Promises Pt. 03

"We do give quite a few away. For instance new people in the church, as a part of their 'welcome pack' will get a CD."

"I understand that it isn't the latest CD but an older one, presumably because you weren't able to sell it, its sales have fallen short of the production run. But you still make a profit on sales, a profit of at least one thousand percent on each unit sold, do you not, Pastor Mayotte?"

"We would not be good stewards if we made a loss, would we?"

"Do you see any difference between what you are doing and what the money changers were doing in the temple?"

"If you look at it that way, I suppose not, but we look at the sale of merchandise as giving us an income that we can use to further the cause, so we can continue doing God's work."

"Nothing at all to do with the promotion of your church, Pastor Mayotte?"

"We must promote the church if we are to continue to grow."

"And continue to make money eh, Pastor Mayotte?"

"We need money to do the work of God?"

"But are you doing the work of God? Are you looking after the very people for whom the tithe laws were introduced in the first place?"

"When are you going to get off that soap box?"

Henderson ignored him. "The widows and orphans, the lame and infirm, the downtrodden and homeless, the substance abusers, the victims of broken homes and domestic violence, do you assist these people?"

"We run a counselling service."

"For which you charge after the initial consultation." Henderson raised his voice. "It's a commercial enterprise that you're running here, Pastor Mayotte, not a church." He dropped his voice. "And I suppose you received funding assistance to help you set it up?"

"Yes."

"So it doesn't cost you all that much in the overall scheme of things does it, Pastor Mayotte?"

"I guess it is a small part of our budget."

"What is the largest part of your budget? Is it wages for your Pastors and Administrative staff? Is it building improvements and expansion? Is it upgrades to the sound and lighting equipment?"

"When you combine those elements, yes."

"Each one of those elements on its own constitutes a greater proportion of your budget than your whole Social Welfare agenda, and you don't see anything wrong in this?"

"No! We are doing the work of God! We are bringing people to God! We are reaching out to the unchurched and bringing them to God!"

"And making a tidy profit at it. But you don't reach out per se do you, you are like the golden orb weaver spider that we discussed earlier, you set your trap and wait for someone to get caught. Do you actually go out and talk to the disadvantaged? When was the last time that you took a stroll around the parks and streets of Adelaide and spoke to the homeless people who live there? And just how much credibility do you think you would have with these people in your thousand dollar suit? What is more important to your church, Pastor Mayotte, profit with an 'f' or prophet with a 'ph'?"

"You make it sound as if our church is only in it for the money."

"You said it, not me. What you are running here Pastor Mayotte, is a Pentecostal Ponzi Scheme, you have heard of a Ponzi scheme I take it?"

"I've heard of it but don't know how they work."

"The way they work is that a person offers investors a scheme that it is claimed, will generate a very high return. What the investors do not know is that the returns paid to the initial investors is funded by the subsequent investors, and that, the longer the scheme runs, the less likely that any returns can be made. Now, the difference between this type of scheme and the one that you offer is, that the initial investors will at least get something, while yours will not. If someone was to come to me as an investment advisor and offer me a return of 700 percent per annum on my investment, I would be very sceptical indeed. But isn't that what you are offering with your seven-fold increase on finances in return for tithing? Knowing that if someone comes to you and asks why he has seen no return, all that you have to tell him is that it is his fault, his faith wasn't strong enough, something that he did has blocked God's beneficence. Never that the likelihood of a return was akin to a snowball's chance in hell."

"Just for your edification, my client has tithed four hundred dollars a month. Now one method we used when we were calculating how much your promise would return him at an interest rate of seven hundred percent per annum, which is what you promised, we compounded the interest monthly. At the end of ten years, which is how long my client has been giving to you, the amount that you have committed God to paying him is way north of more money than exists in the world. Do you think that it's fair, realistic even, for God to have to come up with that kind of money, just because you promised it? Don't worry, we know you haven't got that sort of money either. But can't you see the irresponsibility of the promises that you make?"

