether or not you are listening to a Prosperity Gospel preacher.
I highly recommend this book. It is a down-to-earth real life book from someone who lived the life and got out of it.
Description
Millions desperate for hope and solutions are enticed by the promise of the prosperity gospel – that God will do whatever they need with just a little faith and a financial gift. All the while, prosperity preachers exploit the poor and the needy to stockpile their riches. What can followers of the true gospel do to combat the deception?
Through a remarkable and fascinating journey, Costi Hinn went from a next-generation prosperity preacher to the first to abandon the family faith and share the true gospel. Nephew of the world-famous televangelist, Benny Hinn, Costi had a front-row seat to the inner workings and theology of the prosperity gospel. But as Costi’s faith deepened, so did his questions about prosperity teaching. As the deceptions in his past were exposed, Costi came face to face with the hypocrisy and devastation caused by his belief system, and the overwhelming truth about the real Jesus Christ.
This captivating look into the daily lives of one of the world’s leading prosperity dynasties offers a thoughtful perspective on the perils of greed, the power of the true gospel, and hope for the future of the global church. Through real-life stories, Costi challenges and equips readers to be living lights pointing the way to the true gospel and the saving grace of Christ. God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel will bolster your faith and encourage your own journey toward the Truth.
Review
Hinn (Defining Deception), the nephew of Israeli Christian televangelist Benny Hinn, rails in this convincing, vociferous work against the ‘health and wealth’ theology of prosperity gospel preachers as anti-Christian, exploitative, and abusive. Part memoir, part critique of prosperity gospel theology, Hinn’s candid work delves into his childhood and young adulthood within the family’s ministry. He then explores his first inklings of doubt at Dallas Baptist University and his subsequent rejection of his role as ‘the next great anointed healer’ when he is forced to choose between his family and his fiancand eacute;e, who feels she must hide her asthma because Hinn’s family made her feel as if ‘sickness is not allowed in [his] home.’ Hinn rebuilds his spiritual life and ministry within a more mainstream, conservative evangelical faith and, in the book’s final chapters, offers a theological critique of prosperity gospel practices, suggestions for a moderated understanding of God’s role in human well-being, and thoughts on how to reach out to family and friends who believe the prosperity gospel message. Hinn’s testimony will be most meaningful to Christians who have grown up in but are skeptical of the prosperity tradition. ( Publishers Weekly)
About the Author
COSTI W. HINN is a pastor and author whose passion is to preach the gospel and serve the church. He provides ministry resources on a variety of topics at http://www.forthegospel.org, and his work has been featured on media outlets like CNN, Christianity Today, and ChurchLeaders.com. Costi and his wife have three young children.
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