Its unfortunate that being poor is often associated with lack of faith by the prosperity teachers. It's more unfortunate that some teachers who use their platform to make people covet blessings so that they actually think they are promises by God to be rich.

Over the last several years there have been new disciples of the Copeland and Hagin camp that have entered on the scene with the prosperity message. There has been none more blatant or conniving that Creflo Dollar. This man is on the leading edge of star trek Bible interpretations, taking it where no man has gone before. Mr. Dollar has certainly been discipled well under Copeland’s influence. He is preaching word faith to the MAX!

On his web page he has advertised his friends in ministry Copland, Duplantis, Hinn, Avanzini, Hickey, Savelle so there should be no question what camp his tent is pitched in. The ICC ministries conference held Oct. 2,000 was with Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Creflo Dollar, Oral Roberts, John Hagee, Joyce Meyers, T. D. Jakes, Leroy Thomson, Hilton Sutton, Ray Mcauley, Paul Morton senior. They were all pictured with medals and touted as God’s generals, all eleven of them. I’ll let your imagination fill in the twelfth one (similar to the typology of 12 disciples minus one). God does not have generals, He has servants, and they carry a cross. Instead these men lead their faithful to follow them into the world’s blessings, casting off the cross. Jesus said to follow Him you must carry your cross; if you want to be the greatest of all, humble yourself and be the servant of all. This unfortunately is what one will not hear. Instead it’s all about your authority in words, by faith you can get everything you want now (for the kingdom of course). Almost everyone of these men and woman featured have some false teaching they promote, of course some teachings are more dangerous than others, but they should all be avoided.

Creflo Dollar teaches what would be called corporate confessions, which he believes brings possession. Dollar offers Christians who had thee devil take all their money to get it back. He has the people repeat out loud together at the same time over and over what they need. By corporately saying the same thing out loud together it can more easily convince someone of a message. When you have thousands saying the same thing it becomes like a mass hypnosis. He tells members to repeat, “I want my stuff” and they repeat, “I want my stuff.” “Money come unto me,” they repeat it. His message that you to can be rich, healthy and without trouble in life does have an appeal to many who want a way out of poverty or debt. He offers to them a Jesus that was rich and claims God wants you to be rich too. As they look at his ministry they are under the impression that if it worked for him it should work for them too, after all he tells them it will. He's comes off as a sincere man convinced what he is practicing is right. His intention is to give the people hope in their life’s that may be broken or destroyed from relationships or financial ruin. However good intentions do not justify the means, and success does not justify that what is taught is biblical or from God. The fact is people are given a most unbalanced view of the Scriptures through the prosperity message.

Creflo’s main message is about prospering, both in health and wealth. He tells people not to wait to get it on the other side God wants you to get it on this side. The church's bookstore is filled with books touting prosperity such as, “Confession Brings Possession,” and “How To Bring Home The Wealth.” He writes books on prosperity too. In an interview with a metro television station, Dollar said he never thought much of preachers. “I didn't like preachers driving their Cadillacs and their shiny suits,” he told WXIA reporter Karyn Greer (from Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer John Blake)

Well he certainly has changed his mind. Creflo thunders to his captive audience, “We established last night that you are not whole until you get your money. Amen.” His church members cheer when they hear him say “Well, you need to hear about money, because you ain't gonna have no love and joy and peace until you get some money!… You got to get some MONEY!” (Creflo Dollar, TBN, July 20, 1999)

“Now, last night we began to deal with the relationship between peace and prosperity, … and we'll look at it again tonight, it says, “my soul is far from prosperity.” Why? “Because my soul's far from peace because I forgot prosperity.” We established last night that you are not whole until you get your money. Amen. Amen” (TBN, July 20, 1999)

The Bible actually says the very opposite; the joy of the Lord is our strength, a promise to every believer, whether we have money or not. If we need to depend on our money for joy then we are acting like the world. Jesus said: “my peace I give to you not as the world gives.” Pastor Dollar has his congregation well trained, leading them into a non-biblical worldview. The apostle Paul teaches that we should be content with whatever we have, whether we have abundance or lack. This is not the message of Creflo, he tells people to want more and to want more; it’s their God given right, they deserve it.

