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Tag Archives: c3global

Is This The Way Phil Pringle Should Run His Church?

16 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by Nailed Truth in Pringle's Issues/Events, Pringle's Methods, Pringle's Outcomes

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

c3, c3 church, c3 church movement, c3 church oxford falls, c3 cult, c3 global presence conference, c3 international, c3 movement, c3 oxford falls, C3 Presence Conference, c3global, C3i, c3international, C3OF, ccc, ccc oxford falls, cccof, Christian City Church, Connect, connect group, connect notes, connect notes study, cult, marketing, marketing ploy, Phil Pringle, ploy, Presence Conference, Pringle, theology, VB, vb dinner, vb2013, vbdinner, vision builders, vision builders 2013

SERMON EXECUTION

When key church conferences or events are weeks away, Phil Pringle executes his teachings in rather peculiar ways. To the average person it sounds like what they are hearing in a Sunday service or bible study is biblical teaching.

Unfortunately this is not the case. It is becoming more evident that C3 members are being seduced by innovative marketing ploys for Phil Pringle’s conferences and events. People need to understand that Phil Pringle can often have a rather different agenda when he is preaching. It is of our opinion that his marketing ploys are becoming more manipulative.

Consider some of these statements he has made in his book, ‘You The Leader’:

“People can become anything under the right conditions.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, 2005, pg 267.

“I don’t approach Sundays with an attitude of, “What message shall I preach?” but rather, “What do we want to achieve in our church at this time?” That desired end result determines what and how I preach. Then, within the particular message, I ask myself, “What am I trying to achieve here? What one thing am I attempting to say? What do I want these people to have or do at the end of this time?’
Then I follow the plan.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, pg. 234.

“What we preach is what we get. We are farmers sowing seed. If we are unhappy with the harvest we’re reaping, we should sow different seed. If we want different results, we preach different messages.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, 2005, pg 215.

It is unsettling to know that a pastor might be using his position and sermon time to manipulate people. This is what we have recorded Phil Pringle doing in the past.

Another False Prophecy By Pringle Alongside A Deceitful Sermon

Pringle’s ‘Get Ready For God’ Bible Study Notes, Exposed

Pringle’s ‘Financial Excellence’ Bible Study Notes, Exposed

HAS ‘PASTOR’ PHIL PRINGLE CHANGED?

You may be thinking Phil Pringle went through an unusual phase in his ministry. Not so. We have seen him behave like this for a few years now. This year we have seen Pringle misuse his power and position to market his events through his teachings. Specifically this years Presence Conference 2013 and Vision Builders 2013.

In this articles we will not give you a critique of Phil Pringle’s sermons that market people to attend Presence Conference 2013 or Vision Builders 2013. First, we invite you to look at the bizarre C3 Connect Notes study, weeks leading up to Presence Conference 2013. (Emphasis ours in underline.)

35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. John 4v35
(all references NIV)

It says: “don’t you have a saying?” We all have a saying.
– We can say one thing, but God says this: we can’t go without the presence of God.
– Moses and the people set out, but they pleaded: “Please God, don’t let us go without your presence.

The presence of God defines who you are. When people meet you they don’t just experience you, they experience God.

The church is a place of the second chance – but the church is also the house of promise.

TALK ABOUT:
* Are you ready for the hour we are about to step into? Are you willing give [sic] him all of your life?

Ps Greg French moved extensively in the prophetic after this message. We would like to encourage all leaders to have a special prayer and ministry time in your connect group this week. Remember you are a sufficient minister of the Holy Spirit! ‘..Our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit..’ (2 Corin 3:5-6)

Source: CN08Apr13 – Carrying The Presence Of God

Let’s see if Phil Pringle honestly used the single verse in the ‘bible study’ in context. Did he handle the words of Jesus accurately? Does God overwrite all our sayings to correct us? Let’s see what Jesus said:

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” John 4:34-38. (Emphasis ours.)

So what has this verse got to do with God’s presence™? It doesn’t. But what is Pringle trying to say? That God will override our sayings to say something else?

Pringle used ONLY John 4:35 to explain that, “We can say one thing, but God says this: we can’t go without the presence”. This could be true BUT Jesus in his next breath says in AGREEMENT that, “the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true“. So… what is going on?

Why did Pringle exclude this? If he kept the scripture in context wouldn’t people be able to see that God can be in agreement with our sayings?

We are assuming he wants people to think like this in the bible study:

As a reader, are you ready for the hour you are about to step into: Presence™ Conference 2013?
How is it possible to give God all your life if you do not go?
Don’t you realise that God is telling you that you can’t go without the Presence™ of God?
Can’t you see that if you say “I might not go to Presence™ Conference”, God might be telling you to do the opposite?

It’s wrong for Phil Pringle to make Jesus out to be a liar. When you read the verse in its context, the entire bible study is debunked and made pointless. This seems to indicate that Pringle is misleading his entire Connect Group network with this study to try and get people to go to his Presence Conference. Quite frankly this is despicable behaviour coming from a ‘pastor’.

But it get’s worse…

WHAT IS THE C3 VISION BUILDERS DINNER & THE C3 VISION?

Before looking at the Vision Builders marketing ploys Pringle weaves in his teachings, it is important that you understand the ‘Vision Builders’ dinner.

We’ll let C3 explain what it is.

If you do not know what the ‘Vision’ of God is to Phil Pringle, it is this. (Also watch the video via below source link.)

“Our vision for C3 Church is to see 1000 Churches planted by the year 2020 with an average attendance of 500 members.” – 2020 Vision, C3 Church Global, http://c3churchglobal.com/cms/2020-vision. (Accessed 14/06/2013.)

With this in mind, it is time to look at how Phil Pringle convinces people to sign up for the ‘Vision Builders’ dinner so they can make financial pledges to C3 Church’ building initiatives.

VISION BUILDERS MARKETING GIMMICKS

Here is what you will find advertised on the myc3church website. Ask yourself this question: Who “prepares a table” for you? God or C3?

To reduce the size of this article, we will only look at C3’s Vision Builders video and C3’s latest ‘bible study’ Connect Notes.

Here is the video.

The transcript reads:

“What a humbling thing it is to realise that God, the Creator of the universe, maker of heaven and earth, has prepared a table for you. Long before you acknowledged Him, your place had been set, the invitation extended. Taste and see that the Lord is good. It was not a place you could earn or deserve. You were lost. Dead. But now, you are found alive, caught up in his great story. And so before you is a banquet. A feast of provision. That you may play a part in the midst of darkness bringing the light.”

Like other Vision Builders dinner, Pringle encouraged people to bring their wallets to the table and make pledges to the C3 building fund. (Quick reminder: The light is Jesus, not our money.)

There is something seriously wrong with the video presentation. Do you think this advert has gone one step further than worldly marketing? How do you feel when you watch this? Who is really preparing the table? God or Pringle? Who is really asking people to give cash? God or Pringle? Who is asking you to expand in your sacrificial giving? God or Pringle?

The lines were deliberately blurred to entice and pressure C3 members to give sacrificially. But would God really want people to give financially at this event?

C3 BIBLE STUDY CONNECT GROUP NOTES

If that’s not disturbing enough, look how Phil Pringle in the last two weeks planned out the C3 Church bible study connect group notes.

CN03Jun13 – GRAND DESIGNS: PURPOSE, PLANS & PURSUIT

CN11Jun13 – GRAND DESIGNS: SPARE NOT – Ps Phil Pringle

You can see bible passages are being twisted in these Connect Notes when Pringle wants people to ask these questions:

TALK ABOUT:
* Have you ever had a time of stretching with God?
* Are you ever tempted to “bail out” or “dig up the seed” in waiting for God to grow something in you?
* Does it encourage you when God says you shall expand or His people will inherit?

Source: http://www2.myc3church.net/sites/default/files/CN11Jun13.pdf (03, June 2013.)

Here is this weeks Connect Notes questions:

TALK ABOUT:
* What is your part of God’s grand design? Are you looking to the Bible to affirm the plan of God?
* Discuss how our church leadership and vision is always exhorting us to expand and look out.
* Are you involved in the width, the length, the depth or the height of his plan? Where is God calling you? [Note Pringle’s allusion to
* How are you investing in the future of His magnificent house? How can we each step up rather than only attend meetings?

Source: http://www2.myc3church.net/sites/default/files/CN03Jun13.pdf, (11, June, 2013.)

These questions should be properly revealed this way:

* Have you ever had a time of stretching with Phil Pringle pressuring you to give money?
* Are you ever tempted to “bail out” or “dig up the seed” because Phil Pringle keeps telling you, “God [wants] to grow something in you”?
* Does it encourage you when Phil Pringle says you shall expand or His people will inherit?
* What is your part of Phil Pringle’s grand design? Are you looking to the Bible to affirm the plan of Pringle (or testing what He says to what God says)?
* Discuss how our church leadership and vision is always exhorting us to expand and look out.
* Are you involved in the width, the length, the depth or the height of Pringle’s financial plan? What is Pringle calling you to do?
* Discuss how you are investing in the future of Phil Pringle’s ministry? How can we each step up rather than only attend meetings?

What’s the answer to the last question? “How are you investing in the future of His magnificent house? How can we each step up rather than only attend meetings?” Answer: Go to Vision Builders.

Is this biblical? Do people realise they are being financially duped by Phil Pringle? Do they know what they are hearing is not the biblical context but a deceptive marketing scheme? How should members feel if they are being manipulated like this? Is this the way Phil Pringle should run his church?

Please pray that members get wisdom and and understanding so they do not put themselves under financial stress.

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Vision Builder 2013 Brochure

13 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by Nailed Truth in Pringle's Business, Pringle's Issues/Events

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

brochure, Brochure Vision Builders 2011 Magazine, C.A.P, c3 church, c3 church movement, c3 church oxford falls, c3 cult, c3 international, c3 movement, c3 oxford falls, c3global, C3i, c3international, C3OF, CAP, ccc oxford falls, cccof, Christian City Church, Christian's Against Poverty, Christians Against Poverty (CAP), con job, cult, out of control debt, Phil Pringle, Pringle, VB, VB brochure, vision builders, Vision Builders 2010 Magazine, Vision Builders 2012, Vision Builders brochure

Vision Builders Phil Pringle C3

Here is the latest Vision Builders booklet.

C3 Vision Builders Booklet 2013

If you would like to find this document on the myc3church.com website, scroll over the button at the top of the page titled ‘Community’ and click ‘Vision Builders’.

proof_myc3church-VBflyerguide_12-06-2013When the next page loads, scroll down the page until you hit “Download the brochure”.

proof_myc3church-VBflyerguide2_12-06-2013It will take you to the Vision Builders pdf.

Our first article on C3 Church Watch was pointing out Phil Pringle’s Vision Builders Campaign was exploiting C3’s poorest members. Sadly, this hasn’t changed.

In our third article ever on C3 ChurchWatch we raised our concern with ‘Christians Against Poverty’ (CAP) working alongside the immoral nature of the C3 cult. We do admire the work CAP does in people’s lives. However, we would strongly suggest that CAP would distance themselves from Christian City Church Oxford Falls. Why?

In the 2013 ‘Vision Builders’ brochure, C3 writes about their achievements through CAP. They now consider CAP’s achievements as their own.

“Christians Against Poverty

Last year, 100 families struggling financially were assisted through our 2 centres. As a result, many people received Christ for the first time. In

January we launched our new City Campus CAP Centre, with Monica Olander as the Manager.Since beginning our ministry with CAP we have assisted 490 families, and have seen 130 decisions for Christ.”

Source: Vision Builders 2013 Brochure, http://www2.myc3church.net/sites/default/files/C3-Vision-Layout-FINAL4-optimised.pdf, pg. 6. (Accessed 12/06/2013.)

So CAP has led 130 people to Christ? What’s wrong with CAP doing this? Nothing is wrong if members of the CAP are genuinely concerned leading people to Jesus Christ. However, they are leading these people into a Word of Faith cult that scams people of the little money they have. This is tragic.

We have enough evidence to say that the C3 institution preaches a different gospel and binds people to give sacrificial financial offerings so God can bless them materially. As Dr Choo said about CHC, so too are his words applicable to C3 Oxford Falls: “This is not Christianity. This is not the gospel. This is a SCAM.” Since when is it right to exploit people who are in “out-of-control” debt?

Sadly, this undoes the wonderful work of CAP. The CAP are only furthering the support of destroying people’s financial future by working with the C3 cult. The proof of this is in this Vision Builder 2013 booklet. C3 writes,

“I am in significant debt, should I pay off my debts or give to Vision Builders?

If you are in ‘out of control’ debt, after your tithe the debt should be your next priority. Reducing the debt to a manageable amount (or even clearing it completely) should be attempted as you also make a manageable gift to Vision Builders. Remember no amount is insignificant.”

Source: Vision Builders 2013 Brochure, http://www2.myc3church.net/sites/default/files/C3-Vision-Layout-FINAL4-optimised.pdf, pg. 13. (Accessed 12/06/2013.)

