Former prosperity gospel preacher Jim Bakker had a lurid life of scandal, having been convicted of fraud and conspiracy in 1989. At the height of his celebrity, he preached what’s now known as the “prosperity gospel”: the belief that faith is rewarded with material wealth. But years later, after embracing a different kind of Christianity, he wrote the book I Was Wrong, denouncing the prosperity gospel as a doctrine not based on scripture.
He explained that God’s love and compassion trump money and earthly possessions, advocating instead for spirituality over worldly materialism. Bakker is an example of how one can accept responsibility for actions taken, even if it means admitting mistakes were made along the journey.
Table of Contents
- Listen to the Podcast
- Edging God Out of the Church
- Preachers Won’t Repent
- FAQs About Jim Bakker
- Outsmart the False Teachers
Listen to the Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE of The Tithing Hoax Podcast, I discuss how the ego keeps preachers from accepting and preaching the truth about tithes.
EGO is sometimes referred to as Edging God Out. If a preacher is ego-centered and not Christ-centered, it is hard for him or her to accept the truth about tithes.
Some preachers have spent years teaching and preaching that you must tithe. However, their ego (and arrogance) won’t allow them to entertain the thought that what they teach is in error.
Edging God Out of the Church
The EGO won’t allow them to admit they are in error. The preachers don’t want to “look bad” in front of their congregation.
The EGO won’t allow those who know the truth to speak the truth. If preachers told church members they don’t have to tithe, it could hurt the preachers’ pockets. The EGO doesn’t want the preacher to lose money preaching the truth.
The EGO also gets in the way of repentance. The root word is repent, which means to change one’s mind. If more preachers accepted the truth about tithes, they would be forced to repent, to change what they teach and preach about tithes.
Preachers Won’t Repent
Amid today’s EGO-driven ministries, there’s little room for repentance.
One well-known Prosperity Gospel preacher did repent – Rev. Jim Bakker. In the 70s and 80s, he was the epitome of a preacher ballin’ out of control. His PTL Club and the PTL Network generated $1 million a week.
Bakker lost everything after a sex scandal and an indictment that landed him in prison for five years. In his book, I Was Wrong, he admits that he didn’t read or study the teachings of Jesus until he went to prison.
It was then that he realized the Prosperity Gospel message that made him rich was not supported by scripture. Since then, he has denounced the Prosperity Gospel.
Can you imagine any of today’s pro-tithing preachers telling their congregation they are wrong about tithes?
FAQs About Jim Bakker
What Happened Between Jim Bakker and Jessica Hahn?
Jim Bakker is a former televangelist known for his role in a significant scandal during the 1980s. The controversy centered around Bakker’s alleged rape of 21-year-old church secretary Jessica Hahn and the subsequent $200,00 in hush money paid to her from funds provided by his ministry, the PTL Club.
This scandal led to Bakker’s resignation from the PTL ministry. Additionally, it brought to light financial mismanagement within the ministry, eventually leading to Bakker’s conviction on numerous counts of fraud and conspiracy. He spent nearly five years in prison and was released in 1994. The incident remains one of the most notorious in the history of American televangelism.
What Happened to the Jim Bakker Theme Park?
The theme park associated with Jim Bakker was Heritage USA, located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. It was one of the largest Christian theme parks in the country but closed down in 1989 following the scandal involving Jim Bakker and the financial collapse of his ministry.
In 2004, the MorningStar Fellowship Church purchased the Heritage USA property. It was renamed Heritage International Ministries (H.I.M.).
Is Jim Bakker Still on Television?
Jim Bakker was still active in television ministry. He hosts “The Jim Bakker Show,” a daily broadcast featuring discussions of biblical prophecy and current events, along with marketing survivalist food and gear. He has hosted the show with his wife Lori since 2003. The one-hour program airs on Dish Network, DirecTV, and other satellite platforms.
Outsmart the False Teachers
Discover the hidden truth about tithes the prosperity preachers don’t want you to know.👉👉 Click here.
