Shortly after I became a Christian, I attended a meeting where Jesse Duplantis shared his claim about visiting Heaven. He would share this "testimony" under the title "Close Encounters of the God Kind." You can still find videos of it online (although I noticed that some of the details have changed).
Whereas so many people in the audience were impressed by his tale, I was deeply distressed by it. From boasting that the "angels" were "jamming" some rock music in Heaven to seeing name-brand furniture in his heavenly mansion -- Duplantis's entire story made me angry.
I think that such "health and wealth" preachers play on the sinful nature that causes people to covet the things of this world. It really is a form of greed.
One of my favorite messages included on SermonIndex is "Holy Ground" by David Wilkerson.
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=336
The background of this particular sermon is important. During the 1970's and 1980's, Wilkerson had been an exceptionally popular minister. To many, he was the skinny country preacher from THE CROSS AND THE SWITCHBLADE who was supernaturally led by God to bring the Gospel to gang members, drug addicts and prostitutes on the streets of New York. With this fame, Wilkerson conducted evangelical crusades across America and in other countries.
His ministry eventually moved to a ranch outside of Lindale, Texas. This brought him into close proximity with other well-known ministries and ministers. Keith Green and LAST DAYS MINISTRIES was just down the road. Donald Stephens' MERCY SHIPS was nearby. Most importantly, a preacher named LEONARD RAVENHILL lived not far away.
One day, Brother Ravenhill gave a copy of William Gurnall's classic on Christian living entitled THE CHRISTIAN IN COMPLETE ARMOUR. Wilkerson, who primarily traveled by bus, tossed the hefty book (and its Puritan-era English) aside. However, he was drawn back to it and decided to give it a read.
According to Wilkerson, he read just eleven pages before breaking down in prayerful tears. He said that Gurnall showed him more about the person of Jesus Christ in just those few pages than he had from an entire life of walking with Jesus and preaching the Gospel.
Consequently, David Wilkerson's entire focus for ministry changed. He began preaching messages that God had laid on his heart for himself and each congregation. He stated that many "revival" meetings that were booked in advance were either canceled or cut short. Wilkerson purportedly went to one meeting once as a keynote speaker only to stand up behind the pulpit and state that he had nothing to say.
This didn't go over so well with many pastors or church leaders. They wanted to hear valiant stories about a skinny preacher going to the slums of NYC. They wanted to startle congregations with testimonies of drug addicts and prostitutes who turned to Jesus. Otherwise, they wanted to hear the testimony of a street preacher who had a "vision" of the last days (from Wilkerson's book THE VISION).
Around this time, Brother Wilkerson wanted to hear what God had to say to him or the congregations that he would visit. He began praying intently over this. One change was the fact that he felt the Lord leading him to give his ministry's ranch near Lindale to the YOUTH WITH A MISSION organization.
It was shortly after this time that Brother Wilkerson gave this aforementioned message, HOLY GROUND.
In this message, Wilkerson covers the things that he felt God wanted in order to get men of God on "holy ground." Before God could use him, Moses had to spend 40 years in the wilderness -- prepared to become the man of God who would be used to "set my people free."
In short, Wilkerson covered some important things necessary for men of God to be properly used by the Lord for great things.
- RECOGNIZE AND REMOVE HIDDEN SIN: It is like a leprosy that is latent in our sinful flesh. We cannot ignore it. We cannot excuse it.
- NO REPUTATION: Men of God should avoid the obstacles associated with notoriety and fame. He even recommended that TV preachers shut down their ministries and then shut themselves in with God to hear his voice.
- FREEDOM FROM MATERIALISM: Wilkerson argued that he understands that greed is not just the sin of the wealthy -- but also a sin of the poor who long for wealth or the life that others might have.
After he finished his message, Wilkerson told the audience that he was stepping down from ministry for a year. He said that he didn't want to preach until he truly had something from God to say. A year later, he wrote many of those things in the book SET THE TRUMPET TO THY MOUTH. He also felt a burden to move back to New York and open a fellowship there (which became Times Square Church).
I think that Wilkerson's focus on avoiding materialism is something that is lost on the "health and wealth" and other "prosperity" ministers. Sadly, I really wonder if they would even listen to what he had to say. The Bible seems abundantly clear on this issue anyway -- and these men sometimes seem to boast about their wealth or desire for it.