So why would the CAP endorse a cult that teaches it’s members to give money they don’t have to ‘the vision’ of Phil Pringle? The idea behind giving money to Phil Pringle’s prophetic vision is that God will materially bless the giver. You will not find this ‘Christian’ teaching anyway in scripture and is nothing more than a financial con job.

This is not the first time the C3 cult has decided to financially exploit it’s poorest members. This is the fourth year the C3 cult has had this information in it’s Vision Builders campaign material. You’d think by this stage they would have removed it.

Instead we have continually recorded C3 Church exploiting their financially struggling members in their heavily marketed Vision Builders campaigns.

Vision Builders 2012 Brochure

Vision Builders 2011 Magazine

Vision Builders 2010 Magazine

Why are Christians in C3 Church not concerned about this? Why is CAP supporting C3 Church? Are they not aware that the people they are taking out of poverty are bought back into poverty when they are introduced to the C3 cult? Why is Phil Pringle exploiting the poorest people in his congregation?

How is this loving?

 

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Phil Pringle Says That Sun Ho Is “Exhonerated from… all charges against her”? Really?

26 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by Nailed Truth in C3 & Pringles Associations

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

c3, c3 church, c3 church oxford falls, c3 global, c3 oxford falls, c3church oxford falls, c3global, c3iglobal, c3international, C3OF, c3oxfordfalls, ccc, ccc international, ccc oxford falls, cccglobal, ccciglobal, cccinternational, cccof, CHC, chc church, Chew Eng Han, COC, Commission of Charities, criminal proceedings, dishonest, false information, falsifying, Ho Yeow Sun, Kelvin Teo Meng How, Kong Hee, Lam Leng Hung, misleading, Phil Pringle, Pringle, ps kong hee, ps phil pringle, scandal, Serina Wee Gek Yin, Sun Ho, suspension, Tan Shao Yuen Sharon, Tan Su Pheng Jacqueline, Tan Ye Peng

The Messianic Phil Pringle gave ‘great news’ to hundreds of Christians at C3 Church Oxford Falls:

“And so that’s part of the reason why I am able to go there and uh- and they’ve just had ah- one really interesting breakthrough in this last week where the Commission of Charities (that’s the organisation overseeing charities in Singapore) has exonerated Sun from [audience applauses] all ah- all charges against her so- There was a pretty interesting ah- ah- so ah- You know I’m  believing that we will ah- see continual victories like that-” [Read here]

The TR Emeritus reports,

COC proceeds to remove 8 CHC leaders from office

Kong Hee’s wife, Sun Ho, not removed for now

The Commissioner of Charities (COC) released a press statement yesterday (9 Apr) stating its intention to remove 8 suspended City Harvest Church (CHC) leaders from their respective offices at CHC.

COC last year, with the consent of the Attorney General, had suspended 9 CHC leaders, including Kong Hee and his wife Ho Yeow Sun (better known as Sun Ho), from their duties as office bearers of CHC. This was done pending consideration of their removal later, under the Charity Act.

According to the Act, the suspension orders are valid for a period of not more than 12 months. Before the lapse of the 12-month suspension, COC said that it intends to proceed to the next stage of the process, which is to consider the removal of these individuals from their positions in CHC. This is to protect the charitable property of CHC. The individuals removed may, however, continue with their religious duties which are separate from the holding of any governance or management positions in CHC.

COC said that its regulatory action is independent of the criminal proceedings faced by 6 of the 9 affected individuals (i.e. Kong Hee, Lam Leng Hung, Tan Ye Peng, Tan Shao Yuen Sharon, Chew Eng Han and Serina Wee Gek Yin).

However, in view of the concurrent criminal proceedings against those 6, COC on 28 Dec 2012 made a proposal to all the 9 suspended individuals that the COC would defer the next stage of any regulatory action (i.e. consideration to remove them) should they collectively agree to a voluntary extension of their suspension orders until 6 months after the conclusion of the criminal trial. COC said this was done purely on a goodwill basis so that the affected parties, especially the 6, could focus on the criminal proceedings. Also, it would allow them to have time later to make their case, should they want to, during the removal process, which COC planned to start after the criminal trial. In the meantime, with the extended suspension of these individuals, the property of CHC continues to be protected.

COC said that the deadline for the consent from the 9 was extended twice, and by 7 Feb 2013, 8 out of the 9 suspended individuals had agreed to COC’s proposal to voluntarily extend their suspension orders. COC, in fact, was prepared to consider deferring the next stage of regulatory action even though 1 of them had declined to give consent.

However, when the COC later asked the 8 individuals to confirm their agreement to voluntarily extend their suspension (notwithstanding the lack of consent by the 1 individual), only 5 out of the 8 were prepared to do so. 3 had rescinded their earlier agreement. So, in view of the lack of collective agreement among the individuals and the 12-month duration of the suspension orders (initiated last year) endng soon, the COC has no choice but to proceed with the next stage of the process so as to protect the assets of CHC. That is to say, COC will now initiate the removal process as stipulated by the Charity Act.

PROPOSAL TO REMOVE 8 CHC LEADERS FROM OFFICE

Based on their inquiry report (7 Feb 2011), COC said it intends to remove the following 8 individuals from their respective offices:

  1. Kong Hee;
  2. Lam Leng Hung;
  3. Tan Ye Peng;
  4. Kelvin Teo Meng How;
  5. Tan Shao Yuen Sharon;
  6. Tan Su Pheng Jacqueline;
  7. Chew Eng Han; and
  8. Serina Wee Gek Yin.

In respect of Kong Hee’s wife, Ho Yeow Sun, after reviewing the evidence against her, COC feel that at this point, there is insufficient evidence that she was responsible for or was privy to any misconduct and mismanagement that may have taken place in CHC. COC said should evidence surface to indicate that she was so involved, it will review her status again.

In the meantime, COC will proceed with the removal proceedings against the other 8 individuals.

INVITATION OF REPRESENTATIONS FROM PUBLIC

In relation to the removal proceedings, COC has to give notice to the 8 individuals to remove them. And according to the Act, a public notice of the proposal to remove a governing board member, trustee or key officer is also required. It is noted that any such removal of an individual as governing board member, trustee or key officer will mean that the person is prohibited from taking up such positions in any charity in future.

COC said it has already given notice to the following 4 individuals and invited them to make representations:

  • Tan Shao Yuen Sharon (as employee),
  • Serina Wee Gek Yin (as employee);
  • Tan Su Pheng Jacqueline (as employee); and
  • Chew Eng Han (as agent)

For the following 4 individuals, COC has also given notice and invited them to make representations. In addition, as provided for under the Act, COC invites representations from the public to be made to COC on its proposal to remove them:

  • Kong Hee (as governing board member)
  • Lam Leng Hung (as governing board member and trustee);
  • Tan Ye Peng (as governing board member and trustee); and
  • Kelvin Teo Meng How (as key officer)

The public can write to COC by email to mccy_charities@mccy.gov.sg or by post to the Office of the Commissioner of Charities at 140 Hill Street, #02-00 Old Hill Street Police Station, Singapore 179369, clearly stating “Representations on the COC’s Proposal following the Inquiry into the City Harvest Church”. All representations must be signed off with the full name, NRIC no. and contact details of the person making the representation. The deadline is 13 May 2013.

COC has assured that the worship services of CHC can continue as usual.

Source: Editorial, TR Emeritus, http://www.tremeritus.com/2013/04/10/coc-proceeds-to-remove-8-chc-leaders-from-office/, Published 10/04/2013. (Accessed 20/04/2013.)

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Kong Hee To Phil Pringle: “You created this mess! You’ve Got To Come And Help Us Fix It”

14 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by Nailed Truth in C3 & Pringles Associations, Pringle's Prophecies

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

bishop, c3, c3 church, c3 church oxford falls, c3 oxford falls, c3global, C3i, catholicism, ccc, cccglobal, ccci, CHC, City Harvest Church, city news, Hee, kong, Kong Hee, papacy, Phil Pringle, pope, prophecy, prophet, prophetic friendship, Sun Ho

THE KONG HEE AND PHIL PRINGLE CONNECTION

In April 2010, the Commission of Charities investigated Kong Hee and his church’s purchase of SunTec City Convention Center. Later in 2010, new investigations were underway which led to Kong Hee’s arrest in 2012. Alongside Kong, other church officials were arrested in relation to financial misconduct involving sums of up to S$50.6 million, a truly sad state of affairs for a Church to find itself in.

But have people considered the amount of pressure that has been put on by his spiritual mentor, Phil Pringle? Phil Pringle is the founder of the C3 Church Movement located in Oxford Falls Sydney, Australia.

Examine how Kong Hee sees Phil Pringle. Discover how Phil Pringle led Kong Hee under supposed ‘prophecies’ to purchase SunTec City Convention Center and to further his wife’s music career in the CrossOver Project.

We have gathered quotes and audio’s from Kong Hee that reveal just how much pressure he was put under to obey the prophecies of Phil Pringle. As you read and listen to Kong Hee, ask yourself these questions:

    1. If you were Kong Hee and believed that Phil Pringle was speaking the very words of God, (and that you must do your part to fulfill God’s Word through Pringle), how would you feel if Phil Pringle prophesied that you were to do outrageous things?
    2. How would you feel if you believed you were told by God to buy SunTec and support your wife’s music career in China?
    3. Would you not feel that you are to do everything within your power to make sure that you don’t let God down?

Faith, according to the prevalent misunderstanding of so many, is shown in the willingness to do “audacious things”. And as you will see Pringle challenged Kong Hee to do some pretty “audacious”, some would say foolish, “things”.

A “PROPHETIC” FRIENDSHIP?

To understand the nature of Kong Hee and Phil Pringle’s relationship we need to learn how they perceive each other. Towards the beginning of Kong and Pringle’s friendship, did Pringle see that Kong Hee’s City Harvest Church had great potential? Did he see the opportunity of partnering with Kong Hee?

“I came up, and everybody was so on fire, and I thought this church is going to grow like crazy, so I thought I’m going to become a part of what this is, by making myself available.” – Phil Pringle, Faithful Friend, City News, http://www.citynews.sg/2011/04/faithful-friend/, 08/04/2011. (Accessed 06/01/2012).

An unusually close “prophetic” relationship rapidly developed between the two men. It is interesting to see how Pringle views his personal prophetic authority in his relationship with Kong Hee:

“Being prophetic is part of the relationship. I probably might have said five times to Kong—really, from the early days, every time we drive past Suntec City, I would say, “You’re going to be in that building.” Not at any other building. I just sort of felt that. And here we are, moving in, into the fulfillment of a prophecy, which is kind of “Wow!”” – Phil Pringle, Faithful Friend, City News, http://www.citynews.sg/2011/04/faithful-friend/, 08/04/2011. (Accessed 06/01/2012).)

“Being prophetic is part of the relationship?” What precisely did this concept mean for the relationship between Kong and Pringle? Can we know? Does this “prophetic status” on Pringle explain why Kong Hee has such an unhealthy view of his mentor?

KONG HEE’S SPIRITUAL MENTOR

Just how close is Phil Pringle to Kong Hee? From reading his statements, it seems that Kong holds a very high view of Phil Pringle indeed. As friends, it’s nice to know that Kong Hee has a close friendship and high regard for his friend but the language is surely rather over-stated.

“So again- I couldn’t have done it without the man of God. So you have really an amazing, amazing, amazing Pastor. And anything- you know, he knows that I would do anything for him. And he would lay down his life for me as well. And so what a privilege it is to be associated with the Pringle’s.” – Kong Hee, Kuala Lumpur Conference, Session 4, August 23-26/08/2011.

It is clear that he highly admires Phil Pringle, regarding him as a ‘master’ of Christian disciplines; furthermore referring to to him humorously as a “Jedi Master”,

“I learnt bible meditation from the greatest Jedi Master of bible meditation, from Pastor Phil Pringle himself. I learnt that twenty over years ago, right here in KL [Kuala Lumpur]… And I saw the master at work.” – Kong Hee, Kuala Lumpur Conference, Session 4, August 23-26/08/2011.

Kong Hee also praises Phil Pringle as a “great pastor, mentor”. While it is a good thing for a young pastor to have an older, more experienced man as a mentor, in hindsight Kong may be said to have made a rather unwise choice. He said of Pringle:

“Well tonight, we are really blessed. We are so blessed to be under the ministry of a great pastor, mentor, that’s one of the most balanced men that I’ve known for all my life. From day one, when I first met him, Pastor Phil told me that moderation is the key… I learnt the power of spiritual discipline. I have not met another man, apart probably from Dr Cho, that’s more disciplined than Dr Phil Pringle.” – Kong Hee, Kuala Lumpur Conference, Session 4, August 23-26/08/2011.

[Edit 07/06/2012] To get a good idea how influential Phil Pringle is, Kong Hee said the following:

“You know pastor Phil Pringle, Apostle, the Bishop ( J. John calls him the bishop)- to me he is the Apostle, he’s my friend, he’s the friend of God. I’ve known Pastor Phil and Pastor Chris for eighteen years. And yet we talk about City Harvest Church.