Creflo’s prosperity message also affects the gospel message he preaches. Under the topic Why must I be saved? The website states- “You should be saved because God loves you and wants you to be saved (John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:3,4). Jesus died for your sins so that you can have the abundant life of prosperity and health!”  If we are saved to have health and wealth what if a sinner already has these—then why would they need Jesus? If Jesus died for our sins to have these things then if one has them are they no longer sinful? His gospel message is probably the tweakest I have seen. Creflo’s solution to making sure you go to heaven “where one spends eternity is based on one's decision to live according to God's Word and commandments or to rebel against God.” While the Bible tells to obey we do not go to heaven because of obedience to commands per se. We go to heaven because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross and our trusting in His work of obedience alone, its called grace, not our work and we enter in by having faith in the gospel. Again this is hardly the gospel being offered.

Most everything Creflo teaches on has to do with money, that is his message. He will even joke about his own name saying he is happy his mom did not name him Creflo one dollar. However what most people do not know is that Creflo A. Dollar was born Michael Smith according to www.data.org (this is no longer posted). It is reported that he changed his name around the same time he began his new ministry 1986. The New York Press wrote: “To those of you who don’t watch paid programming on Sunday mornings, Creflo Dollar is a televangelist. Born Michael Smith, he drives a black Rolls Royce and his teaching is the very antithesis of that nonsense about the rich man, the camel and the eye of the needle. To Creflo, it’s all about the Benjamins. In the gift shop, I found the following titles on sale: No More Debt!–book: $18. The Covenant of Wealth and Exchange–audio: $15. The Intangibles of Wealth–video: $54.” (By Lincoln MacVeagh (New York Press, http://www.nypress.com/14/32/nyc/nyc4.cfm )

He believes the anointing is there to make one rich. But you must walk in holiness and the word by faith to be rich. Does this mean those saints and prophets in the Old Testament (Heb.11) were not holy or anointed? The Bible specifically tells us what they gave up to serve God, and sometimes it was wealth.

Maybe you can remember far enough back to the first famous black prosperity teacher Rev. Ike who on the Larry King show said, “Money hates hypocrisy, money does not like hypocrites. You say if you don't like it you’re not going to get it? It’s going to cause you to have some kind of problems even if you do get it… Jesus said seek you first, first what the kingdom of God and what, and his righteousness and what happens behind that? All these things- Caddillacs-fine homes-good clothes, then the congregation broke out singing “I say all is mine.”

A catchy tune-- that is still being sung today by Creflo Dollar and other prosperity teachers. The only difference is their choir singing it is much, much larger. The Prosperity Gospel that brings worldliness into Christianity reaches out to people who are not well educated in the Bible and grounded in Biblical teachings. They depend on these men to lead them into the Bible. But do they?

Jesus knew what is in the heart of men --The words of Jesus Matt 6:19-2:1 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” They probably would not cheer for this! Since he has convinced them they deserve to be rich according God’s word. After all, the Jesus they are presenting was rich too.

Creflo teaches that for one to have God's love and get the anointing they must tithe or God will not give it. Creflo says, “God wants you to tithe so he can love you, bless you and get the things you want in your life, (healing, paid the bills, education), God wants to cut a deal with you. When you bring your tithe then God can protect you. Creflo further states “Whenever God requires you to bring something to him, its so he can get something to you.”

“When you finally get to the place of obeying God with your money, you will find the anointing there. Every time you tithe you should expect an anointing. Somebody says, "My marriage ain't going right, I need to hurry up get to church to tithe." Why? To get some anointing. You ought to be running here to give your tithe. Why? To get some anointing. That tithe replenishes that anointing. That tithe replenishes the anointing. It is an act of obedience which is an exchange for more power. . .” (Changing your World Lesea broadcasting)

I guess God sees the money put in the plate and he sends the Holy Spirit to the tither. If you are low on the Holy Spirit the solution is- give more money. Seems to be no different than getting gas at the gas pumps where the gas station is in business to make money, except this is a spiritual exchange. However its not what the Bible teaches.

Creflo even teaches the covenant is the tithe-- the tithe is the covenant. Not according to the Bible, the blood of Christ is the covenant, founded upon grace. What covenant is Dollar talking about?  Tithing is connected to the Old Covenant of law that we are no longer under. Paul knew all too well about bring people under the law. In Gal.3:1-3 he says, “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”

On the website it states- “Tithing is our covenant connector.  Giving determines the amount of our increase.”

On his program he states, “There's a financial harvest crying out for you!  Learn how to lay hold of the wealth that has been stored up for you!” “The tithe is your connection to everything that God owns.  Learn how your tithe gives you the authority to sit where El Elyon sits, and see Him perform mightily on your behalf.” 

All these statements insinuate that one can buy the blessing of God, when I fact we receive all by His grace. Consider Prov.15:8: “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.” If you’re giving so you can get more, that is a wicked sacrifice. Though Mal.3 is often used this passage is not about the people neglecting to give to the Levitical priests their tithe, but the Levitical priest not bringing their tithe into the storehouse (which was often used for other needs).

