ABOVE: Look at all the stuff Peter Popoff will send you for just a "Love Gift" of $89.99!
My friends , meet Peter Popoff , faith healer and president of Peter Popoff Ministries. Oh yeah , this guy has really found his niche in healing whatever ails ya - for a price ( err , excuse me, a "Love Gift" offering ).
He was born in Berlin, Germany on July 2, 1946. He emigrated to the United States with his family in 1950. He finished high school by correspondence school , and also helped his father with the preaching and radio ministry. Of course , it's reported that he attended Chaffey College in Alta Loma, California, and then transferred to the University of California, Santa Barbara , and upon graduation, he felt the call to ministry. He also reportedly did graduate work at San Jose State University. However , I could find nothing im my research to show what he majored in. Much of the source for the above bio of him is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Popoff .
Now , what's interesting about this con artist is that he went bankrupt in 1987 after skeptics James Randi and Alexander (Alec) Jason exposed his method of receiving information about revival attendees from his wife via an in-ear receiver. According to Fred M. Frohock, "[t]he case of Peter Popoff is one of many egregious instances of fake healing". BUT...Popoff has since returned to public ministry. ( Ibid ).
What I find very disturbing is that even AFTER this magician was exposed , BET ( Black Entertainment Television ) is giving him time slots on their channel for his corrupt infomercials. BET is not the only culprit, there are others, but BET of all channels should be more responsible than to allow this white idiot to feed off the Gospel. In other words, I am playing the race card here and saying that BET aided and abetted a white man to defraud their black viewers, many of which cannot afford to throw away money in this economy. If you visit Popoff’s site ( http://peterpopoff.org/ ) he has a video on the left side that features black people amazed that their debts were mysteriously paid off. Could Popoff be more exploitative? And I also must ask , WHY hasn't the NAACP got on BET for allowing this scam artist to defraud their viewers? Do they ( BET ) need the $$ that bad?!
Also , if you go to Popoff's site , NO WHERE will you find his ministry's doctrines listed!
Of course , he has "Testimonies" from people on his web site , such as:
"Rev Peter Popoff I am so glad that we are in contact with each other, your prayers for us is a blessing, one thing I have been asking the lord for was a home, thanks to you for all of your prayers my wish came true. I now have a home of my own and that's not all my husband received a $302,000.00 check in the mail the other day unexpectedly. You told me in the letter that miracle money would come true and it has. Thank you so very much for all of your prayers god is good and he has blessed me tremendously .
-- Mrs. Bladensburg"
"My daughter…is in her 4th year for Nursing. I put the red string above her front door. She told me her husband's uncle sent them a cheque for $48,000.00 to pay off all her university schooling debts! Praise God!
--Sis B. Roberts, Richmond, BC"
Another thing I find mind-boggling is that at Popoff's peak in 1987, according to James Randi, he took in $4.3 million a month - however , AFTER he was exposed , his ministry received over $9.6 million in 2003 and by 2005 the amount had risen to over $23 million! In that year he and his wife were paid a combined total of nearly $1 million, while two of his children were receiving over $180,000...EACH!!
Now , in Popoff's "Divine Transfer Kit," ( the one you get for an $89.99 "Love Gift Offering," ) you'll see that he includes a necklace with "Holy water" and "Holy dirt" from Jerusalem.
My friends , I challange anyone to show me in the Bible where it instruct - or even talks about the use of "Holy" water. It DON'T!! The Bible nowhere instructs Christians to use "holy water" in any way, shape, or form. Popoff ( like the Catholic practice of holy water ) is NOT biblical!! Ditto with "Holy" dirt!
These televangelist scam artists that preach their "health-wealth" and "“prosperity" gospels are simply deceitful LIARS! It is UNBIBLICAL! Now sure , the Bible encourages believers to give ( 1 Cor. 16:2 ; 2 Cor. 9:6 ). And yes, the Bible teaches that those who give generously will be blessed by God ( Luke 6:38 ; 2 Cor. 9:7 ). However, the Bible does NOT teach that we should give SO THAT we will be blessed. The Bible teaches that we should give because we love God and want to thank Him for what He HAS given us , as opposed to what He WILL give us! Otherwise , people would give simply to get something back - and not out of LOVE FOR GOD! Our motive for giving should not be so that God will bless us in return. Rather, our motive for giving should be to glorify God and to share the blessings He has given, thereby further expanding His kingdom and promoting the message of the Gospel. The message, focus, and motive of the health-wealth televangelists are clearly unbiblical.
It is utterly ridiculous to think that it is God’s desire for televangelists to spend the money donated for their ministry on mansions, while there are hundreds of languages into which not even a portion of the Bible has been translated. It is offensive for televangelists to drive cars that, if sold, could feed a starving African village for months. It is abhorrent that televangelists own clothing outfits that cost more than the average family can afford to spend on clothing in an entire year.
I often wonder if these 'pimps of Satan' have ever read the words of Jesus in Matthew 19:21 ; "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." Or , Matthew 8:20 , "And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head."
Even atheists know that Jesus was a man of humble beginnings , poor , and placed little emphasis on material possessions and wealth , and He encouraged His followers to do the same.
Now , don't get me wrong , as I've said many times before , it's NOT unbiblical for a Christian to be wealthy. The Bible doesn't talk about money itself being the root of all evil , but the LOVE of it! "For the love of money is the root of all evil..." ( 1 Tim. 6:10 ). Those Christians who are wealthy also acknowledge that what they have came from GOD , and they know that by being faithful ( generous ) with a little , then they will also be faithful ( generous ) with a lot. In other words , our integrity is often put on the line in money matters. God calls us to be HONEST even in small details we could rationalize away. If we are untrustworthy and selfish with our earthly wealth ( no matter how much or how little we have ) , we will be unfit to handle not only more earthly wealth , but the vast riches of God's Kingdom!
In Luke 16:13 , Jesus also tells us how money can easily take the place of God in our lives , "No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Of course , the Pharisees took exception to Jesus' teaching ( as these false prophets , healers ,a nd teachers do ) , because they loved money more than God ( Luke 16:14 ).
Lastly , to those non-Christians for whom televangelism is a reason for your rejection of the Christian faith: do not reject faith in Jesus Christ due to the lies, deceptions, ungodly teachings, and unholy lifestyles of these crooks. Examine God’s Word for yourself, and if you are to reject the true Gospel, at least reject it for what it truly is!
The below video is from Inside Edition Investigates , that also exposed Popoff's criminal scheme. ( Amazing how this self-described "prophet of God" gets lockjaw when confronted by the investigative reporter , huh? )
Until next time , may God bless and keep you all -
In His Service ; Pastor Mike
The Living Water Church