My cable tv company has been kind enough to give me God TV as part of my package. I don’t know how I’ve lived without it. At last, I’ve got the delights of the likes of the 700 Club, Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn. Pat Robertson is a particular favourite of mine. Just now he’s giving advice on keeping cash to hand in case of emergencies. Words of wisdom! But my wife can’t stand it any longer, so he’s been turned off. Tragedy 
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
Rodney Olsen 02.05.07 at 11:15 pm
I must be growing in my faith. You listed off all the wonderful features of God TV and I felt no jealousy or covetousness at all. May you be truly blessed by all the wonderful shows you can now watch.
gavin 02.06.07 at 12:23 am
what, no joel osteen over there? persecution of the Christians still
BD 02.06.07 at 1:35 am
You got that kindness too?
Here in Canada we have been given the Miracle Channel.
God TV sounds so much more important.
It appears all is not lost; we get Jim Bakker, John Haggee, James Kennedy, Jerry Falwell, Peter Popoff, Jimmy Swaggart, Joyce Meyer, Pat Robertson…and Canadians with their own shows that wish they were Pat or Jerry.
I don’t know if we get Daddy Dobson, but that’s okay, there are people working very hard to make sure we can get him on the intertubes.
They even work hard enough to have their very own office in Ottawa to help keep the important people saintly.
It’s a miracle.
Not only are we encouraged to assist these luminaries financially when they grace us with their insights, we can even donate to the Network!
Randy 02.06.07 at 2:29 am
Thanks for the giggle, Richard.
Larry B 02.06.07 at 3:52 am
(Please this comment is a bit tongue in cheek so don’t get too uptight)
You missed the lesson in economics here Richard
- you weren’t “given” the GodTV, they have just recognized that there are a whole lot of people watching those channels, and they are more than happy to get them on the cable so they can increase their revenues. There’s no benevolence on the part of the cable company here.
What is also apparent is that no amount of whining from the liberal wing of the Christian faith is having any effect on the popularity of these preachers. In fact as you have attested, they have managed to invade your home now too. I’ll be looking forward to the blog posts about the 700 club.
Ian McKenzie 02.06.07 at 4:27 am
I can positively feel your holiness growing from this increased exposure to such spiritual… uh, what’s the adjective I’m looking for?
Art 02.06.07 at 6:38 am
Personally I always like Benny Hinn. Got a big kick out his TV show when I was a kid… Oh s#!t, HILL, yeah Benny Hill. Sorry.
Richard 02.06.07 at 10:26 am
Uptight, moi?
From my point of view, I was given this channel - after all, last month they expected me to pay £6 a month for it. Now I get it as part of the package. That sounds like a gift, or at least an extra. And for the record, I’m not whining. Far from it — I’m delighted! We get all the folk that BD mentioned and lots more - great fun.
Seriously, what I have seen so far suggests that none of these people have become popular because they’re great preachers.
But I’ll certainly be posting about the 700 Club in due course. (As long as my wife lets me watch it)
Wood 02.06.07 at 1:37 pm
I keep finding Kenneth Copeland’s Believers’ Voice of Victory in my DVD player. Really.
Maybe it’s a sign.
Either that, or my lodger keeps forgetting to take it out.
DH 02.06.07 at 2:34 pm
(no sarcasm) I’m so glad you get these wonderful Christian speakers and preachers. I watch Joyce Meyer everyday and Faith seems to grow stronger toward God. Maybe we need to stop all of the sarcasm and lackof respect and truly see how God is moving through people like Joyce Meyer.
P.S. I have been watching lately how she is helping people in Rwanda where her ministry is helping the people get houses, food and comfort for all of the atrocities they faced. Even the First lady of Burundi spoke at one of her meetings in Rwanda where thousands attended. The first lady gave a blessing od peace and hope to her “fellow brothers of Rwanda”.
Maybe we need to think first before ridiculing what God is doing that is positive through these people?
Wood 02.06.07 at 2:48 pm
“I watch Joyce Meyer everyday and Faith seems to grow stronger toward God.”
Great googly moogly. That explains so much.
