Popular televangelist Benny Hinn has while discussing the legacy of legendary American preacher Billy Graham, who died on Wednesday at the age of 99, confessed to having gone to “the extreme” with the prosperity gospel.
As he reflected on Graham’s death, Benny Hinn said as he has grown older and come to understand the Bible more, he now realizes that some of the things he learned from preachers when he was growing up aren’t biblical and the popular interpretation of the prosperity gospel.
He explained, “We get attacked for preaching prosperity, well it’s in the Bible, but I think some have gone to the extreme with it sadly, and it’s not God’s word what is taught and I think I’m as guilty as others. Sometimes you go a little farther than you really need to go and then God brings you back to normality and reality,”
The 65-year-old added, “When I was younger I was influenced by the preachers who taught whatever they taught. But as I’ve lived longer, I’m thinking, ‘Wait a minute, you know this doesn’t fit totally with the Bible and it doesn’t fit with the reality.’ So what is prosperity? No lack. I’ve said this before.”
Dismissing rumor that he flies private jets, Benny Hinn then explained what he believes “no lack” should be interpreted as.
“Did Elijah the prophet have a car? No. Did not even have a bicycle. He had no lack … Did Jesus drive a car or live in a mansion? No. He had no lack. How about the apostles? None lacked among them,” Hinn said. “Today, the idea is abundance and palatial homes and cars and bank accounts. The focus is wrong … It’s so wrong.”
He continued, “We all sadly make the mistake of thinking that this is what God wants and God says ‘No, that’s not what I want.’ It’s time to live biblically. You know it all comes down to one thing. Do we love Jesus, yes or no? If we love Jesus then it’s all about Jesus. If we don’t love Jesus then it’s about other things.”
Elsewhere, Benny Hinn reminded his audience of a prophesy he made in 1989 that the deaths of his mentor, Oral Roberts, and Billy Graham would bring about a great revival, said since both men are now dead, the revival has now been set in motion. Roberts died in 2009.
“We’re gonna see amazing things happen in those areas of our lives and get ready for your children to be saved in a big way, your families to be saved in a big way, loved ones respond to the Lord in a big way,” he said.
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