"The ECONOMICS of HOPE!"

For many years and in countless instances I, like so many of us, have held the paradigm of "hope" in high regard. Hope hasn’t lost its luster, but the advent of the Prosperity Gospel has certainly dulled its shine. It is the audacity of hope that caused the races to rise from obscurity and poverty into prominence and affluence. Hope has eradicated diseases, chartered new discoveries and healed brokenness. The grace of hope in Christ Jesus has no end and until the end of the ages His grace will reign.

So what do we have before us now? The paradigm has shifted dramatically because the evil ones have seen the power of hope and are using it as a tool of manipulation, emasculation and wickedness against the masses of God’s people who are riddled with hopelessness.

The wicked ones have crafted a comprehensive economic plan that includes the siphoning off of the substance of the less fortunate. This is no different than that of any other corrupt system in human history. It is hidden behind the veil of Christianity, but at its core its stench is nauseating; to be sure; the "Body" of Christ is decomposing!

The plan is simple. The liars have created the unattainable lure of "incredible wealth" and wrapped it in a "promise" and sealed it in a pretty box and bow called "hope." For an individual trapped in a web of hopelessness, the temptation is far too great to resist. Coupled with the fact that the person standing in front of them in the pulpit is the most influential person in their culture; the man or woman that they have been told since birth to honor and obey because they are speaking on behalf of God Almighty, they have no choice but to submit! The "hirelings" know this and they exploit it to the fullest!

Week after week, thousands of Christians flow into churches across the land or listen to hours upon hours of Christian TV. They have become "fans" (short for fanatics) of their favorite celebrity preachers. These deluded individuals mail in cash they cannot afford to send to these vultures all because of a jaded hope that their $10 donation is going to somehow transform them into a multi-millionaire! This is a mockery and a damn shame!

                   They will even take money from this elderly lady...

What people seldom see is the other side of this equation. The preachers on the receiving end of these $10 donations multiplied exponentially are becoming very wealthy. Many of these ministries have millions of viewers watching them every week. Imagine if only 1/10 of 1% sent in $1? You are still talking about tens of millions of dollars! How many jets, mansions, and summer homes in the Caribbean and off-shore investments do they need? Meanwhile, back in the Willert Park Projects in Baltimore, MD, Bessie Crawford and her six children are crammed into a two bedroom, one bathroom rat infested apartment eating government subsidized meals. Are you serious? How can she put a celebrity preacher ahead of the needs of her own flesh and blood?

This, in short, is the mess we have made of a thing called hope.