He teaches the origin of the tithing system comes out of the Abrahamic covenant…“ Its almost as if your power has been turned off for the last 20 years...” He says that the people need to get delivered from not tithing.

Say it out loud “I got somethin’ comin’” so he then states they are heirs according to what? They repeat “the promise.” According to what? “the promise.” According to what? “the promise.” What promise? The promise he made to Abraham, you see whatever he promised to Abraham you have a right through inheritance, to say me too” If he said to Abraham I will bless you, you ought to say me too… I will make your name great...me too…I’m gonna make you a great nation, you ought to say me too. I’ll bless them that bless you and curse tham that curse. You oughtta say me too. You’ll be able to say no man made you rich but God only, you oughtta be able to say me too...Whatever God promised Abraham whatever you can find in that covenant … you ought to boldly stand up no matter what color you are and say, Me TOO!” Abraham’s abound … all of his blessings are mine, everything he promised.”

Problem that is evident is if he read the Scripture in context he would not make this error. There are only two places that make mention of the blessing of Abraham. God is speaking to the nation of Israel, not the church. Gen. 28:4: “And give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and your descendants with you, that you may inherit the land in which you are a stranger, which God gave to Abraham.”

Gal. 3:13-15: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man's covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it.”

So Paul makes it clear the blessing is the Spirit himself, not wealth. And Paul again states in vs.22 “But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Gal 3:24-26: “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” The promise is Christ by faith not everything Abraham had received do we receive.

If Abraham instituted tithing and was blessed through the tithing system, why did he do this only once, he doesn’t keep doing it. It is never repeated for the rest of his life, and neither did he teach it to his sons. Why? Because He did not tithe! Tithing does not become a command until Moses’ time under the Mosaic covenant. This is ignored and instead is replaced by a clever teaching on Abraham’s tithing. To say that everything God promised Abraham the Father of the Hebrews is now promised to the Church is flat out false.

Creflo practices much of the accepted Charismatic extremism. In the Word Afire Conference 98’ he walked around laying hands on hundreds of people saying over them they are now free and laughing ha, ha, receive it right now, there it is. He preached on… (guess what), and as he is preaching people responded by streaming forward laying down their tithe and offering envelopes all over the stairs that is adjacent to the stage, which is not an uncommon practice in his meetings.

Creflo even relates the power to heal with people with tithing. “But then the church began to grow it went from 8 people to 500 people but the tithing went from 100 % to 90%. From 500 people to 3,000 people and the tithing went from about 90% to about 80%, from about 3,000 to about 8,000 people the tithing was now down to 47%, we’ve gone up now to 11,000 people the tithing was down to about 25%; to 17,000 people and tithe was now down 17% and the heavens are now closed 17%.”He then tells the congregation some woman’s hip went out of place because of their tithing. “Pastor laid hands on her but she walked back the same way she walked up. And somebody said oh the pastor is not as anointed as he used to be, no that’s not it honey, it is its all the crooks and the thieves that have joined the church throughout the last several years and closed the heavens down from 100% down to 17%.”

So if you ever wonder why no one may get healed in a word faith church, here’s your answer, not enough tithing! We can thank God this is not our gracious Lord’s answer, but a man's opinion. Money makes more than the world go round, it makes some churches go round as well.

In church we often hear a testimony of how someone came to know the LORD. Creflo brings up in the front people who give testimony about 'how they got money' or 'how one is going to get rich' they testify of their success and first million: “Yo’all better obey the prophet and reap the prophets reward, my prophet is rich and I’m gonna be rich too” “I call in the money, I found me a preacher, this is my first million and to it, do you all hear what I’m saying,…I’m going to have what I say, what I say, what I say, what I say, what I say”(people cheer madly). Creflo’s response: “I mean, I couldn’t call myself a Christian and stay stuck in average.”

You can't be a Christian and not be wealthy? Are the wealthy the majority in the church? Were they in the early church? What a sad and insulting thing to say. 

Live and videotaped testimonials and are played in which church members talk about how the law of tithing works as they received unexpected financial blessings. But there are also numerous testimonies of people who say the opposite. This is why we don’t use testimonies to validate teachings. I don’t usually quote people’s testimonies as proof of  coercive behavior, but in this case it is necessary to get insight. “Demetrius King of College Park…, joined the church in 1991. He said he left two years later after Dollar humiliated him. During a Sunday morning service, Dollar asked church members who tithed to stand. King remained seated.