You can’t talk about City Harvest Church without talking about C3. Or Christian City Church. You know Pastor Phil has been there for me; praying with me; encouraging me; discipling me; telling me how to do the work of the ministry; taught me how to collect an offering; how to give an altar call; how to build a church; build a team. So Pastor Phil, from the depth of my heart, for Sun and myself, we wouldn’t be where we are today without you and Pastor Chris. Let’s give Pastor Phil and Pastor Chris a big clap.” – Kong Hee, Kong Hee, Session 8: (00:24), Presence Conference 2010. 00:24

(Quick reminder: Phil Pringle never was an Apostle.)

We would go so far to say that Sun Ho and Kong Hee see Phil Pringle as a sort of infallible prophet. We were notified a few months ago something Sun Ho said to Phil Pringle last year at the Presence Conference 2012. Looking straight at Phil Pringle, Sun Ho said:

“Umm Pastor and Pastor Christine, I just want to say thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts and I know that I represent City Harvest Church. We really- words alone can never express how much- you know we’re so grateful for all that you’ve done for us.  Last night, when I was sitting here listening to you pastor preaching about ‘Connect- Connecting’. And it just dawned upon me. It’s like Psalms-8. You know, it just dawned upon me: “Who am I that you would consider me? ” You know and I thought about how when the case happened twenty three months ago, you so graciously accepted to be the Advisory Pastor to City Harvest Church.” – Sun Ho, Presence Conference 2012, Night Session, 11/04/2012. [Watch here]

Kong Hee allowed his wife to speak on behalf of himself and CHC. The choice of words was highly unfortunate, to say the least, even making allowances for cultural differences in standards of politeness. The first principle in the use of Bible quotations, especially in the context of Christian meetings, is to respect the context of the quotation. In the light of this, a very simple  question should be asked to Sun Ho: Who was King David WORSHIPING when he wrote Psalm 8? King David wrote,

“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” Psalm 8:1-4 (Emphasis in bold)

Even worse in terms of sycophantic remarks is this comment from Kong,

“C’mon! Let’s give it up for the Pope and the Bishop of Australasia: Phil and Chris Pringle!” – Presence Conference 2012, Night Session, 11/04/2012. [Watch here]

Surely such a comment is inappropriate for someone who is supposed to be a Protestant minister? Even if meant in jest, it is a highly unfortunate remark, all the more so as some of Kong’s actions suggest that he regards Pringle as a prophet and at least in practice infallible.

We must ask, in light of this, does his relationship with Pringle affect how Kong Hee sees God? Going by what Kong Hee has said, it would seem that the answer is very much so.

KONG HEE’S FRUSTRATING VIEW OF GOD

In Presence Conference 2012, Kong Hee shared a personal and very frustrating view he had of God.

“And for the first time in eight months, I heard the voice. It is not the voice of a strict angry judge that only want me to perform and build a big church and nothing I do is ever good enough for Him. No. It’s not a voice of angry judge. It’s not the voice of a slave driver. That just wants to take and take and wring me dry. But it was a voice of a tender, loving, broken-hearted Father.” – Kong Hee, http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=FKVSXfjhB14#t=1071s, Presence Conference 2012, Night Service, 11/04/2012.

All in all, that is a very strange thing to say. How did Kong get the idea that God is a “strict angry judge” that wanted him “to perform and build a big church”? There is no Protestant theologian on earth who would ever say such a thing; in fact the language is disturbingly reminiscent of the folk-Catholicism Martin Luther struggled with in his early days.

Why would Kong Hee ever have believed that God thinks that whatever he does is not “ever good enough for Him”? Why would Kong Hee see God as “a slave driver”? How did he gain this false view of Jesus since it is Jesus that says, “I will build my church”?

We think his personal experiences with Phil Pringle can help answer this question.

THE PRINGLE CONNECTION

City News reported how Pringle with other pastors helped birth the CrossOver Project,

“When his respected mentors Ulk Ekman, AR Bernard and Phil Pringle gave the same verse from Mark 4:35, “Let us cross over to the other side,” Kong knew there was no more space for hesitation, and the Crossover Project was born.” – Yong Yung Shin, http://www.citynews.sg/2012/05/city-harvest-church-10-years-of-the-crossover-project/, City Harvest Church: 10 Years Of The Crossover Project, 09/05/2012. (Accessed 27/09/2012.)

To say nothing of the appalling abuse of Scripture there (the fact that Jesus told his disciples that they had to cross the Sea of Galilee is not a prophecy or a pattern for anything we must do today), we see at once how Pringle’s circle regard words from the supposedly prophetically-gifted pastor.

Years later, CityNews also reported that Kong Hee and Sun Ho were thinking of ending the CrossOver Project.

“Sun, along with her family and the church, had reached a crossroad—should they continue with the Crossover Project now that she is a mother? … For six months, the couple prayed and discussed with the pastors and senior staff and consulted with spiritual mentors from around the world.”  – Yong Yung Shin, http://www.citynews.sg/2012/05/city-harvest-church-10-years-of-the-crossover-project/, City Harvest Church: 10 Years Of The Crossover Project, 09/05/2012. (Accessed 27/09/2012.)

Why did they continue? Phil Pringle privately prophesied over Sun Ho’s music career and apparently told them “God is going to open a big door for CHC in China to be a blessing to the people”.

“Finally, it was a word given by Phil Pringle to Sun privately in May 2005 that gave them clarity to their path. “He said, ‘Five more years, because God is going to open a big door for CHC in China to be a blessing to the people.’ That word gave us the courage, faith and confirmation to resume the Crossover Project,” said Kong.” – Yong Yung Shin, http://www.citynews.sg/2012/05/city-harvest-church-10-years-of-the-crossover-project/, City Harvest Church: 10 Years Of The Crossover Project, 09/05/2012. (Accessed 27/09/2012.)

Fortunately, we have audio of Kong Hee talking about this event. Listen at how resolved they were after hearing Pringle’s prophecy. Did they pray about it the next few days? Did they discuss it together as a couple? Did they test the spirit or go to God’s Word in prayer or fasting? Listen in…

“Pastor Phil and Pastor Chris, they carry a spirit of prophecy. And five years ago when my little baby was born, Dayan, and my wife and I were thinking about taking a six month break. Go to Europe. Just backpack. Take little Dayan. We’ve been planting. I mean we’ve been running the church for so long.

And then Pastor Phil came to Singapore. And four months after little Dayan was born, in one of those meetings, the Holy Spirit HIT. And how many of you know that- talking about being dangerous, when the Holy Spirit comes upon Pastor Phil, he gets dangerous. Right?

And he starts prophesying, “Sun! It’s not time for you to stop. You got to go to China.”

And at that word, you know we let go of our nets. And then- so Sun’s been on the road right now. She’s living in the LA. And true enough, China opened up. She became the music ambassador for the Olympic games. Sang at the special olympics. Sang the anthem at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. And just last week, I mean – she’s a few months away from launching her début album in America. Just let you know, her first single, last month was number one in the US, number one in the UK on the secular charts. Lets praise God for that! Hallelujah! So we got Pastor Phil to thank for that.” – Kong hee, C3 Presence Conference, Session 4, Sydney, 2010.

“Talking about being dangerous” indeed.  This is the great danger of the claim to prophetic gifting; it gives a man, in practice, an infallibility far worse than that claimed by the Papacy, for the Pope has only used that supposed infallibility twice, if that, while the modern Charismatic ‘Prophets’ use theirs almost daily, laying their followers under heavy burdens to fulfil these “words from the Lord.”

Doesn’t it sound like that Pringle in the above prophecy is at least by implication presenting God as “a slave driver”, driving Kong to work until he drops? Such words of supposed prophecy might well give reason for Kong Hee to believe that God thinks that whatever he does is not “ever good enough for Him”.

THE SUNTEC SEER

Prior to this, Phil Pringle continually ‘prophesied’ as early as 1995 that over Kong Hee would own SunTec City. Kong Hee continues…

“The reason I shared that was because in 1995 when Pastor Phil Pringle came to Singapore and I was driving him around town- just bringing him back from the hotel and to the hotel. And we passed by this huge complex in the downtown area just in front of our parliament house. And it’s called SunTec City. Now it is the most iconic, monumental, convention center in the whole of South-East Asia. Pastor Phil turned to me and said, “Kong, someday you’re going to own that building”. At that time, my church was only in 1995 less than a thousand people. I said, “Pastor Phil!” I say, “God bless your heart. Thank you so much having faith in me”. I said- you know, I was thinking, “Yeah right! In my dreams!”

And every year. Every year he came back. He’d say, “Kong, you’re gonna get that building”. And he said that. And I think at one time he could see the unbelief in me. He start slapping me. You know how many of you know Pastor Phil likes to slap, right? He starts slapping me and pushing me, shoving me saying, “You gonna get that building. You gonna get…” And I just held that in my heart. I didn’t share that with anybody. My wife and I we prayed and we prayed. And then- I want you to know, two months ago, we signed- oh last month- we signed the lease. We are now co-owners of SunTec City Convention Center.

Hallelujah! Amen! We’re gonna move in. We’re gonna move in twelve months from now.

Ah- I thought I’m gonna show you a video. This is our ‘Rise and Build’ video and- Many people come to City Harvest Church and they look at our church. Look at our pulpit. Our Rise and Build. And they say, “Hey! Why is it that in Australia they kinda copy after you?”

Well actually we came here and copied everything from Christian City Church. So we have our own Rise and Build and I just thought I show you this latest installment where we anounced to our church, SunTec City Convention Center. It’s a twelve thousand seater hall. And ah- it’s amazing. And already, in one month after we signed the lease, we are already starting to earn dividends from all the profits, eh! So lets just watch the video right now.” – Kong hee, C3 Presence Conference, Session 4, Sydney, 2010.

The above audio reveals how much Kong Hee looks up to Pringle, and how this leads him to emulate Pringle; not only did Kong Hee copy Phil Pringle’s Vision Builders campaign, Kong copied his church from Pringle’s church at Oxford Falls, Sydney.

It becomes clear that Pringle seems to be a major factor in Kong Hee’s life and decision making. But was Pringle really hearing from God, or was he seeking to mould Kong Hee in his likeness? We find it hard to believe that the owning of a particular piece of real estate would be so high on God’s list of priorities, for Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, not to own expensive and prestigious convention centers  Remember that Phil Pringle is huge on church growth and these prophecies seem to be leading Kong Hee to see God in a bitter light.

KONG HEE PUBLICLY BLAMES PRINGLE FOR HIS MESS?

We hear Kong Hee tell this story again, this time more daringly.

“Let me tell you a scary story. [Audience laughs] This is Scary Movie Part 4- Part 5. [Audience laughs] Nineteen-ninety-five, nineteen-ninety-five, our church was a thousand people. We just moved into a new facility, and I was driving the bishop- uh- Pastor Phil- back to the hotel. And we passed by a brand new convention center called SunTec City. And Phil Pringle turned to me (true story), and you know how he does it. He slapped me while I’m driving. Slapped me- “Hey Kong! [Audience laughs] You’re gonna take over this building! This building yours! Hallelujah!” Pat! Pat! Pat! Pat! Pat! [Audience laughs] Reeeeaaar! [Audience laughs]

And- And then fifteen years later, we got the building. And now we’re in all this mess [Pringle laughs with audience ]. So, I told Pastor Phil, “You created this mess! You’ve got to come and help us fix it”. And he’s done such a great job!” – Kong Hee, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eESwC7MEAc0, Presence Conference 2012, Night Session, 11/04/2012.

[Edit 07/06/2012] Kong Hee again blames Pringle for his mess at Presence Conference 2013.

“I’ve learnt one thing about Pastor Phil: he’s a prophet of God. He’s very dangerous when he tells you that this building is created for you or built for you or developed for you. Because in 1995, he said the same thing to me. He said, “The SunTec Convention Center is- developed for you”.

And then, I just checked a video a few years- uh, just recently, Pastor Phil. In the year 2000 I think. Or 2001. You spoke to our entire congregation. And you said, “You know what? You guys are going to SunTec Convention Center”. And so we did. And all the troubles began.

So it’s all your fault, Pastor!” – Kong Hee, C3 Global Presence Conference, Day 1, Session 1, 2013.

Our question: why is Phil Pringle getting away with “influencing” people like this? Whether Kong Hee is right or wrong in his teachings, how can Phil Pringle get away with “influencing” Kong Hee by using God to make Kong Hee and Sun Ho risk their lives merely to do something impressive? We do not doubt their devotion, but devotion to a false prophecy is not admirable, but pitiful. If these ‘pastors’ have put everything on the line to submit to the ‘word of God’ through Pringle, how many people have done likewise in Pringle’s church? It is a truly worrying thought!

No matter how you look at it, Pringle is not merely dishonouring his own name or that of his C3 Movement, he brings absolute shame to the name of Christ. Pringle knows that his ‘prophecy’ has come at a “great cost to Kong, and even to [himself]“. In fact, Pringle has flaunted the ‘fulfillment’ of this ‘prophecy’ around his own movement to make wild claims that he is truly a prophet of God with truly prophetic messages to prophesy financial increase to those committed to his church movement.

