There’s a famous televangelist in Houston who gets a ton of criticism from all over the spectrum. Atheists and agnostics laugh at him. Mainstream Christians scrutinize his every move. Even prophetic Christians (and those walking out their spiritual gifts with high anointing) like to dismiss him. For years, I’ve heard people slam him, his wife, and their ministry for an array of reasons, and I’m always quick to defend him for array of reasons.
The biggest: The Bible says that we are to be careful when passing judgment about someone else. If the Lord enables us to discern something about someone (good or bad), it doesn’t mean that we have a license to pass judgment, condemn, or slander.
This pastor and his ministry will always hold a special place in my heart because I reconnected with Jesus at his megachurch in Houston many years ago. I was there with family visiting my little brother at college, and we attended an event on Mother’s Day. It was amazing to feel the Holy Spirit envelope me when I stood up to receive Him. Jesus was waiting for me with open arms that day and no grudges. He didn’t ask why I spent most of my twenties seeking other things instead of Him. He was just happy to have my undivided attention, and I was eager to repent for the years I spent ignoring Him.
One of the things I love about this notoriously labeled “prosperity” preacher is this passage right here in Philippians. It’s the benchmark of “positive thinking” in the Bible. It reminds us to obsesses over the quality of our thoughts. We should make a conscious effort to think, meditate, and pray on things that are edifying and encouraging. Doing so guards our hearts, influences our actions, and leads to good fruit in our lives.
People are always saying things like, “He’s not a real preacher if all he does is talk about a positive mindset and abundance. That’s not what the journey is all about.” True. The journey is about much more than thinking right and attracting blessings into your life, but this preacher is called to teach and evangelize this way, which doesn’t make it wrong. His sermons actually talk a lot about spiritual warfare and struggle. He always encourages people to join Bible-based churches for more personal counsel and direction.
Mature Christians say things like, “Well, he’s not a prophet. He doesn’t walk in the giftings.” I always think to myself, “How do you know?” What we see on television is only part of His time with the Lord. How do we know that he doesn’t receive revelation from the Lord that he incorporates in his messages. How do we know that he and his wife do not pray in the Spirit when they are alone? How do we know he doesn’t lay hands on people, pray, and cast out demons? Just because he doesn’t exclaim, “I received a prophecy from the Lord and it went something like this…,” doesn’t mean that he doesn’t hear from Him. It’s important to remember that we are all gifted differently and every walk with Jesus is different. This pastor and his wife walk in several spiritual giftings–evangelism, exhortation, faith, and teaching are apparent. They just don’t advertise the rest.
During prayer one evening, I asked the Lord to illuminate this pastor’s purpose here on earth, because I was feeling discouraged by all the criticism and a little confused. In no uncertain terms, the Holy Spirit responded, “He’s doing exactly what I have anointed him to do. To build others up. To encourage them in the ways of me. To lead them to me.”
This preacher leads people to Christ in record numbers. His ministry has been bearing good fruit for over almost two decades. His ministry helps the poor. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him in person a couple of times and still enjoy watching him on television (or reading his latest motivational book) when I need a spiritual pick-me-up.
Let’s start changing our mindsets and fixate on things that are encouraging. Let’s be quick to notice good things about a person’s character before the bad. Let’s compliment others. Let’s pray for their weaknesses rather than point them out. A sure-fire way to bear good fruit in your life is to have a positive mindset. Remember to take wrong thoughts captive to Christ and ask Him to replace them with truth.
