Sorry folks, the “little gods” discussion will have to wait til a later date. 

Here’s a FREE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT for “Creflo Dollar Ministries”, not to be confused with “World Changers Church International”.  They are two separate entities, and we assume that based on the names of the organizations both are tax-exempt.

For just $4.99 PER MONTH you can receive a DAILY message via your cell phone from Creflo Dollar.  Imagine receiving a “Daily Word” text message from your favorite prosperity preacher.         

Don’t delay, sign up today at this link: 

http://www.creflodollarministsries.org/Bookstore/WordOnTheGo.aspx

And if God is leading you to donate to “Creflo Dollar Ministries”, you may mail your contribution to the address provided here:

http://www.creflodollarministries.org/Bookstore/Donations.aspx

Here’s the all-important question: 

Is the $60 per year that subscribers pay to receive this “Daily Word” text message tax-deductible?  If you use your credit card to pay for this service, who is receiving the subscription fee each month —  Creflo Dollar “the business man” or Creflo Dollar Ministries?  Do these fees ever get reported as income on a tax return?

Time to switch gears…

Ever heard of the Rick Ross Institute?  Here’s a brief introduction.

Welcome to the Rick A. Ross Institute of New Jersey (www.rickross.com)
“An Internet archive of information about cults, destructive cults, controversial groups and movements. The Rick A. Ross Institute of New Jersey (RI) is a nonprofit public resource with a vast archive that contains thousands of individual documents. RI on-line files include news stories, research papers, reports, court documents, book excerpts, personal testimonies and hundreds of links to additional relevant resources. This Internet archive is well-organized for easy access and reference.”

We did a little investigation of Creflo Dollar at this web site, and we found the following article from just seven months ago (since one of our commenters is obsessed with focusing on what these ministers are doing NOW):

http://www.rickross.com/reference/tv_preachers/tv_preachers81.html

Creflo Dollar sued over devotional text messages

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (6/24/09)

By Christopher Quinn

“A California businessman sued the Rev. Creflo Dollar, his son Jeremy Dollar and his businesses Wednesday, saying the high-profile preacher misappropriated a business idea they developed together to text devotional messages to followers for $4.99 a month.

Dollar and his son reneged on the deal, took the businessman’s trade secrets and started the “Word on the Go” texting service in 2006, the suit by Devone Lawson of Marina del Rey claims. They are making $50 million a year through subscriptions, Lawson claims.

James Evangelista, Lawson’s Atlanta attorney from the Page Perry law firm, said Dollar also bumped up the price to $5.99 a month.

“The word from the preacher ain’t cheap,” Evangelista said.

Dollar could not be reached when a reporter called his World Changers Church International in College Park.

The suit, filed in Los Angeles County, claims breach of agreements and contract, fraud, misrepresentation, interference and misappropriation of trade secrets.

“Apparently, the Rev. Dollar and the Dollar Ministries do not practice what they preach, unless the prosperity gospel they preach justifies fraud and theft in the attainment of material wealth,” Evangelista said.

Dollar, who claims 30,000 congregants in Atlanta, has a second church in New York City and an international TV ministry.

He preaches a controversial message that says God rewards faith with physical health, material blessings and success.”

 

 

Here’s an Associated Press article (link provided) that includes the same information:

http://thewordonthewordoffaithinfoblog.com/2009/07/01/pastor-creflo-dollar-sued/

Pastor Creflo Dollar SUED for Business Fraud

 

ATLANTA, GA – “A lawsuit filed in a California accuses Atlanta televangelist Creflo Dollar of stealing a spiritual text message business concept, then marketing the business to his worldwide audience for millions of dollars in revenue.

The lawsuit, filed by Devone Lawson of Marina del Rey, California, accuses Dollar, his son Jeremy Dollar, and other ministry staff of breach of nondisclosure agreement, fraud, unjust enrichment, civil conspiracy, breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets.

Starting in 2004, Lawson claims he spent a year working with Dollar’s World Changers Church International ministry on a subscription service that would send daily inspirational text messages to church members’ cell phones. In the lawsuit, Lawson claims the ministry violated a nondisclosure agreement when it eventually formed another company and launched a similar “Word On the Go” text messaging service in 2006.

Attorneys for Lawson estimate the $4.99 per month subscription service generates more than $50 million a year in revenue.”

At this point, we have more questions than answers.  Who is receiving the revenue stream from this “Word On The Go” texting service?  Is it

(a)    Creflo Dollar

(b)    Dollar and his son

(c)    World Changers Church

(d)    Creflo Dollar Ministries

(e)    All of the above

 

No wonder Creflo Dollar stopped receiving a salary from his church a couple of years ago…  $50 MILLION A YEAR!!! 

 

We leave you with links to a CNN interview of Creflo Dollar that was conducted around the time that “Word On The Go” was being established.  Pay attention to how Creflo Dollar stresses TRANSPARENCY! 

In the interview Dollar quotes Psalm 35:27, which is probably his favorite Bible verse to text to his subscribers.  Here’s how Creflo Dollar quoted the verse:

“The Lord takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

Isn’t it amazing how Dollar takes Psalm 35, which is a plea for God to deliver David from the hand of Saul, and misuses it to stress financial prosperity?  This is an excellent example of PROOF TEXTING, or taking a Bible verse completely out of context.

Finally, please watch for the following exchange in Part 2 of the CNN interview.  The female interviewer quotes Matthew 19, which describes the encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler. 

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler

 ¹⁶ Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
¹⁷ So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
¹⁸ He said to Him, “Which ones?”
Jesus said, “ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ¹⁹ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” ²⁰ The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
²² But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

 

Listen for Dr. Dollar’s response to this passage:

“If you keep reading down a couple more scriptures, it says ‘and he received a hundred fold everything that he gave everything that he sold.”

Dollar completely ignores Matthew 19:23, which is as follows: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2ivUTS9xl8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj5CZer3tVc&NR=1

 

Two final questions: 

If Jesus were on earth today, would he be riding around in a Rolls Royce?

Why does Creflo Dollar’s church need to give $1,000,000 to Kenneth Copeland?