To further understand how flippant Pringle is with the idea of the prophetic office, consider this piece of double-speak:

“I get the word of the Lord for different people around the world at different times, and I try not to deliver it in too much of a way that it’s perfect and infallible. I mean, I could get it wrong. But when I feel a word, I definitely say it to people. I don’t think it’s a credit to me—it’s simply a gift that God gives to people. If you can hear it, then it’ll definitely work for you.” – Phil Pringle, Faithful Friend, City News, http://www.citynews.sg/2011/04/faithful-friend/, 08/04/2011. (Accessed 06/01/2012.)

Now this is the great danger of this teaching on private revelations; it leads to people making claims that are treated in effect as infallible, while at the same time saying “I could get it wrong” and therefore having a get-out clause; all the authority of an Old Testament Prophet, but none of the responsibility.

Here is the problem, you see; if the word is really from God, then to disobey is sin. If it is simply some idle idea of Phil Pringle, then it is probably best ignored, but how are we to tell the difference?

The argument that those who teach that such revelations are given today is that they are to be tested by the Word of God. But here is the rub. How can one test the word, “Thus says the Lord, you shall buy the SunTec City convention centre” against the Bible?

Like that old standby, “Thus says the Lord, you shall marry Daisy”, it is so personal, so specific, that it really cannot be tested on the spot. And the very use of the ‘prophetic’ formula, as opposed to, “I think it would be a good idea if…” is manipulative in itself when used to someone who admires Pringle as highly as Kong Hee clearly does. Where a word is represented as coming from God, it comes with the implication of divine authority, whatever may be done in the way of hedging it around with ifs and buts.

Let us take heed what Kong Hee said: “”You created this mess! You’ve gotta come and help us fix it”. It is distressing to see Phil Pringle get away from ruining Kong Hee and Sun Ho. If Pringle says, “I get the word of the Lord for different people around the world at different times,” who will be his next victim?

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Chavez On Resurrection Sunday Exalts Pringle’s Above Christ?

13 Saturday Apr 2013

Posted by Nailed Truth in C3 & Pringles Associations

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

blasphemy, c3, c3 church, c3 church cult, c3 cult, c3 international, c3global, c3interational, cccglobal, cccinternational, Christian City Church, cult, cult leaders, jesus, messiah, messiahs, resurrection, resurrection sunday

Scriptures say,

“Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’

“But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” Matthew 13:10-17

Who do think this passage is about? If you think this passage is about Jesus talking about himself, you are right. Jesus was the Messiah “many prophets and righteous people longed to see”. None else.

This prophecy Jesus spoke of was also against Israel. The disciples were truly blessed unlike Israel for they did not receive dull hearts, dull hearing or closed eyes. They were given the knowledge from Jesus to interpret what they were hearing. This is why the disciples were blessed to truly see and truly hear the words of Christ – Israel’s Messiah. The Incarnate Word of God. The one who the Law and the Prophets prophesied about it and longed to see.

However, you are about to hear Jabin Chavez misuse these verses and claim that Jesus is prophesying this about Phil and Chris Pringle,

“But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

Now our question to readers is this: Did Jesus really say the above about Phil and Chris Pringle ? Does Christ exalt them above his divine authority and Messiahship? Well if you think they’re not, take this issue up with Jabin Chavez and the Pringle’s. Hear what Jabin Chavez has to say:

Read Chavez’ liturgy of blasphemous flattery:

“Why don’t you just stay standing for a moment. Just want to sing a bit. Prepare our hearts. Um. I don’t know if you know how blessed you are to be in this church. Um. Jesus said that you’re blessed because of what you’ve seen and what you’ve heard. And ah- you have two pastors that, number one- you can see their life and be absolutely blessed because of who they are and the integrity and the faithfulness- I don’t know if you know: Happy birthday.

This is your thirty-third year as a church. Isn’t this incredible?

Three hundred campuses, a hundred thousand people at C3 all over the world. You’re blessed because of what you’ve seen.

And number two, you are blessed because of what you’ve heard. I don’t know if there are two greater teachers and preachers than Pastor Phil and Chris Pringle…

And honestly one of the number one things I thought right away is, “I really want to meet her pastor”. And so wisdom is proved right by her children. The bible says Jesus said that. And so- ah, that’s really a by-product of Pastor Chris and your gift and your grace on your life.” – Jabin Chavez, “Mt2M” – Jabin Chavez, http://www2.myc3church.net/videos/mt2m-jabin-chavez, 31/03/2013. (Accessed 13/04/2013.)

Jesus did say that “Wisdom is proved right by her children”. However, Chris Pringle is NOT “Wisdom”. Christ is. Christ is the Incarnate Word/Logos of God, the Power and Wisdom of God. Jesus was the fulfillment of Cultural Wisdom and Counter-Cultural Wisdom in the Old Testament Literature. His children are those that have heard the gospel, repented from their sins and were baptised. Luke is clearly making this point in his gospel. This is what Jesus said in context:

“When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’

I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)

“To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

“‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.” Luke 7:24-35

If Phil Pringle and Chris Pringle do not want their movement to now be labeled a cult, they must respond immediately to the blasphemous claims of Jabin Chavez that they are ‘Messiahs’ and ‘Wisdom’. To shamelessly do this on Resurrection Sunday is simply disgraceful.

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“I’m gonna tell the whole world, “You’ve got three followers on Twitter!” – Phil Pringle

21 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by Nailed Truth in C3 Culture, Pringle's Behaviour, Pringle's Doctrine/Gospel, Pringle's Methods

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

c3, c3 church, c3 church international, c3 church oxford falls, C3 Church Sydney, c3 global, c3 international, c3church, c3global, C3i, C3OF, ccc, ccc global, ccc international, cccglobal, cccof, gossip, Let's just stone him, Phil Pringle, Pringle, twitter

In the below quote, Pringle narcigetes 2 Samuel 30:6 to justify, explain and warn his congregation on some peculiar things. It is clear in his use of the text he seems to somehow see himself as a ‘king’ over his church and within the offline or online communities. To clarify, the New Testament does NOT teach that a pastor is a king, nor is Phil Pringle Jesus or Moses. If you have been reading the various articles on Phil Pringle here, it should be pretty clear he is clearly a false teacher and a false prophet. It is this type of person Jesus warns us against in Matthew 7.

In this article, we reveal Pringle provides some interesting information in a sermon he gave in 2011.

      1. Pringle teaches that people in his church may “get wounded” and experience “distress” and “grief”. If it was the world persecuting the church that is understandable. However, Pringle provides the context of his warning. He says Christians in his movement could experience with other Christians (in or outside his movement) traumatic experiences that may test their loyalty to him and his movement. If it’s gossip this is understandable. However, once again – the point of controversy within the framework of his teaching evolved around him. Which leads to our next point.
      2. Pringle reveals he has been approached by people who have said that they will “go to the newspaper”. He emphasises that he has heard people say this “many times” to him. This tells us that people HAVE expressed their concerns to him and he has rejected them, their reports or corrections. The result being, people have seemingly stated to Pringle they will “go to the newspaper” because issues were not personally resolved with Pringle.
      3. Pringle alerts us to the fact he is aware what people are saying on Facebook and blogging communities about him and his movement. In June 2011, MyC3ChurchReview (MC3CR) was established around the time C3ChurchWatch started up. It is possible that Pringle may have been referring to the manager of the MC3CR site who also started a twitter account with about three followers. In spite of what is being said online regarding his teaching or practices, he has shown that he would rather mock them or ‘stone them’. This only goes to show Pringle refuses to be corrected or deal with certain false doctrines, his false gospel, scandals within his movement, bad behaviour or false methodologies.

Here is the transcript:

“The leader who had transformed their lives, turned them into men (feared by the entire country side)- now they want to stone him because they are in such grief because the “soul of all the people was grieved. Every man for his sons and his daughters.”

When people are upset they want to blame somebody.  And, “Isn’t he the guy who led us down to do this battle down there? Let’s just stone him!”

It happens. It’s not- not uncommon. Moses. “Isn’t he the guy? Let’s stone him!” Jesus. “Let’s stone Him!” You know. These guys had a- they we’re always addicted to getting stoned. [Audience laughs] It’s like, “Let’s just stone him! Let’s just throw stones! Let’s gossip! Let’s go to the- let’s go to the newspaper!”

Argh! Golly! How many times I heard that? “I’m gonna get all the press down there and yuhyuhgruhyuh!” You think it doesn’t happen? There may even be a day when you’re tempted to think that because something happened when you want out to battle and family members or friends or yourself- you get wounded and you’re in such distress, such grief- that’s the moment where there’s deep loyalty tests.

And you find those moments in life! Everybody does! “I’m gonna Facebook them! Obladyuhyuhyuh!!!” “You wont like any of this on my blog baby! Iya-blurdludludludludle!!! Blog away!” Everybody can have a shot of being heard! I’m gonna tell the whole world, “You’ve got three followers on Twitter!” – Phil Pringle, Ps Phil Pringle: Prayer 4 – I Like People, http://www2.myc3church.net/videos/ps-phil-pringle-prayer-4-i-people, 77:01, C3 Oxford Falls, Sunday Night Service, 25/09/2011.

proof_myc3church-4ILikePeople_20-02-13

There is one last thing to consider. Don’t you think it’s odd that Pringle implies that he’ll only listen to you depending on how big your following is on twitter? What other standard must a Christian uphold so that Phil Pringle might listen to their concerns and act on them?

We’ll end with Mark Dever talking addressing the faulty ‘church growth’ standard and application that ministers like Pringle adhere too.

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Mark Kelsey Gets An “I’m An Idiot” Revelation?

10 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by Nailed Truth in Church Sermons, Sermon Reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

c3, c3 church, c3 church global, c3 church international, c3 church oxford falls, c3 global, c3 oxford falls, c3churchglobal, c3global, c3iglobal, c3international, ccc, ccc global, ccc of, ccc oxford falls, cccglobal, cccof, Chris Rosebrough, I'm an idiot, i'm an idiot revelation, idiocy, idiot, kelsey, Mark Kelsey, Oxford Falls, Phil Pringle, Pringle, Rosebrough

Pastor Nicholas Gervase Charmley and Chris Rosebrough weigh in on a bizarre sermon by Mark Kelsey. The sermon is titled, “The “I’m an Idiot” Revelation”.

In the past, Phil Pringle has stressed in leadership gatherings that he doesn’t want intellectual people in his movement. (He calls them “intellectual idiots”.)

Instead, Phil Pringle wants passionate people in his movement who can be shamed into worship, conform to his emotionally manipulated environments and groomed through crowd control methods. Read and watch the article below:

Pringle Teaches How To Control & Fleece People

Idiocy In High Places?

If you browse the articles on C3 Church Watch, you will be quick to discover how these emotionally controlled environments and dishonest giving sermons trick people into thinking they are giving money to God.

With the above information in mind, Mark Kelsey in the below sermon further convinces people that they should get the idiot revelation to keep them going to C3 church. You can hear Chris Rosebrough review this sermon by Mark Kelsey here:

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• Creflo Dollar and Facebook Curses
• Franklin Graham Shocked by Cult Reference to Mormonism on BGEA Site
• Sermon Review The “I’m an Idiot” Revelation by Mark Kelsey, C3, Oxford Falls, Australia

Source: CREFLO DOLLAR AND FACEBOOK CURSES, Fighting For The Faith, http://www.fightingforthefaith.com/2012/11/creflo-dollar-and-facebook-curses.html, 16/02/2012. (Accessed 02/02/2013.)

To show how absurd the theological teachings are of Mark Kelsey Mark said this:

“God’s aim for you and I is the glory of God. It’s not salvation. His aim for you is not salvation. Most Christians do not understand this. God’s aim for you is not salvation. Salvation is a means to an end. His aim for you is to restore you to His original intention, for you. He has an image of you that is so glorious. So His aim is that, ok. So there’s the aim: the glorious version of you. The ‘I’m no longer an idiot’ version of you.” – Mark Kelsey, Mark Kelsey – The I’m An Idiot! Revelation (Part 3 of 4), 3:15, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5-cHpfqTLQ, Uploaded by changefilm on Nov 28, 2008. (Accessed 16/11/2012.)

Gervase Charmley had this to say about Mark Kelsey’s comment:

“It has been said that “A difference that makes no difference is no difference at all”, and frankly it seems to me that is what is going on here. The problem seems to be that he has some idea of what “salvation” is that comes short of the fullness of it, and so he can say in effect “God’s aim for us as Christians is not salvation, but salvation”. Which makes no sense. It’s incoherent, that’s my thought on this.” – G.N. Charmley, 15/11/2012.

You can watch the original sermon here on youtube.




NOTE: SCREEN GRABS WERE TAKEN ON THE 16/11/2012.

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Is The C3 Movement A “Cult Of Prosperity”?