Richard 02.06.07 at 3:56 pm
She wears very nice sparkly tops, our Joyce…
DH 02.06.07 at 5:38 pm
Again, I’ll repeat “Maybe we need to think first before ridiculing what God is doing that is positive through these people?”
Did you guys even read the second paragraph?
Wood, your lack of respect for what God is doing that is positive in peoples lives “explains so much”.
BD 02.06.07 at 10:56 pm
DH:
Please name some British grab and blab televangelists beaming into your region.:^)
BD 02.07.07 at 12:21 am
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!
I was laughing so hard I typed that backwards…it’s blab and grab.
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
DH 02.07.07 at 2:32 pm
BD, whether they are from the US, Britain or any other country is really beside the point. Also, I don’t understand your “blab and grab” comment, unless one is being terribly overgeneralistic and has predispostions that prevent one from seeing the positive in anything. (comments after the word “prevent” are humorous so pleae take it as such). (Those before that aren’t) :^)
BD 02.07.07 at 7:50 pm
I don’t know ‘how’ God TV works DH, I’ll leave that to my UK friends.
In Canada TBN applied, the the licence and was turned down because of US content, programming and economic structural concerns. They tweaked their application over 5 years, added some Canadians to satisfy the CRTC and now exports programming.
Name a British televangelist DH.
With the kind of licencing and redistribution US TV evangelists have available, they can buy a lot of time and a lot of audience - Joyce Meyer has a potential audience of 2.5 billion.
Meyer is a follower of the Word Faith Movement which stems from Christian Science, Swedenborgianism, Theosophy, Science of Mind, and New Thought - not as evolved pentecostalism/charasmatics as most think.
It’s nicely packaged with mysticism, dualism, and gnosticism.
It is called the Prosperity Gospel or ‘name it and claim it’, ‘blab it and grab it’ and has a sordid, unaccountable history.
Meyers excesses and nepotism are well known, the St. Louis Dispatch has a well researched series on her ministry. Have a look at the ministry at Wall Watchers, the 10 million dollar corporate jet, the 2 million dollar homes for her four children and herself, the 100 thousand dollar plus mercedes.
http://www.ministrywatch.org/mw2.1/F_SumRpt.asp?EIN=431382734
If you don’t have a problem with faulty teaching, pandering to the US need and greed for celebrity and this excess of American consumerism that swindles and cons in the name of God, being exported to other countries that’s fine.
Meantime Richard, please keep us laughing.
DH 02.07.07 at 8:15 pm
I have listened to Joyce Meyer and she is not FULLY in agreement with the Word of Faith movement. Also, it is not Christian Science, mysticism, dualism or gnosticism. I understand fully all of those and it is just not the case. I think your over-the-top attack of Joyce Meyer is uncalled for.
I don’t think you fully understand her ministry and continue to used biased groups to support your overgeneralized predispositions. Your so-called support are self-fullfilled prophesies that really have no backing in fact.
There is nothing wrong with being rich but yet you continue to rebuke people who are. Have you seen her ministry which actually helps many people in third world nations like Rwanda, Burundi and other third world nations? She is building many, many houses for the homeless in those nations and giving hundreds of thousands of dollars for helping of the needy and the poor in the world and in Africa. She is also doing hands on ministry in the thousands of dollars for AIDS in Africa.
Way to go Canada and Canadian TBN.
Again I’ll repeat this I said: “prevent one from seeing the positive in anything. (comments after the word “prevent†are humorous so pleae take it as such). ” However, now I’ll take back my statement that it is “humorous”. This sentence is now literal and not humorous.
DH 02.07.07 at 8:17 pm
If you want to talk about “faulty teachning” (which I don’t think Joyce is). How about the “Christian relativism” from what I read from you and others on this particular site?
Larry B 02.08.07 at 5:19 am
“Name a British televangelist DH”
They couldn’t operate in Britain because their regulators banned direct appeals to viewers for funding. Apparently OfCom just recently changed their position on it. That’s probably why GodTv has now shown up on Richard’s box.
