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rapturefish -> RE: The One Stop Thread For All Things Benny Hinn (6/24/2006 10:08:01 AM)
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I think unworthyseraphim's thoughts were quite considered and on the mark. I finally got to see him at a crusade in Australia (sitting right at the top to his right, mind you) and really, compared to his TV half-hour shows it's not any different, just unedited.
I decided not to think one way or another and just worshipped and listened and observed. I believe I kept an open mind through it all.
I remain sceptical of some things, like how people could come from Dubai all the way just to show him how their son walks in Australia, or some of the people claiming they've been healed. But others seemed to be quite genuine, it's hard to tell.
He did give a pretty polished gospel talk that a typical evengelical might be happy with. I was sceptical of some of the people that came forward for the altar call, just a few too many waving hands like people just wanting to see Benny up close.
He was a polished speaker, had humour, very deliberate, too deliberate in fact, it was hard to tell with all the show setup whether it was real or a show. Another friend commented that it did feel rather like a show.
He may be genuinely convinced of what he's saying, but I think the most amazing things are unseen, and understated and devoid of all other possible evidence of anything else that this could be. It doesn't have to be a show. I have defended Hinn before, and I have also been in two minds. Currently I'm tired of the flash and dazzle. I want to go back to respect, integrity, basics, let the power of God be welcomed and without "helping it along" with a lot of other things.
Not that people cannot be healed at these things - where there is faith, one can invite healing if God wills it. Not that people cannot be saved either - the gospel talk was definitely clear and one could really have given their life over to God right there. But surely there's a better way to do things, where integrity does not have to be called into question unnecessarily.
If it's fine to be well off because of God's blessing, fine, but I always saw it as a distantly low priority, and if it were given it was so it was meant to be given away, surely, not to build heaven on earth with a hedge of riches.
I think vision, direction, thinking big and all that are great, but not at the expense of christian love, joy, peace and the other fruits of the Spirit. Big things are big, good for drawing people, but try keeping them, let the Spirit be the only one doing that first and foremost.
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