"I think that we'll get back to your ideology Pastor Mayotte. Now I take it that you believe that all of your theology and worship practices are scripturally based, is this correct?"

"Yes, we believe in total obedience to Scripture." Mayotte's response was a reflection of his now lack of confidence,

"We'll start with your worship practices. Tongues, is that scripturally based?"

"Yes." There was an uncertainty in his answer.

"But we've already had a look at the practice known as 'tongues' or glossolalia, and seen that it is based, not so much on literal application of Scripture, but on a rather flexible interpretation, haven't we?"

"You might believe that but I'm not convinced. The practice is so widespread that it is impossible to believe that it can be anything other than scripturally based."

"But you haven't bothered to check it out have you? Common usage doesn't necessarily make it right, it's the same when you are driving your car, you develop little idiosyncrasies in your driving. Now just because you have done it all your life doesn't make it right, does it?"

"If you put it that way, I suppose not."

"Well it's the same with glossolalia, it has been a practice of the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches from the time that they began, but that doesn't necessarily make it right, just as the peoples of Corinth, believing themselves to be right, and believing that this was evidence of their spirituality, were speaking in 'tongues', not as the disciples at Pentecost were, but as the observers thought they were, and Paul had to bring them into line and tell them that they should only do in church that which edified the whole body of the church. He singled out the corporate speaking in an unknown language as something that did nothing to edify the body of the church."

"But the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches have ignored that passage entirely. They actually promoted the very practice that Paul was criticizing as an example of being spiritual, when it is nothing of the sort. They ignored Paul's teaching, choosing instead to take small snippets of Paul's letter that seemed to support their agenda, out of the context of the letter as a whole, and, claiming it to be 'Biblical, therefore true', they continued to promote this practice"

"Just because something is written in the Bible doesn't make it true if it is taken out of context. It doesn't make it true if you were to apply a mis-interpreted Scripture, so by applying your instant coffee theology you are in fact taking the truth of the Bible and turning it into a lie. You are taking what God said and turning it into a lie. You are taking what Jesus taught and turning it into a lie. You are taking what Paul taught and turning it into a lie. You are taking this book." Henderson held up a Bible, "and turned it into a lie." Henderson slammed the Bible down on the table, the loud noise causing the people in the courtroom to jump. "Would that be close to the truth, Pastor Mayotte?"

"I only know what I've been taught." Mayotte's voice was barely audible.

"And if that teaching is false? Don't you have a duty of care to only teach the truth? Don't you owe it to your followers to check it out and if you confirm the false nature of the teaching, stop it? But no, you accept with blind faith what you are taught because you have been told not to question it and you tell your followers not to question it. Isn't that right, Pastor Mayotte?"

"We are taught the truth and we are bound to teach the truth."

"You are taught nothing of the sort. You are taught what sounds good, what you feel people will believe without question because it sounds good enough to be true, and you tell your people that it is true and they believe you. 'Tongues' or glossolalia, never was a gift of the Spirit given to the disciples at Pentecost, or at any other time for that matter, yet because it is part of church marketing, you have to give it a Scriptural authenticity that simply does not exist. You, Pastor Mayotte, and your ilk, are teaching a lie. The big question is; are you going to do anything about it, or are you going to continue teaching the lie?"

"It is the 'Word of God' and we teach the word of God!" Mayotte's voice reflected his frustration.

"It is not the word of God! It might be your spin on the word of God, but if you were true to yourself, and your followers, you would have to concede that you have been sold a pup, and that you are selling them a pup."

"So I have to take your word for it? I think not!"