“King said Dollar pointed to him and the others who were seated and said they were blocking the blessings of the church.

She said a church minister refused her request and told her that if she had turned over her finances to God she wouldn't need help. Williamson said she left the church after four months when church members refused to answer her calls”(source-Atlanta Journal –Constitution).

After speaking in tongues Creflo interprets this as God speaking to the people saying… “because I want to cause the Philistines of your time to begin to envy you hohohho they begin to look at you and begin, my God how do those people do it, they make the same salary and amount of money I made but yet still there level of living and quality of living is greater ooh that’s my design saith the Lord…” Remember this is supposed to be God speaking. This is not the God of the Bible giving counsel or a word.

Creflo says, “I don’t have to rob or con people to get there money, “I am loaded, I’m so loaded there ain’t a bank in the physical world that can keep my money that’s why I’ve got to keep it in the spirit realm.” He keeps it in the spirit realm? What he means is that he can confess it to materialize because as he has stated over and over he’s a little god.

This is why Creflo can lead his people into a chant say “money-- come unto me now.” The money shows the anointing?”

This all goes to the root of these men’s belief system, that as a child of God we have equal rights to everything of God. The way to get it is to speak with faith in what we want to materialize it from the invisible spiritual realm, which is an occult practice. If one can have the word they speak come to pass, can someone become pregnant without a man like Mary? It’s in the scripture! Creflo says that he has been trying to walk on water but has not had any success but he believes he eventually will, as the problem is not with God but himself. This shows their faith is not Biblical but a man centered work.

Creflo explains: “The Bible says that wealth is stored up for the righteous (Proverbs 13:22, New American Standard). However, it will remain stored up until you claim it. Therefore, claim it NOW! You possess the blessing to seize and command wealth and riches to come to you (Deuteronomy 8:18). Exercise that power by speaking faith-filled words daily and taking practical steps to eradicate debt. Like God, you can speak spiritual blessings into existence (Romans 4:17). Remember, doubt keeps silent, but faith speaks!” (Finances Your Inheritance of Wealth and Riches- World Changers website)

“Jesus was obligated to do it for__ he had to. Why because she obligated him by speaking what he said about her situation.” She had to say it she had speak it, your sitting in a building that was manifested as a results of our laying hold of the profession of our faith” (another time it was all because of what he said by himself).

“By confession Jesus and the angels were obligated to bring the confession to pass, its what I’ve been doing over the last 18 years, it works.”

What Jesus and angels are these that listen to HIS words?

Creflo interprets Hebrews 3:1 passage of Jesus being 'The Apostle and High Priest of our confession' “He’s the apostle and the high priest of, listen, listen to what he is, the apostle of, listen to the reason he has been anointed… he has been sent for our confession now that word profession has been translated, the Greek word is translated confession…So he says the Amplified Bible reads, the apostle and high priest of OUR confession.

Here is what the Concordance says: NT:3671 homologia  from the same as NT:3670; acknowledgment: profession, professed. It has the same root but is not the same word. homologeo; from a compound of the base of NT:3674 and NT:3056; to assent, i.e. covenant, acknowledge: To confess means to agree with God in what He said, not use it as a means to get by spanning through the Bible and picking out what you want or need.

In Heb 4:14: the author explains this prior statement “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”

Greek- homologia- profession: whom we profess to be ours it means in context of the book to hold to the one you have confessed for your salvation. The Hebrew believers wanted to turn back under Judaism to avoid the persecution, the author is admonishing them to go on to maturity, holding to what they first stated in their belief. It does not mean you are saying something to possess it as the faith teachers teach.

Furthermore, Scripture does not teach in any way shape or form that Jesus Christ is to obey our words. The Scriptures clearly teach the opposite-- that we are to obey Jesus Christ and keep his commands. But when you think of yourself as a little God like Adam you are justified to do these things.

Hebrews 3:1: “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus” The point being made is that they would not be removed from what they first confessed, Jesus as Lord, the Son of God who was the basis of their faith (Mt:16:16) v:6 “Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.”

This has absolutely nothing to do with our confessing other words, this is an intentional twisting of the Scripture to fit his own predilection of theology of “what you say you get.” The fact is when you confess what Creflo is saying-- you do not get the Scripture but his opinion. The confession that the writer of Hebrews is referring to can further be proven by Jesus’ own statement in Matt. 10:32-33: “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.” John 12:42: “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue” 1 John 4:3: “and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.” This confession is centered on the person of Christ as our belief system; not what we say we want by our words.