13 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by Nailed Truth in C3 Ministry, C3 Values, Pringle's Doctrine/Gospel, Uncategorized

≈ 7 Comments

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Benny Hinn, Bill Johnson, Brian Houston, c3, c3 church, c3 global, c3 of, c3 oxford falls, c3global, C3i, c3i global, c3iglobal, C3OF, cash, ccc, ccc church, cccglobal, ccciglobal, cult of prosperity, Dale Bronner, erroneous, error, false, false doctrine, false teaching, false theology, fault, faulty, faulty biblical interpretation, finance, finances, John Avanzini, John Maxwell, joyce meyer, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, Kong Hee, mislead, money, Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, phil pringe, Phil Pringle, Pringle, prosperity cult, prosperity gospel, Rick Warren, T.D.Jakes, The Bankruptcy of the Prosperity Gospel, tommy tenney, yonngi cho

Phil Pringle is heavily influenced by the prosperity cults. He endorses, speaks or works alongside some of the most heretical persons such as Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, Brian Houston, Yonngi Cho, Kong Hee, Kenneth Hagin, John Avanzini, Pat Robertson, Oral Roberts, John Maxwell, Rick Warren, Dale Bronner, Bill Johnson, T.D Jakes, Tommy Tenney and so on. The article below addresses false teachers who Pringle either endorses or who is influenced by their ministries.

pringle in league with prosperity cult

The below article uproots Pringle’s false Christianity and does a solid job presenting readers with the facts of scripture. Unlike Pringle, we encourage readers to pull out their bibles (or visit our resources on the left) to do a bible study on this article below.

The Bankruptcy of the Prosperity Gospel: An Exercise in Biblical and Theological Ethics

Study By: David Jones

Download Word Doc

Just over one hundred years ago, the renowned pastor and statesman Charles H. Spurgeon spoke these words to the then-largest congregation in all Christendom:

I believe that it is anti-Christian and unholy for any Christian to live with the object of accumulating wealth. You will say, “Are we not to strive all we can to get all the money we can?” You may do so. I cannot doubt but what, in so doing, you may do service to the cause of God. But what I said was that to live with the object of accumulating wealth is anti-Christian.1

Over the years, however, the message being preached in some of the largest churches in the world has changed. Due, in part, to the rise of several ungodly philosophies and movements,2 a new gospel is being taught today. This gospel has been ascribed many names, such as the “name it and claim it” gospel, the “blab it and grab it” gospel, the “health and wealth” gospel, the “word of faith” movement, the “gospel of success,” the “prosperity gospel,” and “positive confession theology.”3

No matter what name is used, though, the teaching is the same. Simply put, this egocentric gospel teaches that God wants believers to be materially wealthy. Listen to the words of Robert Tilton, one of the prosperity gospel’s most well-known spokesmen: “I believe that it is the will of God for all to prosper because I see it in the Word [of God], not because it has worked mightily for someone else. I do not put my eyes on men, but on God who gives me the power to get wealth.”4

Teachers of the prosperity gospel encourage their followers to pray, and even demand, of God “everything from modes of transportation (cars, vans, trucks, even two-seat planes), [to] homes, furniture, and large bank accounts.”5 By closely examining the faulty theology and errant biblical interpretation of the teachers of this movement, this study will prove that the prosperity gospel teachings regarding the acquisition and accumulation of wealth are ethically incorrect.

The Theology of the Prosperity Gospel

“Theology is important,” wrote scholar Millard J. Erickson, “because correct doctrinal beliefs are essential to the relationship between the believer and God.”6 A corollary to this statement is that an incorrect theology will lead to incorrect beliefs about God, His Word, and His dealings with men. The thesis of this paper is that the prosperity gospel is constructed upon a faulty theology. Consequently, many of its doctrines, including the teachings concerning wealth, are erroneous. While it is beyond the scope of this study to examine in detail all of the specific doctrines of prosperity theology, there are four crucial areas of error relating to their teachings on wealth that may be isolated and examined. These areas are the Abrahamic covenant, the Atonement, giving, and faith.

Prosperity Theology and the Abrahamic Covenant

The theological basis of the prosperity gospel is the Abrahamic covenant.7 While this is good in that prosperity theologians recognize that much of Scripture is the record of the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant, it is bad in that they do not maintain an orthodox view of this covenant. Prosperity theologians hold an incorrect view of the inception of the Abrahamic covenant; what is more germane to the present study, however, they hold to an erroneous view concerning the application of the covenant.8

Researcher Edward Pousson best stated the prosperity view on the application of the Abrahamic covenant when he wrote, “Christians are Abraham’s spiritual children and heirs to the blessings of faith…. This Abrahamic inheritance is unpacked primarily in terms of material entitlements.”9 In other words, according to the prosperity gospel, the primary purpose of the Abrahamic covenant was for God to bless Abraham materially. Since believers are now “Abraham’s spiritual children,” they consequently have inherited these financial blessings of the covenant.

Prosperity teacher Kenneth Copeland wrote, “Since God’s Covenant has been established and prosperity is a provision of this covenant, you need to realize that prosperity belongs to you now!”10 Referring to the prosperity theology of Kenneth Hagin, author Harvey Cox wrote, “Through the crucifixion of Christ, Christians have inherited all the promises made to Abraham, and these include both spiritual and material well-being.”11 To support this claim, prosperity teachers such as Copeland and Hagin appeal to Gal. 3:14, which says “that the blessings of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus. . . .”12 While it is not an understatement to say that the problems with this argument are legion, two glaring problems need to be addressed. First, in their appeal to Gal. 3:14, prosperity teachers ignore the second half of the verse, which reads, “That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”13 In this verse Paul clearly was reminding the Galatians of the spiritual blessing of salvation, not the material blessing of wealth.

Second, prosperity teachers claim that the conduit through which believers receive Abraham’s blessings is faith. This completely ignores the orthodox understanding that the Abrahamic covenant was an unconditional covenant.14 That is, the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant were not contingent upon one man’s obedience. Therefore, even if the Abrahamic covenant did apply to Christians, all believers would already be experiencing the material blessings regardless of prosperity theology.

Prosperity Theology and the Atonement

A second cracked pillar upon which prosperity theology stands is that of a faulty view of the Atonement. Theologian Ken Sarles wrote that “the prosperity gospel claims that both physical healing and financial prosperity have been provided for in the Atonement.”15 This seems to be an accurate observation in light of teacher Kenneth Copeland’s comment that “the basic principle of the Christian life is to know that God put our sin, sickness, disease, sorrow, grief, and poverty on Jesus at Calvary.”16 This misunderstanding of the Atonement stems from two errors that proponents of the prosperity gospel make.

First, many who hold to prosperity theology have a fundamental misconception of the life of Christ. For example, teacher John Avanzini proclaimed that “Jesus had a nice house, a big house,”17 “Jesus was handling big money,”18 and He even “wore designer clothes.”19 It is easy to see how such a warped view of the life of Christ could lead to an equally warped misconception of the death of Christ.

A second error of prosperity theology, which also leads to a faulty view of the Atonement, is the misinterpretation of 2 Cor. 8:9. Without exception, this is the verse to which prosperity teachers appeal in order to support their view of the Atonement. The verse reads, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”20 This problem with this interpretation is, of course, that in this verse Paul was in no way teaching that Christ died on the cross for the purpose of increasing anyone’s net worth materially. In fact, Paul was actually teaching the exact opposite principle.

Contextually, it is clear that Paul was teaching the Corinthians that since Christ accomplished so much for them through the Atonement, then how much more ought they empty themselves of their riches in service of the Savior. This is why just five short verses later Paul would urge the Corinthians to give their wealth away to their needy brothers, writing “that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack.”21 Commentator Philip E. Hughes wrote of 2 Cor. 8:9, “The logic implicit in the statement of this great truth is too obvious for anyone to miss it.”22 Apparently, however, the champions of the prosperity gospel have indeed missed it.

Prosperity Theology and Giving

One of the most striking characteristics of the prosperity theologians is their seeming fixation with the act of giving. Students of the prosperity gospel are urged to give generously and are confronted with such pious statements as, “True prosperity is the ability to use God’s power to meet the needs of mankind in any realm of life,”23 and, “We have been called to finance the gospel to the world.”24 While at face value these statements do indeed appear to be praiseworthy, a closer examination of the theology behind them reveals that the prosperity gospel’s emphasis on giving is built on anything but philanthropic motives. The driving force behind this emphasis on giving is what teacher Robert Tilton referred to as the “Law of Compensation.”25 According to this law, which is supposedly based on Mark 10:30,26 Christians need to give generously to others because when they do, God gives back more in return. This, in turn, leads to a cycle of ever-increasing prosperity.

As Gloria Copeland put it, “Give $10 and receive $1,000; give $1,000 and receive $100,000;… in short, Mark 10:30 is a very good deal.”27 It is evident, then, that the prosperity gospel’s doctrine of giving is built upon faulty motives. Whereas Jesus taught His disciples to “give, hoping for nothing in return,”28 prosperity theologians teach their disciples to give because they will get a great return. One cannot help but agree with author Edward Pousson’s observation that the stewardship of “the prosperity message is in captivity to the American dream.”29

Prosperity Theology and Faith

A final area of prosperity theology that merits investigation is that of the doctrine of faith. Whereas orthodox Christianity understands faith to be “trust in the person of Jesus Christ, the truth of His teaching, and the redemptive work He accomplished at Calvary,”30 prosperity teachers espouse quite a different doctrine. In his book, The Laws of Prosperity, Kenneth Copeland wrote that “faith is a spiritual force, a spiritual energy, a spiritual power. It is this force of faith which makes the laws of the spirit world function. . . . There are certain laws governing prosperity revealed in God’s Word. Faith causes them to function.”31 This is obviously a faulty, if not heretical, understanding of faith. Later in the same book Copeland wrote that “if you make up your mind . . . that you are willing to live in divine prosperity and abundance, . . . divine prosperity will come to pass in your life. You have exercised your faith.”32 According to prosperity theology, faith is not a theocentric act of the will, or simply trust in God; rather it is an anthropocentric spiritual force, directed at God. Indeed, any theology that views faith solely as a means to material gain rather than the acceptance of heavenly justification must be judged as faulty and inadequate.

The Biblical Interpretation of the Prosperity Gospel

As has already been demonstrated in this paper, the hermeneutics of the prosperity movement leaves much to be desired. Author Ken Sarles wrote of the prosperity teachers that their “method of interpreting the biblical text is highly subjective and arbitrary. Bible verses are quoted in abundance without attention to grammatical indicators, semantic nuances, or literary and historical context. The result is a set of ideas and principles based on distortion of textual meaning.”33 Indeed, a survey of the volumes of literature produced by the prosperity teachers yields numerous examples of such misinterpretations. As was the case in the theological study of this movement, an analysis of all such examples of misinterpreted texts would fall beyond the scope of this study. However, it is possible to choose one verse as an example and to examine both the prosperity gospel and orthodox interpretations of the text.

A suitable verse for this study is 3 John 2.34 In this verse, the Apostle John wrote, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”35 This verse is interpreted by prosperity teachers to mean that God wants all believers to “prosper in all things.” Furthermore, their interpretation of this verse makes clear their claim that material prosperity is inseparably linked to spiritual growth. Oral Roberts, regarded by many to be the father of the prosperity gospel movement, claimed at the beginning of his ministry, during a time of search for direction, that God miraculously led him to 3 John 2, which he understood as a revelation of the prosperity gospel.36

Another faith teacher who has built his ministry around this faulty interpretation of 3 John 2 is Kenneth Copeland. Author Kenneth Kantzer noted that “Copeland misinterprets this [verse] as a universal promise,”37 and writer Bruce Barron remarked that “the Copelands use these words so often that they appear to be the key verse of their ministry.”38 A careful study of 3 John 2, however, reveals that this verse is not a carte blanche approval of prosperity gospel teachings.

Those who use 3 John 2 to support the prosperity gospel are committing two crucial errors, the first contextual and the second grammatical. First, con-textually, one is wise to note that John’s purpose in writing 3 John 2 was not to teach doctrine; it was simply to open his letter with a greeting. This is not to say that doctrine cannot be derived from a nondoctrinal passage, for all Scripture is profitable for doctrine, but it is to say that one must be sensitive to the original author’s intent. Therefore, the claim that 3 John 2 teaches the doctrine of prosperity ought to be regarded as suspect at best. Second, one is wise to note the meaning of the word “prosperity” as it occurs in this verse. The term translated “prosperity” is a form of the Greek word eujodovw. This word, which is used only four times in Scripture, does not mean to prosper in the sense of “gaining material possessions,” but rather means “to grant a prosperous expedition and expeditious journey,” or “to lead by a direct and easy way.”39 The wording of modern translations such as the New International Version even reflect this nuance of the word.40 Therefore it is evident that teachers who understand 3 John 2 to teach prosperity theology are misinterpreting the text.