"It is not my word you have to take at all. Just read and understand the Bible for once. How about tithing? Tithing is an Old Testament Law and as such we, as Gentiles and not Jews, are not bound, according to Paul in Romans and Galatians, to obedience to those laws. We are also told in Deuteronomy, Acts and 1&2 Corinthians we are to give as much as we are able. If we are able to give more than a tithe we should do so, but you don't press that issue with those in your congregation who can afford to give more, do you? So you see Pastor Mayotte, instead of a hard and fast rule for giving, we are to give what we can, and yet you insist on demanding a tithe contrary to Paul's teaching regarding the need for Gentiles to tithe. Don't you think that there is something wrong there?"

"We teach the 'Word of God."

"So you keep telling me, but somehow I don't agree with you. You teach the word of God according to you and your agenda. You do not teach the whole word of God. You do not teach a contextually accurate word of God. You teach a distorted word of God, a fragmented word of God, an untruthful word of God, to suit your own greedy agenda. You are a false teacher, Pastor Mayotte! Now let us move on to prayer, Pastor Mayotte," The transition from the accusatory tone to a gentler one was as sudden as it was effective. "The church that you belong to has some rather interesting spins on prayer. It believes that if you see something and desire it and pray for it, it will be yours, I think the term used is; 'name it - claim it', is this correct?"

"God answers our prayers, I believe that, yes."

"Even if that prayer is for egoistic, selfish gain, and not something that benefits anyone else?"

"Yes. You make it sound bad."

"This is based, not on contextually accurate Scripture but on common usage within the Pentecostal church, usage that began with a Pastor E. W. Kenyon who coined the phrase, 'What I confess, I possess.' and wrote about the power of faith. It began way back in the time of Abraham, the Abrahamic Covenant that you and your friends believe, you and your friends teach, refers to material blessings and, as Christians we have inherited those blessings. Kenneth Copeland it was that said that 'since God's Covenant has been established and prosperity is a provision of that Covenant, you need to realise that prosperity belongs to you now!' The supporting Scripture is Galatians 3:14 that says that the blessing of Abraham [that] might come upon Gentiles in Jesus Christ. But you stop there, you don't read the rest of that verse that refers to those blessings being spiritual and not material. More instant coffee theology."

"Robert Tilton quotes Mark 10:30 when he tells us that 'Christians should give to others because, when they do, God gives more in return.' Gloria Copeland, bless her, took this a step further when she said, 'Give $10 and receive $1000, give $1000 and receive $100,000, in short Mark 10:30 is a very good deal.' Can you see how your fellow Prosperity Preachers have distorted Scripture so that their own greedy wants can be met?"

"This teaching is your Bible, Pastor Mayotte, not the real deal. Jesus taught that the disciples should give, hoping for nothing in return.' One of my favourite preachers is the aptly name Creflo Dollar. 'When we pray, believing that we have already received what we are praying. God has no choice but to make our prayers come to pass . . . it is a key to getting results as a Christian.' Can you believe that Pastor Mayotte? You must, because I heard you on a DVD quoting this very teaching."

"Back in the 1950's the Pentecostal church came to the realization that, to increase in number and be competitive with the mainstream churches, it had to offer something that they did not, and that something was a change in worship practice from a spectator sport to one of audience participation, where the people could feel that they were a part of the performance. Then they dangled the financial carrot so that they could promote themselves as being more successful than other churches. With success comes power, and money, and more success, and in the rush for even more money, power and success and in this gold rush, the church lost sight of its real purpose, to do the work of God. What is the role of the church in today's society, Pastor Mayotte?"

"To bring the unchurched to God in praise and worship. Part of that is to join together in prayer. We believe that if we all pray as a group our prayers will be heard, will have a stronger impact with God."

"Before we go into prayer in detail let us have a brief look at your praise and worship. Have you ever been to a television studio to watch the taping of a sitcom or a game show?"

"Yes."

"And before the taping there was a 'warmerupperer', a person whose job it was to get the audience in the mood so that they could add to the atmosphere of the show. Now doesn't your praise and worship do the same thing, set the mood, warm up the audience so that they are receptive to your message? So that they will believe everything that you tell them?"

"You make it sound so manipulative."