“It is called the Prosperity Gospel or ‘name it and claim it’, ‘blab it and grab it’ and has a sordid, unaccountable history.”
King David had a sordid and unaccountable history too, was massively wealthy, but he was eventually the lineage through which Christ came.
I don’t understand the incessant focus on what someone else is doing with money and the constant desire to police how everyone else wants to spend their money. Sounds a lot like coveting thy neighbors goods. If people want to support televangelist ministries then what is so blatantly wrong with that? Most people don’t spend money unless they feel like they are meeting a need and apparently the enlightened liberal elites out there just aren’t connecting too well with people. Do you even know who the average person is that contributes to these ministries or are you just assuming they are all mindless idiots? If someone gives their heart to Jesus through a televangelist is it somehow null and void?
Whatever, I suppose I’m just a brainwashed greedy, celebrity hungy, excess consumerin american so what do I know.
Richard 02.08.07 at 7:31 am
I believe there have been changes to Ofcom’s rules, though I don’t remember twhat they are: but whatever they are, they’re not the reason NTL have started giving me the God Channel. They’ve been offering for years at £6 a month, and it has been part of satellite packages for ages too.
Perhaps the reason many Christians are concerned about money and its use is that Jesus had quite a bit to say about these things? Just a thought.
DH 02.08.07 at 4:04 pm
and Jesus spoke a parable about the talents of which three individuals received and two of them INVESTED it and the one with 10 got the one with 1 talent.
He even said “Thou I give all my alms to the poor and have not love I’m a clanging gong and a clanging cymbal.” (and we all know the greatest love one can have is by having a relationship with God by Faith). It seems the “focus on what someone else does with their money” only takes into account only certain verses of what Jesus said and not ALL of what He said in its entirety with consistency.
I’m 100% wholehearted with Larry on this.
Catholic Richard 02.08.07 at 6:19 pm
I thought the clanging gong bit came from one of St Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, when he spoke about faith, hope and love? Unless I missed that bit in the gospels, which is entirely possible.
Richard 02.08.07 at 6:39 pm
Well spotted CR — You win the scripture knowledge prize!
DH 02.08.07 at 7:25 pm
Thanks for the clarification. I appreciate the correction on this one.
However, I do believe whether it was mentioned directly from Jesus or Paul it is on the same authority as God sense both are Scripture. So the point being the message of Jesus in the Gospels and from the Epistles are consistent and synoptic between the two.
I should have stated it like this: “…only certain verses of Gospel and not ALL of what of the Gospel in its entirety with consistency. (I consider the whole Bible the Gospel. (defined not like it is in a document sense in terms of the “Gospel’s” but in Gospel defined as the message of Jesus spoken through Himself and through various writers as well.)
DH 02.08.07 at 7:25 pm
I also should have said “He even said THROUGH PAUL”.
David 04.01.09 at 4:24 pm
If the Bible is correct (and I think that all of us here think that it is) then we will have to give an account for everything that we do and say for His throne and be judged on it. Before anyone continues with their various comments, I would suggest that you read very very carefully what it says about criticism of brothers and sisters in the Lord.
If you wish to continue with your criticisms, then look at your actions - are you surpassing those that you criticise in terms of loving and giving. I can tell the beggar that I love him but real love would be to feed him.
I detect very live love from most of the bloggers….
David 04.01.09 at 4:26 pm
May I correct my last line and apologise for my poor typing - I detect very little love from most of the bloggers
Richard 04.01.09 at 6:03 pm
Welcome to connexions David. It’s interesting that you should raise this old thread now as I’ve been contemplating another post about God TV. You see, it’s ‘Missions Week’ (again!) and I’ve found myself unsure whether I should be laughing or crying as I’ve tuned in. I’ve just come from having a quick glance. An evangelist, Steve Something I think, has just told me that I’m going to get three miracles in the next 30 days just because I was watching. Any unsaved children of mine are going to be saved, I’m going to receive healing in my body and I’m going to receive an unexpected increase in my finances. I’ll be looking out for the last two, but I can tell you that I won’t be holding my breath…
It isn’t unloving to call bogus nonsense just that.