Conclusion

Through this study of the theology and the biblical interpretation of the prosperity gospel, one may discern five clear reasons why this movement’s teachings concerning wealth are incorrect:

1. The prosperity gospel is built upon a faulty understanding of the Abrahamic covenant.

2. The prosperity gospel is built upon a faulty understanding of the Atonement.

3. The prosperity gospel is based upon a faulty understanding of the biblical tachings on giving.

4. The prosperity gospel is based upon a faulty understanding of the biblical teachings on faith.

5. The prosperity gospel, in general, has been constructed upon faulty biblical interpretation.

Aside from these five specific theological and biblical arguments against the prosperity gospel, and without even considering the practical implications of this movement,41 there is perhaps one general, summary reason why the prosperity gospel is a wayward gospel: its faulty view of the relationship between God and man. Simply put, if the prosperity gospel is correct, grace becomes obsolete, God becomes irrelevant, and man is the measure of all things. Whether it is the Abrahamic covenant, the Atonement, giving, faith, or the biblical interpretation of any given verse, the prosperity teacher seeks to turn the relationship between God and man into a financial quid pro quo transaction. As scholar James R. Goff noted, God is “reduced to a kind of ‘cosmic bellhop’ attending to the needs and desires of his creation.”42 This is a wholly inadequate and unbiblical view of the relationship between God and man and the stewardship of wealth.

Note: This article was originally published in Faith and Mission Vol 16, p. 79ff. Published with permission.


1 Tom Carted, ed., 2,200 Quotations from the Writings of Charles H. Spurgeon (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), 216.

2 While it is impossible to trace the prosperity gospel back to an exact starting point, there are at least three movements from which it draws its ideas. One is the experience-centered Christianity which was birthed in the mind of nineteenth-century theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher and has come to fruition in the form of the twentieth-century Charismatic movement. A second philosophy that gave rise to the prosperity gospel was the “positive thinking” school of Norman Vincent Peale. Indeed, scholar Harvey Cox wrote concerning the prosperity gospel that “it owed much to the ‘positive thinking’ of the late Norman Vincent Peale.” Harvey Cox, Fire from Heaven (Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1995), 272. The third modern movement that has influenced the prosperity gospel is simply the “American dream,” or materialism.

3 For the purpose of this paper, the phrase “prosperity gospel” will be used.

4 Robert Tilton, God’s Word about Prosperity (Dallas, TX: Word of Faith Publications, 1983), 6.

5 David Pilgrim, “Egoism or Altruism: A Social Psychological Critique of the Prosperity Gospel of Televangelist Robert Tilton,” Journal of Religious Studies, 18.1-2 (1992): 3.

6 Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1985), 28.

7 This important covenant is mentioned numerous times in the writings of the prosperity teachers, i.e., Gloria Copeland, God’s Willis Prosperity (Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Publications, 1973), 4-6; Kenneth Copeland, The Laws of Prosperity (Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Publications, 1974), 51; idem, Our Covenant with God (Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Publications, 1987), 10; Edward Pousson, Spreading the Flame (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992), 158; and Kenneth Copeland, The Troublemaker (Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Publications, n.d.), 6.

8 Prosperity teacher Kenneth Copeland articulated his movement’s view of the inception of the Abrahamic covenant best when he wrote that “after Adam’s fall in the Garden, God needed an avenue back into the earth;… since man was the key figure in the Fall, man had to be the key figure in the redemption, so God approached a man named Abram. He reenacted with Abram what Satan had done with Adam. . . . God offered Abram a proposition and Abram bought it.” Kenneth Copeland, Our Covenant with God, 10.

9 Pousson, 158.

10 Kenneth Copeland, The Laws of Prosperity, 51.

11 Cox, 271.

12 Gal. 3:14a (NKJV).

13 Gal. 3:14b (NKJV).

14 That the Abrahamic covenant is an unconditional covenant can be demonstrated by four facts. First, the covenant ceremony in Genesis 15 was unilateral. In fact, Abraham was asleep. Second, no conditions are stated in the covenant. Third, in the restatement of the covenant in Gen. 17:7,13, and 19, the covenant is called “everlasting.” Finally, the covenant was confirmed despite Abraham’s continued disobedience and lack of faith.

15 Ken L. Sarles, “A Theological Evaluation of the Prosperity Gospel,” Bibliotheca Sacra 143 (Oct.-Dec. 1986): 339.

16 Kenneth Copeland, The Troublemaker, 6.

17 John Avanzini, “Believer’s Voice of Victory,” program on TBN, 20 January 1991. Quoted in Hank Hanegraaff, Christianity in Crisis (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1993), 381.

18 Idem, “Praise the Lord,” program on TBN, 15 September 1988. Quoted in Hanegraaff, 381.

19 Avanzini, “Believer’s Voice of Victory.”

20 2 Cor. 8:9 (NKJV).

21 2 Cor. 8:14 (NKJV).

22 Philip E. Hughes, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishers, 1962), 300.

23 Kenneth Copeland, The Laws of Prosperity, 26.

24 Gloria Copeland, God’s Will Is Prosperity, 45.

25 Theologian Ken Sarles rightly noted that “the Law of Compensation [is] the bedrock of the prosperity movement.” Sarles, 349.

26 In Mark 10:29-30, Jesus stated, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sister or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life” (NKJV). Other verses that the “Law of Compensation” is based upon include Eccl. 11:1, 2 Cor. 9:6, and Gal. 6:7.

27 Gloria Copeland, 54.

28 Luke 10:35 (NKJV).

29 Pousson, 159.

30 J. D. Douglas, and Merrill C. Tenny, eds., The New International Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing, 1987), s.v. “faith.”

31 Kenneth Copeland, The Laws of Prosperity, 19.

32 Ibid.,41.

33 Sarles, 337.

34 Sarles says that this is an “often quoted verse” in the prosperity movement. Sarles, 338. Hanegraaff wrote that 3 John 2 was a “classic example” of prosperity misinterpretation. Hanegraaff, 223. Gordon Fee called 3 John 2 “the basic Scripture text of the cult of prosperity.” Gordon Fee, “The ‘Gospel’ of Prosperity,” Reformation Today 82 (Nov.-Dec. 1984): 40. Bruce Barron wrote that 3 John 2 was “the ‘Old Faithful’ of prosperity proof texts.” Bruce Barron, The Health and Wealth Gospel (Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1987), 91.

35 3 John 2 (NKJV).

36 For a full account of Roberts’ miraculous revelation concerning 3 John 2, see Barron, 62.

37 Kenneth S. Kantzer, “The Cut-Rate Grace of a Health and Wealth Gospel,” Christianity Today, vol. 29, June 1985, 14.

38 Barron, 91.

39 Joseph Henry Thayer, The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1981), s.v., “eiio86w.”

40 “Dear Friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well” (3 John 2, NIV).

41 There are numerous practical implications that arise from the prosperity gospel view on wealth. While it would take a lengthy treatise to explore and explain them all, three are important enough to be considered here. First, the prosperity gospel incorrectly implies that poverty is a sin. Teacher Robert Tilton even said that “being poor is a sin.” Robert Tilton, “Success in Life,” program on TBN, 27 December 1990, quoted in Hanegraaff, 186. Likewise, Kenneth Copeland wrote that “poverty is under the curse of the Law.” Copeland, Laws of Success, 51. Second, the prosperity gospel “appeals to the poor and the sick to put more faith in the ultimate fulfillment of their desires than in the Word of God.” Sarles, 343. Third, when the prosperity gospel does cause positive changes in a believer’s life, the prosperity teacher gets most of the credit, and when the believer does not experience prosperity, the blame is usually left upon that individual. For example, Robert Tilton offered several reasons why some believers did not experience blessings: “Individuals lacked faith, refused to follow his directions, and criticized Tilton’s ministry.” Pilgrim, 7.

42 James R. Goff, Jr., “The Faith That Claims,” Christianity Today, vol. 34, February 1990,21.

Source: David Jones, The Bankruptcy of the Prosperity Gospel: An Exercise in Biblical and Theological Ethics, http://bible.org/article/bankruptcy-prosperity-gospel-exercise-biblical-and-theological-ethics, Accessed 09/01/2013.

Note: C3ChurchWatch has permission to published this article.

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And This Is How Pringle Restores Fallen ‘Pastor’ (And Prophet) Pat Mesiti?

08 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by jakeelliot in C3 & Pringles Associations, C3 Culture

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c3, c3 church, c3 church oxford falls, c3 global, c3 international, c3 oxford falls, c3global, C3i, c3iglobal, ccc, ccc church, ccc international, ccc oxford falls, ccci, ccci global, cccof, con, con artist, con artistry, con job, cult, cult-like, dangerous, false, false prophet, false teaching, hillsong, hillsong church, lie, mesiti, pat mesiti, Phil Pringle, prophet, scam, scandal, scheme

pringle mesiti and money

In a previous article, we posted a transcript that revealed Phil Pringle allowing Pat Mesiti to financially con people to give money to Phil Pringle’s ministry. In this con, we pointed out that Pat Mesiti misleads and manipulates people to part with their finances.

Phil Pringle & Pat Mesiti Conning C3 Church To Give Cash

Here is another transcript that further reveals Phil Pringle endorsing Money-Magnet Mesiti to preach on money again at C3 Church in 2006. This critique should highlight how dangerously cult-like the C3 Church movement really is. In this sermon, Mesiti mangles or misses the point of  every scripture. He even claims to speak on behalf of God, (thus elevating himself to the status of infallibility). At the very bottom is transcript. Below is the critique.

IT’S ABOUT MESITI GETTING YOUR MONEY

Below, Pat Mesiti was invited to do an offering talk. That means, Mesiti was invited up by Phil Pringle to financially manipulate people into giving. Mesiti does a brilliant job in selectively replacing the words of God to get people to give money.

Here are some examples.

SAMPLE 1: JESUS WANTS YOU TO DO WHAT HE SAYS: TITHE

Mesiti says, “Jesus said this, that if you love me, do what I say… In Malachi Chapter 3…”

Jesus in a number ways says in John 14, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments”.

The difference is significant. By changing that one word, Mesiti has essentially:

1. taken Jesus’ statement out of context

2. turned Jesus’ statement around to apply something un-Christian so Mesiti can get Christians to do what he wants them to do.

Jesus says the above command FOUR times in this discourse, (John 14:15, 21, 23, 24). It becomes evident, that the disciples at that time had to hear Jesus’ instructions and teachings. Why? They were entrusted with his teachings and commands while he was on earth with them. The word for ‘keep’ in the original Greek in these four passages are tērēsete (14:15), tērōn (14:21), tērēsei (14:23) and  tērei (14:24). Each essentially meanin the same thing:  ‘to watch over, to guard’. Jesus was telling HIS disciples, “If you love me, you will WATCH OVER AND GUARD my commandments/teachings.”

In context, Jesus later explains (emphasis ours),

“Whoever does not love me does not keep my words (logous). And the word (logos) that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:24-26

This instruction was given to the Apostles not us. This is why the Apostles wrote  the gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and their epistles. Pat Mesiti has twisted the words of Jesus for his own un-Christian agenda. Jesus did not say, “if you love me, do what I say” so Mesiti can preach that we are to tithe.

SAMPLE 2: MESITI CURSES CHRISTIANS AT C3

In Malachi 3:8, Mesiti chooses to say, “will a man restrict, will a man block God”. In his attempt to convince people that the tithe is grace orientated, Mesiti tries to convince people that to tithe is to unblock God’s grace. This is backwards Christianity. If a Christian is to work at unblocking God’s grace, then how can one receive grace in the first place?

If Mesiti is elevating the giving of the tithe to unblock God’s blessing/power over his people, than Mesiti’s god is an incompetent god. A powerless god that is dependent on our works. So how can Pat Mesiti say this?

“the tithe, literally is a sign that God is really Lord and master over all. That is the symbol of the tithe.”

To teach that we can UNBLOCK God in our lives through tithing and then teach that the “tithe, literally is a sign that God is really Lord and master over all,” is double speak or double mindedness. The tithe is NOT a Christian teaching. This is heresy. This is legalism.

Furthermore, Pat Mesiti reveals how conniving he actually is to get people to give money. He lets his listeners know that Christians have issues with the teaching of Malachi 3:8-10.

“Now some people might say, ‘yeah, that’s Old Testament that’s under law.'”

Rightly so. Mesiti later refers to Abraham’s tithe to Melchizedek prior to the Law, saying this proves that the tithe… is not of the Law? But Mesiti cannot have it both ways. You can’t convince an audience that people ate fish ten years ago by eating bananas. Similarly, Mesiti can’t preach the tithe under the Mosaic Law and then say it never was.

In regards to Abraham’s tithe, God blessed Abraham FIRST and Abraham tithed ONCE. Yet Mesiti is trying to con people to tithe FIRST and CONSTANTLY so they can UNBLOCK God to receive blessings from His hands. According to Mesiti it is the tithe, not God, that “brings you protection” and “opens up the windows of Heaven”.

Has Mesiti not read Malachi 3:8-11? Last time we checked it was GOD who opens the ‘windows of heaven’ and protects us by ‘rebuking the devourer’ not the tithe. (Emphasis ours.)

