Is your minister a working for God or Satan?

 

This may come as a surprise to some of you: I have been accused of sometimes lacking tact.

 

Pat Robertson frequently inserted his Bruno Magli where his pie belonged. On one of his broadcasts, for example, he said that the massive earthquake in Haiti came about because the ancestors of the people who now call Haiti home made a pact with the devil.

It’s easy to simply brand him an idiot. After all, he got the history part wrong – He references Napoleon III, who wasn’t even born yet when Haiti came into existence in 1791. The ‘pact with the devil’ to which he refers is legend, similar to American tales of Paul Bunyan. We could easily lump him in with other idiots, such as Rush Limbaugh, who encouraged his listeners not to contribute money to Haitian relief efforts, as, according to him, 'we are already aiding Haiti with our taxes.'

But there’s a big difference between Rush Limbaugh stupidity and Pat Robertson stupidity. Why? Well, lots of people qualify as stupid, and Rush Limbaugh gets points for finding a way to turn his own into cash. More power to him.

But Robertson set himself up in the position of Christian teacher.  He should have heeded the advice of Jesus' brother, James, who said, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." (James 3:1)

Robertson claimed he was presenting the Bible's message; but the Bible says the exact opposite of what he said! 'Fathers should not be put to death for the sins of their sons, and sons should not be put to death for the sins of their fathers.' (2 Kings 14:6)

Pastors have been making unbiblical claims for centuries. A pastor named Robert Henderson claimed he went into the hospital and cured a man whose illness was caused by voting for Democrats. A pastor in Denver bilked $1.3 million from his parishioners and claimed God told him to do it. A female pastor told her congregation that if Jesus were preaching today he would approve of abortion.

 

How are any of these preachers different from Limbaugh? While it’s undoubtedly true that Robertson, Henderson and these other preachers, like Limbaugh, are 'all about the Benjamins', nevertheless the responsibility of presuming to teach people Christianity is a weighty one.

 

Note Jesus’ own words about the religious leaders of his day: "Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and to have salutations in the market places, and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts; they devour the income of widows, and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." (Mark 12:38-40)

We were warned in the bible there would be false preachers. 2 Corinthians 11:14,15 said, “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness.” 

 

Note, “his ministers.” Satan has ministers! How can you tell if your minister is one of God’s ministers or one of Satan’s? 

 

Glad you asked.

In one illustration, Jesus compared Bible teachers to trees. He said a good tree produces good fruit, and a rotten tree produces rotten fruit. ‘By their fruit you will recognize them,’ he said. (Matthew 7:18-20) Now, before you start thinking, ‘Well, my minister gives great sermons and organizes charities, so those must be good fruits,’ read a bit further. In verses 22 and 23 of the same chapter Jesus continued, "Many in that day will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name done many mighty works?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you doers of wickedness.'”  

 

Clearly, simply doing good deeds is not enough to mark a person as a true Christian.

If your minister, like the scribes mentioned earlier, likes to walk around in clothing that makes him look special, he’s not one of Jesus’ ministers. If he expects a special seat at church or a place of honor at get-togethers, he’s not one of Jesus’ ministers. If he likes special titles, like 'Pastor', ‘Father’ or ‘Reverend,’ he’s not one of Jesus’ ministers. “Call no one 'Father' on earth, for One is your Father, in heaven,” Jesus commanded. (Matthew 23:9) And if he teaches things he can’t back up with a scripture, he is a liar, and he is not one of Jesus’ ministers.

Jesus called Satan the father of the lie, and he further told the religious leaders of his day, ‘You are from your father the devil.’ So, if a preacher tells a lie, he’s on the wrong team.

So: was Robertson a liar? Yes. His claim, that God brought the massive earthquake that devastated Haiti to punish Haitians for something their forefathers supposedly did, is a lie. The Bible clearly shows that it is not God's fault when bad things happen.

• James 1:13 ‘It is not possible for God to be tested by evil, and he himself puts no man to such a test.’
• Luke 13:4 “Those eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem?”
• Ecclesiastes 9:11 ‘The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor riches to the intelligent; but time and chance happen to everyone.’

Those scriptures prove two things. 1. Bad things happen. 2. God does not cause it. He did not bring 9/11, or Hurricane Katrina, and he did NOT punish Haiti with an earthquake. 

 

Pat Robertson lied. 

 

"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:31)

 

Please feel free to leave a comment.

 

 Bill K. Underwood is the author of several books, all available at Amazon.com. You can help support this site by purchasing one of his books.