Bob Larson the TV exorcist

An Fear Aniar

I was watching this guy on TV last night.

http://www.boblarson.org/

What do people think about what he's doing? Are the people he works with really possesed?



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Soul Winner

Couldn't tell you. Never watch him. You've watched him what do you think?

BrianCalgary

I used to listen to him every afternoon on the radio whenever I was in Edmonton. Some is very interesting when you begin listening.

You then get kinda tired hearing about demons in everyones life and th eneed to be exorcised.

There are times when ther are demons invlved and they need to be dealt with, but not all the time.

An Fear Aniar

Soul Winner wrote: »

Couldn't tell you. Never watch him. You've watched him what do you think?

He says some interesting things. Apparently there are allegations that he's a Christian PT Barnum - that he's minting it.



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philologos

That's one thing I do not understand about superchurches and their leaders. Why the excessive money?

Is it not easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God?

robindch

Jakkass wrote: »

Why the excessive money?

There's a rather obvious answer to that

Whispered

Jakkass wrote: »

Is it not easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God?

The eye of the needle is actually a gate in the wall of some city apparently. So it might be pretty easy for a camel to pass through??

Puck

There's actually no historical evidence to suggest that there was any gate called "the eye of a needle" or any such thing. The old story goes that it was a small gate where a camel would have to kneel or stoop to go through, thereby humbling itself but there is no basis for this at all, someone probably just made it up to illustrate a point about humility or something. When Jesus said "the eye of a needle" he meant "the eye of a needle".

Soul Winner

helena.ryan wrote: »

The eye of the needle is actually a gate in the wall of some city apparently. So it might be pretty easy for a camel to pass through??

I heard that in some of the Aramaic translations of the verse in question that it was a certain type of thread made from camels hair in that region that was very coarse and very difficult to thread through the eye of the needle but not impossible.

God is not against people having riches and wealth He just doesn't want people being consumed by them to the point where they have lost all faith in Him as a result. The reason it is difficult for people who have riches to enter the kingdom is that they are not prepared to let go of their riches. They hold onto it very tightly. The scripture promises that those who do forsake all that they have and follow Christ will receive many times the things that were forsaken but the motive should not be on the gaining of more as that would negate any forsaking. To truly forsake means that you have no desire or expectancy for anything in return. Basically you get by giving but the getting should not be your motive for giving. Then its not really giving is it?

Akrasia

Soul Winner wrote: »

I heard that in some of the Aramaic translations of the verse in question that it was a certain type of thread made from camels hair in that region that was very coarse and very difficult to thread through the eye of the needle but not impossible.

God is not against people having riches and wealth He just doesn't want people being consumed by them to the point where they have lost all faith in Him as a result. The reason it is difficult for people who have riches to enter the kingdom is that they are not prepared to let go of their riches. They hold onto it very tightly. The scripture promises that those who do forsake all that they have and follow Christ will receive many times the things that were forsaken but the motive should not be on the gaining of more as that would negate any forsaking. To truly forsake means that you have no desire or expectancy for anything in return. Basically you get by giving but the getting should not be your motive for giving. Then its not really giving is it?

Why would jesus use obscure contemporary cultural references that he knew would be misinterpreted for the rest of time?

PDN

Akrasia wrote: »

Why would jesus use obscure contemporary cultural references that he knew would be misinterpreted for the rest of time?

They were not obscure to those to whom they were addressed at the time.

The point is that it is much harder for a rich person to have the humility to accept a Gospel that is based on grace rather than self-effort and human cleverness. Another recent thread pointed out that there is an inverse correlation between economic prosperity and rates of religious observance. Christianity is more attractive to the poor than it is to the rich.

Frederico

Er, no offence people, but its common knowledge that all these guys are scam artists... why do you think every Evangelist is stinking rich? L Ron Hubbard obsessed over the fact that creating a religion was the way to money, and he made a mint, despite being a compulsive liar and boasting to multiple friends that he was just in it for the money. Forget money, many just do it for power/status...

I mean its been going on for thousands and thousands of years..

Just as people now believe in Evangelists and these other con artists, so did Roman people believe certain leaders were descendants of the ancient Gods, etc, and so on..

PDN

Frederico wrote: »

Er, no offence people, but its common knowledge that all these guys are scam artists... why do you think every Evangelist is stinking rich? L Ron Hubbard obsessed over the fact that creating a religion was the way to money, and he made a mint, despite being a compulsive liar and boasting to multiple friends that he was just in it for the money. Forget money, many just do it for power/status...

I mean its been going on for thousands and thousands of years..

Just as people now believe in Evangelists and these other con artists, so did Roman people believe certain leaders were descendants of the ancient Gods, etc, and so on..

Actually most evangelists are dirt poor. They may want to be rich, but that is another issue. To say that every evangelist is rich is like looking at the lifestyles of the Hollywood elite and asserting that every actor is filthy rich.

The few at the top of the tree are indeed rich. However, such people with exceptional communication and persuasion skills would probably be equally rich if they applied those skills in other areas such as sales, advertising, PR etc. Have you ever tried speaking before a crowd of 20,000 for 40 minutes or more? Trust me, it ain't easy.

wolfsbane

Jakkass wrote: »

That's one thing I do not understand about superchurches and their leaders. Why the excessive money?

Is it not easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God?

Because that is their god. They only preach God - if they do - for gain. They worship money and the power it brings. Just as Judas ministered with the rest of the Twelve, but was a thief all along.
John 12:4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

These are the false shepherds the Lord and the apostles warned us of. By their fruits you know them.
Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

Jude 8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.