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 3:10-11

It should be clear that Mesiti can’t even read the bible let alone notice his eyes are not on God but on money. He seems convinced that tithing money into a poker-machine-god will result in unblocking the chambers and receiving it’s abundant cash flow and supernatural protection. In this instance, this scriptural rebuke from the Apostle Paul applies to ‘restored pastor’ Pat Mesiti AND Phil Pringle for peddling this shameful message. (Emphasis added.)

“You foolish [pastors]! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you [Pringle and Mesiti]: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing?” Galatians 3:1-4

This then makes us question what Pat Mesiti means when he says, “I want to see people saved.” As a ‘restored pastor’, how can he wish to see people saved if he has no idea what the foundation of Christianity is? He has done a better job cursing and condemning Christians using God’s Law than pointing believers to the saving work of Christ. Mesiti is either lying on stage or he has no idea what he is doing as a ‘restored pastor’ (thanks to Phil Pringle’s mentor-ship).

MESITI MISSING THE POINT

Even every single scripture Mesiti even refers to in this sermon, he misses the point completely. Mesiti says,

“God doesn’t get that concept [of ‘just enough’] …because wherever God does a miracle…listen to me church, the loaves and the fishes, there’ll be 12 baskets left over…for everybody.”

Unfortunately, that miracle wan’t their to demonstrate that “God doesn’t get that concept” of ‘just enough’. The Apostle John explains why he recorded the loaves and the fishes miracle.

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31

pringle mesiti money scamMesiti also missed the point when he referred to the widow of Zarephath. She did not receive the blessing because she tithed or had a ‘God-is-more-then-‘just-enough’ mindset. In Hebrews 11 (the faith chapter), she is obscurely mentioned in verse 35. Hebrews teaches us that “By faith” “Women received back their dead, raised to life again.” This was a woman that put her faith in God through God’s famous prophet Elijah in ancient Israel. Her household was spared from death that fateful day. Later when her son did die, it was by faith that her son was raised from the dead. It wasn’t by works but by faith God favoured her. It was by God’s grace that Elijah was sent by God to her house. It wasn’t by works but by grace and faith she was saved. Mesiti teaches likewise.

From the bible’s perspective, Pat Mesiti is not at all qualified to be restored to be a pastor.

MESITI LIES ABOUT GOD AGAIN

Mesiti twisted the words of Jesus to guilt people into giving money to Phil Pringle and his C3 Organisation.

His constant misuse of scripture leads to this lie of a conclusion:

“We are bringing out tithes, the bible says, unto Jesus.”

This is a lie. The bible does NOT tell Christians to tithe to Jesus. Jesus never tithed. So Jesus could never have taught Christians to tithe. His Apostles never tithed. So His Apostles could never have taught Christians to tithe. How can the scriptures call us to imitate Paul, the way he imitated Christ, if neither of them tithed?

MESITI BLASPHEMING GOD

Pat Mesiti also revealed that the ‘Holy Spirit’ he heard was not of God:

“here’s what I believe the Holy Spirit spoke to my spirit about.

“Tell my people, I don’t understand the concept of ‘just enough’.””

Really? God spoke to Prophet Pat? Yet the Apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, taught this amazing truth from God to believers:

“For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”” 2 Corinthians 8:13-15

Isn’t it odd that Paul was thinking in advance AFTER the Corinths were to give money to the poor church in Jerusalem? Paul says that in the future, the Jerusalem church in their “their abundance may supply your [the Godly givers] need, that there may be fairness.” Fairness? According to Mesiti, they should have more than enough not “just enough”.

The above scripture portrays that Christians are to give freely to brothers so that all may have enough and vice versa. This then fulfills Paul’s use of the old testament scripture above. You will not find Paul teaching the church to tithe or to seek abundant material blessing. Nor will you see Paul teach that what you give, God will be unblocked to bless you back.

Furthermore, Paul says,

“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:10-13

How could Mesiti pit the Holy Spirit against the Holy Spirit who wrote the scriptures? It is of our opinion that Pat Mesiti is blatantly lying to the C3 Church members. How else could he say the following, speaking on God’s behalf?

“and God says ‘I’ll pour open Heaven’ ‘I don’t understand the concept of just…..I wanna pour out abundance.’ But don’t restrict Him.””

Either way, this is serious slander against the character and teaching of God and His Holy Spirit. Mesiti is restricting God by telling people they can restrict God if they don’t give C3 their money. Furthermore, by claiming that God spoke to him or that he was speaking on behalf of God is incredibly dangerous. The fact that he spoke lies against God while claiming he was hearing from God should have made Pringle stand up and tell Mesiti to sit down.

The scriptures say that people like Mesiti and Pringle “in their greed … will exploit you with false words.” The ASV says false teachers in their greed “with feigned words make merchandise of you.” Is this not an accurate desciption of what Mesiti and Pringle are doing?

Don’t you think it is evil that Phil Pringle has ‘restored’ Pat Mesiti back into ministry, yet allowed him to lie about God’s word and slander God’s character? All for the sake so people can give money to Pringle’s church? Why didn’t Phil Pringle stop Mesiti from preaching? Why did he put up with this and endorse this message?

There is much more we could have focused on in this transcript. After reading the transcript below, feel free to comment on other points we missed.

====================================================

Everybody say “10%”

Monday 02 October, 2006 – 15:10 by Hill$ong Squad in Default

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Christian City Church

Oxford Falls

Sunday 1 October 2006

10am service

Pastors Phil Pringle and Pat Mesiti

http://202.125.166.74/ramgen/ccc/01100610am.rm

(Phil Pringle) ….So now we’re going to receive our tithes and offerings ….so I want you to get ready to give.. this morning…and if you need an envelope because you use a credit card for giving.. just raise your hand ..otherwise on a newsletter, there’s a tear off strip…you can fill out your details on that. We have an EFTPOS machine up the back…of if you’re on the internet you can give through the web page there.. up on the right hand side..you’ll find an area there for giving.

I’m going to ask Pat Mesiti just to come and share around the offering this morning. Amen. Give Pat a big hand would ya? (applause) In fact next Sunday morning, I’ve asked Pat to preach here, he’s going to preach about reaching the world. Amen. God bless ya.

(Pat Mesiti) Amen church. You love the Lord? Oh good …(inaudible) You love the Lord? (‘Yeah’)

Jesus said an interesting thing in the bible. I’ll have to give you a little bit…what prompted that thought.

Little while ago I was talking to someone ..and they said…they said, ‘Pat, I’m a Christian.’

‘And so, well, how do you define if you are a Christian?’

And they said ‘well, you know, I kinda go to church.’

And I said, ‘well that’s really cool.’ But, people ..don’t read the bible say really dumb things. And you would agree with that.

Jesus said this, that if you love me, do what I say.

Obedience is really the sign that we are lovers of Jesus. Can I get an ‘Amen’? How many of you are married? Raise your hands.

How many of you husbands have learned to obey your wife? (laughter) We Italians have got it figured out. we say ‘the man is the head, but the woman is the neck that turns him around’. (laughter)

In Malachi Chapter 3, come with me to this awesome passage of scripture. Pastor Phil is a modern day revivalist, would you agree with that?

I really believe that….can we give our pastor a hand, he’s a modern day revivalist. (applause)

And one of the keys to the outpouring of heaven ….we’ve had a lot about prayer ..and today we’re gonna hear about something else and next Sunday I want to really share about getting the salt out of a shaker and making a difference in our world..and can you please bring friends.

I want to see people saved.

But here in Malachi Chapter 3…it shows us this incredible insight into opening up the windows of Heaven.

Not just prayer and telling people and acts of mercy, but God right here says this…he says ‘will a man rob God?’

Now the first thing is ..how do you take away from God?

It isn’t that we go to God ..and take that…because in actual fact, God really enjoys it when you take something of Him into your world.

When you take grace from His throne ..into your world…God enjoys it… can I get an Amen? (‘Amen’)

But here’s the concept…if you look at the Hebrew scripture …it is a picture of a goblet with a lid on it. And the way we rob God is we put a restriction on what God loves to do. Which is what? Blessing.

And it says, ‘will a man restrict, will a man block God.’

Here you say, how have you robbed me? And God says ‘in tithes and offerings’.

And then He says this, ‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse.’ Everybody say ‘all the tithes’ (‘all the tithes’)

Everybody say ‘all the tithes’ (‘all the tithes’)

What is a tithe? Let me explain. The tithe…is 10 per cent. Everybody say ’10 per cent’ (’10 per cent’).

10 per cent.

God says, ‘Bring me what’s mine …bring me that 10 per cent.’ If you’re in a business deal…and someone said to you, ‘you know what….I’m going to let you keep 90 per cent, just give me 10, how many of you think that would be a great business deal?

And God says ’10 per cent’.

Now some people might say, ‘yeah, that’s Old Testament that’s under law.’ Oh, no, no, no, no.

This is pre-law, this is under the Malchizadek priesthood, who is a type of Jesus.

We are bringing out tithes, the bible says, unto Jesus.

10 per cent. Now why 10 per cent?

You see, if God set an amount, it would not be fair, correct? It wouldn’t be fair if God said ‘bring a thousand dollars to the storehouse every week.’ It wouldn’t be fair.

But God is a God who is a just and righteous God.

He said, ‘bring a percentage’, so that the person who’s earning a thousand dollars a week or a hundred thousand dollars a week …I had a gentleman in Malaysia one day say to me this…he said ‘if I bring my tithe to the church every week’ …he said (inaudible) …he said ‘I’d have to be bringing ten thousand dollars a week into the tithe’.

And I said ‘would you like me to pray that you only have to give a hundred dollars a week’? (laughter)

It’s all relevant. Say ‘Amen or ouch’.

See, and here it is, it’s not my tithe, language is so important, it’s His tithe, and the tithe, literally is a sign that God is really Lord and master over all. That is the symbol of the tithe.

Three things it does to you, it brings you protection.

Second thing it does, it opens up the windows of Heaven.

Listen to what it says here. Look at this church.

‘If I will not open up for you the windows of Heaven and pour out for you such a blessing, there will not be room enough to receive it.’

You know as I was driving to church this morning, I always try and prepare my spirit for the offering message, just in case.

I always say honestly every Sunday when I’m in church …I always do ..because…I know Pastor Phil.

But you know I was just preparing my heart, and I said, ‘Lord, if I were to do the offering this morning, what could I say that would encourage people?

And here’s what I believe the Holy Spirit spoke to my spirit about.

“Tell my people, I don’t understand the concept of ‘just enough’.”

God doesn’t get that concept …because wherever God does a miracle…listen to me church, the loaves and the fishes, there’ll be 12 baskets left over…for everybody.

When he taught out from the widow’s miracle ..of the widow’s oil …there..they filled the jars ..and there was so much there…she could have kept pouring today if she was alive. What an amazing thing.

When God does it, He’s a God of more than enough, his name is El Shaddai, the God of plenty, not El Cheapo, the Lord, the Tightwad. (laughter)

How many of you thank God for that?

And I want us to understand that this morning.

Let’s bring all the tithes, not half of it, a quarter of it, all the tithes ..and God says ‘I’ll pour open Heaven’

‘I don’t understand the concept of just…..I wanna pour out abundance.’ But don’t restrict Him.

Father, we thank you for our ability to be able to give to you. I thank you for this House, I thank you for what you’re doing. I thank this House, your building, we’re working with you.

Lord I ask you to bless every tither, every obedient tither …as they bring your store out of every offering, in Jesus’ name.

If you need an envelope this morning, please raise your hand.

If you want to give by credit card, at the back of the room there is an EFTPOS machine there, if you’d like to give through EFTPOS machine.

If you’re writing out a cheque, please make it payable to Christian City Church.

God bless you church as you give.”

Length of offering sermon..7:05min

Source: Hill$ong Squad, Everybody say “10%”, http://hillsong.bigblog.com.au/post.do?id=75194, 02/10/2006. (Accessed 14/11/2011.) *Cached link: http://web.archive.org/web/20070430064824/http://hillsong.bigblog.com.au/post.do?id=75194.

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Phil Pringle & Pat Mesiti Conning C3 Church To Give Cash

02 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by Nailed Truth in C3 & Pringles Associations

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

2006, c3, c3 church, c3 global, c3 of, c3 oxford falls, c3global, C3i, c3i global, c3iglobal, C3OF, cash, ccc, cccglobal, ccciglobal, false, false doctrine, false teaching, false testimony, false theology, false witness, finance, finances, giving, giving message, giving sermon, giving talk, hillsong, hillsong church, lie, mesiti, mislead, money, pat mesiti, phil pringe, Pringle, sacred finance

If a leader or teacher is misleading a congregation to tithe, this should inform you that they are either:

1. A false teacher. Or

2. an unqualified teacher.

Pat Mesiti and Phil Pringle can fall under either category.

At the bottom of this article is an old transcript of Phil Pringle allowing Pat Mesiti to con people to give money to Pringle’s organisation. Pringle allowed Mesiti to  manipulate people to give money to Pringle. Pringle did not correct Mesiti’s content or conduct. He allowed Mesiti to mangle many scriptures and have him use greed and fear to convince people to give up their cash to Pringle. In the process, Pat Mesiti publicly misled the members of Christian City Church.