"Exactly! It is manipulative, and very successfully manipulative. Getting back to prayer; you say that the power of your prayer is increased if a whole bunch of you get together and pray for this selfish desire?"

"Yes, the Bible tells us that if two or more are gathered in His name He will grant us our wishes."

"The Bible tells us nothing of the sort! In fact, it tells us that if two or more are gathered in my name there am I, a passage that means that God is there, not that he is there because your prayers were louder. This passage, along with 'Do not forsake the assembly', you use to justify people actually going to church. Tell me Pastor Mayotte what was Jesus' teaching on prayer?"

"What do you mean?"

"I would have thought that to be a perfectly straight forward question. What did Jesus teach about prayer?"

"That if we want something we should pray for it and God will answer our prayer. The Bible tells us that with prayer we can move mountains."

"That's a passage that you guys like, but let me enlighten you Pastor Mayotte. He taught us that when we want to pray we should take ourselves off in private, to our room, our 'prayer closet' was the term he used in one version of the Bible, and pray to God. He didn't tell us to get a whole bunch of people together and pray, in fact he criticized public prayer. Let me read you this passage from the Gospel of Matthew, 'And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.' What does that suggest to you Pastor Mayotte?"

"But that is only one teaching on prayer."

"It is the teaching of Jesus, the very Jesus that in the Lord's Prayer began with 'Our Father', not 'My Father', he was telling us that we are all God's children. This is the same Jesus who you claim to follow implicitly, and yet you ignore his teaching on several counts; You pray loudly in church, a whole bunch of you rattling on in 'tongues', you don't even know what you are praying for, let alone anyone else, so how can you support each other's prayer, Paul mentions that very point in 1st Corinthians. You are only concerned with your own prayer, and you don't even understand that? God doesn't want the world to know what transpires in the personal relationship that exists between you and Him, between me and Him, it is a personal matter. He tells us that those who pray loudly in public have already got all that they are going to get, so what is the point? If you're not going to get anything else why keep doing it?"

"And we are told that God knows what we need before we pray for it. That's in Mathew 6 by the way. What we need, Pastor Mayotte, not what we desire, not what we greedily want, there is a difference between the two. So if I were to ask him for a new car to replace my twenty year old clapped out wreck, I should ask for one that meets my needs, that is practical, economical, nothing fancy, just one that meets my needs, gets me from point A to point B not, as one of your cohorts suggested, asking for my desire, in my case a Morgan Plus 8 turbo,. Isn't that true Pastor Mayotte?"

"If that is your desire, then yes, I suppose so."

"No it isn't in me to ask for my desire, and that's the whole point. If I ask for my desire I am showing the rest of the world that I'm not satisfied with just having my needs met, that I selfishly want more, that I am greedy, and that greed is good. Jesus wanted us to love our neighbours as ourselves, now if I was to be selfish I would be telling the rest of the world that it's okay to also be selfish and if the rest of the world is selfish then no-one would help anyone else, just as the Priest did in the parable of the Good Samaritan, just as your church teaches, just as your church does."

"Your church, Pastor Mayotte, teaches us that it is okay to be selfish, in fact it is desirable for us to be selfish, because if we have our selfish wishes granted then we can contribute more towards having the selfish wishes of the church granted. The big problem with that is that to achieve that you would have to rob Peter to pay Paul, wealth is a finite resource, in other words the money has to come from somewhere. If the money comes from the poor to feed the rich aren't the rich creating a greater poor?"

"We teach that everyone can become rich."

"At whose expense? The poor have no-one to take from, they are the bottom of the food chain, and they will stay there while ever there are organizations like your church around to keep them there. Can't you see, Pastor Mayotte, that by teaching this egoistic, self centred, self absorbed ideology you are going against the word of Jesus, the word of God?"

"We teach the word of God and the word of God tells us that our prayers will be answered. God doesn't want us to be poor, He wants prosperity for us."