 Creflo states “we make our living with our mouth we don’t make our living with our job and that’s the problem with a lot of ya your still trying to make your living by the job. And that job going from paycheck to paycheck to this point has proven not sufficient enough to do everything God has called you to do because you have been trying to make your living the wrong way, your job is just how you get your seed your mouth is how you make your livin.”

I guess Creflo has missed what the apostle Paul said to the church and did in his ministry. This shows how unbiblical his teaching really is. He first twists the Scripture to be something it is not then he completely ignores the commands of Scripture. He scolds them because they have been making their living by their paycheck and it will never be enough for what God wants to do. They can’t do what God says, “because the paycheck won’t allow you.”

Yet Paul said, “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us”(2 Thessalonians 3:7-9). He goes on to say v.10-11 “we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.” By today’s standards they may heave been confessing for their food and housing and not working with their hands.

1 Thess. 4:10-12 “But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more” How does Paul explain this to be done? V. 11that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.”

There’s nowhere in the New Testament that gives an example of what Creflo is saying. There are no examples of someone confessing their living by their mouth and not lifting their hands.

Acts 18:3 tells us Paul worked with them “for by occupation they were tentmakers.” And all the apostles “And we labor, working with our own hands” (1 Cor. 4:12).

Speak it to Make it Happen

 Being a profit of prosperity like Rev. Ike, Creflo teaches that, “Jesus has been sent and anointed to watch out and carry out and to supervise your profession and your profession is your co-fession, you make your living with the word of God coming out of your mouth.” “You make your living with your mouth and words.”

“Jesus is looking for somebody to get this thing… Jesus has been appointed by God to oversee how you make your livin’ when you open your mouth and speak his word

Creflo explains, “He oversees my confession I make my livin’ that way” “Oooh I don’t think my prayers ever reach heaven, it don’t have to get passed your nose baby, all you got to do is open your mouth and speak the power.” If you speak God’s word, “If you do that I’ll make you justified, I’ll cause some things to happen”

 Here is how it works according to Creflo’s imagination--”Jesus as awesome he is has been given the appointment and the anointing by God the father…I got to give you a picture of this, he’s meeting with Jesus…He says here’s what I want you to do son, I anoint you as the apostle and high priest over … their confession…whatever they say, whatever they say your responsible for making sure it comes to pass, and so Jesus spoke to the angels and Jesus said to angels harken after the voice of my word there his workers finally they get, and he says something out of the word of God…I will say continually let the lord take pleasure in prosperity of his servant, so the angels hear it and they say yea that’s the word, the come back report it to Jesus. Say Jesus we got an assignment ok, so Jesus now sends them on they way, go get it go get it, I’m overseeing it, he’s the supervisor now those are the workers…he’s the one that’s the high priest and apostle over what he says and the angels now have to go and make it happen.”

So in essence we are in control of everything that happens to us, not God, He only does what we want to happen. Then who is God and who is man? This worldview has absolutely nothing to do with the sovereign God of Scripture.

“Jesus said as apostle and high priest over your profession I now ordain the angels to carry out what they hear you say from God’s word, and there angels right now everyday awaiting for somebody to open their mouth up and obligate Jesus to be the apostle over what they say and Jesus said angels when you hear my word coming out of the voice of man harken. They have been sent to minister to those who shall be heirs, angels have been sent to minister to us our inheritance but they are not allowed to do one thing without an official work order. Angels ain’t gonna get you no money because you say go get me some money.

“But when you say the wealth of the wicked is on its way into my hands and it will eventually find itself here into my hands --angels go speed it up and make sure my money gets to where I’m going, they hear and do.”

“Who gives you the true riches which is the anointing? The bridge, that thing that stands between you and the anointing is what you do what with the wealth. But, you ain't gonna have no wealth until you get anointed. Anointed to get the wealth to anoint. Anointed to get the wealth to anoint. Anointing to get the wealth to anoint. Anointing to get the wealth to anoint.”

“The substance of the house you want is faith substance. …before the wood, before the tree, before the seed, there was the substance. And when you get the substance, then you can get the seed, which will bring the tree, which will produce the wood, which will build your house. But without faith stuff, you have no stuff, because faith stuff is the stuff of all stuff. Take away the faith stuff, you ain't got no stuff. Get the faith stuff, and you can get some more stuff, because you got the main stuff. Now, did you get all that stuff? (Changing Your World broadcast, Sept. 20, 1998)

This is metaphysical nonsense, Religious Science - Christian science teaches this, it has nothing to do with the Bibles teaching on faith. It's a bunch of stuff.