MESITI’s MISLEADS

Mislead 1: The Statement God Never Made

“… God said to Adam and Eve, he said ‘you can have any tree you want, except that one there, that’s mine.’”

God said that? We encourage you to read Genesis 2 and 3. This is blasphemy. Phil Pringle and Pat Mesiti had no problem lying about God. God said nothing about the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil being His in Genesis. They made this up to convince people to give them their cash.

Mislead 2: Mesiti Witnesses Against His Own False Theology

Later, Mesiti says (emphasis ours):

“Little while ago I was speaking at a church, this was quite awhile ago actually ….(laughter)….we won’t go there…..anyway….”

He is alluding to Hillsong. The fact that he was speaking at Hillsong tells us this was before his fall, (hence why he does not talk about it). Mesiti then slips this (emphasis ours):

“And I get there and the worship’s going on …and then they receive the offering…and the Holy Spirit says to me…”I want you to take that 2 and a half thousand dollar cheque and put it in the offering”….and I said ‘Lord, this is all I’ve got’.

All Mesiti has got? In slipping this, he has undone all that he is trying to do: convince C3 Church members that they need to give money to God so “your barns will be full.” How can he teach that God wants people to give him cash so he can bless them financially back? He isn’t practicing what he is preaching. Why did he have no money? He continues…

“Within a month’s time …I was at a meeting..and a man came up to me and said….’this is not for the ministry….this is not for any of the ministries you’re involved with …this cheque is for you…and he gave me a cheque for $25,000 US….”

Is this simply band aid cash before he was publicly exposed visiting prostitutes? His heavily edited and faulty account only proves he is a false witness to his own false theology. In fact, when you read the entire script below, he exposes his own false theology.

Mislead 3: Teaching The Bible Says Something When It Doesn’t

Pat Mesiti later said:

“We’re the pearl of great price. God never argued….Jesus never debated the issue. He just did it. And we in turn are asked to value something. One of those things we’re asked to value…is the House of God.”

We need to understand that the Bible talks about the House of God being Christ and His Church (the church being the people). Not so with Pringle and Mesiti. They often define the ‘House of God’ being the building.

Not only does Mesiti force people not to question his teaching by forcing obedience on them, Mesiti and Pringle provide the illusion that God or the bible says “we’re asked to value… the House of God.”

Really?

You will not find this teaching in the bible that we are to value a physical building known as a ‘House of God’. This is another lie to get Christians to give money to Phil Pringle’s organisation.

THE FLATTERY

Mesiti flattered Pringle before the C3 congregation. Notice how Mesiti links the favour of God to Phil Pringle’s apparent material success. Is this how a Christian measures God’s grace?

“You know, Pastor Phil being number one on the podcast does not surprise me, because how many know the favour of God is on this man of God? Can you give me a good ‘amen’?”

Mesiti acknowledges how much Pringle’s teaching impacted him and his life, mangling Psalm 133 in the process. So much so, he seems to link Pringle as a Messianic figure.

“… After being under his teaching – under his ministry, means the favour of God is on us, because whatever falls on his beard, the oil (PP: “ooh!”) coming down from the beard of our Lord, did you like that? (PP “more oil, more beard”).”

The favour of God is on Pat Mesiti because he was under the teaching of Phil Pringle (and Pringle’s oily Messianic beard)? Pringle did not correct this bible garble.

THE GREED

Mesiti also mangled the scripture Proverbs 3:9. Mesiti said,

“I’m going to ask you to honour the Lord, value the Lord with your offering, and bring the Lord his firstfruits… your barns will be full.”

This is biblical incompetence on Mesiti’s part. Proverbs is written to Jews who were under the ordinances of God. If they obeyed the commandments of God, God would indeed materially bless them as a nation. If they didn’t, He would curse them. However, Mesiti’s use of this passage is inciting people to give money so they can get. This is the greed factor that prosperity preachers often use to motivate people to give money to them. Pringle did not correct this bible garble.

THE FEAR-MONGERING

The church is grafted into the promises of Israel revealed in Christ – but the Church is not Israel. The Law was designed to point out to Israel the fact that none can fulfill it’s requirements. Only one man perfectly honoured the Lord and His Laws and that was Jesus. What Jesus accomplished was far greater than material success. Jesus did not promise believers material blessings but something greater: eternal life.

Because Christ freely gave Himself, so we can freely receive His salvation, we are called to freely give NOT OUT OF COMPULSION. Scripture clearly calls us to give cheerfully through what He has done on our behalf. (2 Corinthians 9:7.) 

Instead of allowing the gospel being the motivating factor, Mesiti binds and curses the congregation by placing them under the death and condemnation of the Law, offering no freedom in Christ. By reading a portion of Malachi 3 telling Christians to tithe, the association is connected to the fact that if one does not tithe, the believer is cursed. This is not Christianity and is a false theology that destroys people. Pringle did not correct this bible mis-application.

THE DECEITFULNESS OF PAT MESITI AND PHIL PRINGLE

In closing, Pringle endorses the teaching and mentions this in his prayer to his ‘god’,

“People who have got debts they can’t manage…are gonna find ways out of it. But Lord the foundation of your prosperity in our life…is the tithe. So father as we bring this sacred finance to you …we thank you Lord that it unleashes power and principles into our world that are unstoppable.”

Sacred finance? This is Pringle’s god and not Christ. What Pringle calls “sacred finance”, Jesus opposes saying, “The deceitfulness of riches choke the Word” (Matt 13:22). According to Pringle, these “sacred finances… unleashes power and principles into our world that are unstoppable”. Really? And the bible says that where?

According to Pringle the monetary tithe is “the foundation of your prosperity in our life”. To pray such a thing to a God is disgraceful. At least Pringle is honest that Jesus is not his foundation.

In the end, did Pat Mesiti message on money choke the Word? Yes it did. Did Pringle endorse Mesiti’s unbiblical teachings that choked God’s Word? Yes he did. With this in mind, it is best to know not to trust Pat Mesiti or Phil Pringle when there is a bible in front of them. They are not qualified to preach.

Below is the full transcript of the giving sermon.

Everybody say ‘firstfruits’ (firstfruits)

Wednesday 30 August, 2006 – 17:30 by Hill$ong Squad in Default

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(Phil Pringle) “We are going to receive our tithe and offering right now, as everybody could get ready to give.

Pat Mesiti is going to come and encourage us with our giving this morning. Thank you very much Pat. God bless you.

(Pat Mesiti) Morning church. (Good morning) Are you excited? (yeah)

You know, Pastor Phil being number one on the podcast does not surprise me, because how many know the favour of God is on this man of God? Can you give me a good ‘amen’?

And you know, after being under his teaching – under his ministry, means the favour of God is on us, because whatever falls on his beard, the oil (PP: “ooh!”) coming down from the beard of our Lord, did you like that? (PP “more oil, more beard”).

I was thinking of growing my moustache, but I’d look too much like my mum. (PP:laughter) and my mum wouldn’t really approve.

Turn to the Word now, now that I’ve got your attention.

Church, if you need an offering envelope, please raise your hand.

If you’re giving by credit card – before you fill anything out, can you just let me share for 2 or 3 minutes from the Word of God, because we can just go through the same old motions, you know, of oh, this is my tithe; I’ll just write it out…

And you know, if you want something (inaudible) God before, you’ve got to do something you haven’t done before.

And….that’s how I’ve worked.

And I want to read a passage of scripture from Proverbs Chapter 3:9….it says this…

Honour the Lord….can you all say that with me ‘honour the Lord’ (honour the Lord) with your possessions (with your possessions) ..and the firstfruits (and the firstfruits) of all your increase (of all your increase) …..don’t repeat everything or we’ll be here all day.

But honour the Lord, that literally can be translated there to mean this… value the Lord with your possessions. (PP:’wow’).

Now that’s not talking about the tithe; we get to that in the next portion.

But value the Lord, do you value, do I value the Lord?

You see, I’ve discovered in life that one of the principles of life is this. You can tell how much you value something by the price you’re willing to pay. (PP: ‘that’s the truth’)

So to the guy who says to the girl, ‘honey, I’ll climb the highest mountain, swim the deepest ocean, cross raging rivers, but if it’s raining on Sunday can you get your own way to the restaurant.’

Doesn’t really value.

And then I’ve discovered this about value, that in the absense of value, you’ll always argue price.

When you value something you don’t argue over price, you see, the Lord never argued the price of what it would cost to redeem our soul.

And we are here as recipients of God’s value towards us.

We’re the pearl of great price. God never argued….Jesus never debated the issue. He just did it.

And we in turn are asked to value something.

One of those things we’re asked to value…is the House of God.

Can I get an ‘amen’?

And God says in His Word; He says ‘bring the whole tithe’.

Notice it doesn’t say ‘give the tithe’. It says ‘bring it’.

Because, this may be a shock, but titheing isn’t giving; you can’t give back to God, what’s already His.

You can only take it from him.

And you see, there are some things that God has reserved for Himself, which brings us to the second portion, that says…’and with the firstfruits, ‘everybody say ‘firstfruits’ (firstfruits) …that’s the first portion…it goes way back, way back, way back into Genesis.

This is not law, this is Genesis. This is pre-law, where we get the covenant of marriage from.

And God says ‘honour me…bring to me…the firstfruits…the first portion…the tithe.’

I’ve often wondered, when I’ve read the book of Genesis; when God said to Adam and Eve, he said ‘you can have any tree you want, except that one there, that’s mine.’

I wonder if there was ten trees in the garden.

Folks this morning…I’m going to ask you to honour the Lord, value the Lord with your offering, and bring the Lord his firstfruits, and watch this, here’s what he says……everybody say ’so’ (so) …so your barns will be full.

A little while ago……..how many of you liked that bit in the scriptures?

You see God never asks you to give something where he doesn’t fall back. God is El Sheddai, the God of plenty, not El Cheapo the Lord, the tightwad…

Amen?

Little while ago I was speaking at a church, this was quite awhile ago actually ….(laughter)….we won’t go there…..anyway….

But I remember I was speaking at a church and I received a cheque from a corporate function I spoke at …and the Lord said to me…”I want you to put that in the offering tonight”.

And I went….’but I’ve already tithed and I’ve already given to the building fund ..and I need this’.

And God says ..”well, I need it too”.

And I’m arguing with God and then I got to church late, hoping that the offering would be over with….(laughter).

Don’t laugh at me…some of you do that…

And I get there and the worship’s going on …and then they receive the offering…and the Holy Spirit says to me…”I want you to take that 2 and a half thousand dollar cheque and put it in the offering”….and I said ‘Lord, this is all I’ve got’.

And God said….”well, that’s all you’re gonna have”

He said…”now you have an option……you can keep what’s in your hand..and I’ll keep what’s in mine….or you can let go of what’s in your hand..and I’ll let go of what’s in mine.”

(PP:’powerful’)

Within a month’s time …I was at a meeting..and a man came up to me and said….’this is not for the ministry….this is not for any of the ministries you’re involved with …this cheque is for you…and he gave me a cheque for $25,000 US….

So I got 100 fold ….and the exchange rate…..(PP:’amen) (applause)

Come on church…let’s receive our tithes. I’m gonna hand over to Pastor Phil ..to pray over the offering.

Let’s be generous this morning. Let’s bring our tithe..and let’s bring our first fruits to the Lord. Pastor Phil?

(Phil Pringle) Wonderful, thank you sir, God bless you. Amen. Folks let me pray for you…while you bring your tithes and your offering to the Lord.

Father, we thank you right now as we stand here. People who are trying to buy their homes in Sydney, feeling that the prices are high ….are going to find very real opportunities…for them to break through into a whole new era of living.

People who have got debts they can’t manage…are gonna find ways out of it.

People who are having arguments in their houses over money issues….

Father…you’ll bring solutions.

People will find their way to manage their finances better.

But Lord the foundation of your prosperity in our life…is the tithe.

The opening of windows over our lives…the opening of opportunities and blessing comes from what we’re doing right now.

So father as we bring this sacred finance to you … we thank you Lord that it unleashes power and principles into our world that are unstoppable.

So thank you for the blessing Father on every gift given right now in Jesus’ name..and everybody said ‘amen’.

God bless as you give folks.

Go ahead ushers, thank you.

If you’re on the internet ..watching today …you can go to the upper right hand corner of your web page and you’ll find a giving area.

And those of you who use the EFTPOS machine…you’re welcome to do so at the end of the service.

If you needed an envelope for your giving…because you didn’t have a newsletter….there’s a tear-off section on that you can get…but if you need an envelope…please make sure you get a hold of one….to fill out the details of your credit card if you’re using a credit card for giving.

Thank you.”

Length of offering talk – 7:50 min.

Source: By Hill$ong Squad, Everybody say ‘firstfruits’ (firstfruits), http://hillsong.bigblog.com.au/post.do?id=65489, 30/08/2006. (Accessed 14/11/2011.) *Cached link: http://web.archive.org/web/20070502235421/http://hillsong.bigblog.com.au/post.do?id=65489.

NOTE: SCREEN GRAB WAS TAKEN ON THE 14/11/2011.

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