Can I listen to Billy Graham and Joyce Meyer

[SeekerWillie]

My late mother watched Joyce Meyer regularly. One of my nicknames for Mom was “the Queen of Common Sense,” and Ms. Meyer has a very common-sense approach, so I understand Mom’s appreciation for her programs. I still watch her program regularly, as a connection to my mother.

However, I’m very wary of some of her talks. She really tends to fall into Word of Faith/prosperity gospel teachings, which are popular among evangelical Protestants these day. Personally, I find these teachings false and dangerous, and when I sense Ms. Meyer is veering off into that area, I turn her off. (For more information on WoF, equip.org/articles/whats-wrong-with-the-word-faith-movement-part-one/ Although not a Catholic source, the Christian Research Institute is a resource I’ve trusted for years. Keep in mind, I’m coming from a Protestant background, so YMMV. )

I’ve been wondering how Catholics viewed Billy Graham. Growing up, we watched his revivals on TV whenever they were broadcast. But again, I was raised Protestant…

PS–Thanks to those who shared Catholic resources!! I’ll be checking them out shortly…

 

[Charlotteartist]

Dear SeekerWillie

Many thanks for your well-considered message!

As you’ll know, Joyce Meyer and other ‘Word of Faith’ Christians are basing their beliefs on Mark 11:12-14 and 20-25, where Jesus curses the fig tree to death and then tells his amazed disciples:* “I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.”*

I also used to be wary of Word of Faith and one day I was asking Jesus about it. I was about to read my Bible and picked it up to open it randomly. As I did so, I felt guided to pray that if it opened exactly on Mark 11:23, Jesus was telling me that to command things with the authority He gives us is not only fine, but a desirable, holy way to pray. This was not a Bible that had been opened more at that page than at any other, yet it opened immediately on that page and that verse was exactly in my eyeline!

This is of course just my experience - and I know we are told not to ‘divine’ truths by opening the Bible randomly - but I also know that God in His mercy does speak to us this way and as these were Jesus’ very words, I could hardly disagree with them and say it was satan trying to mislead me.

John G Lake, who had one of the world’s most famous Christian healing ministries, said that when he used this Mark 11:12-14 and 20-25 as a ‘how to’ when praying against sickness, the efficacy of his healing prayer increased hugely overnight, with so many more being healed.

Like many others I know, I’ve used it myself to great effect many times! For example, a mature mimosa tree was felled in our garden and **thousands **of seeds fell on the lawn. This led to a near-plague of mimosa trees-to-be…for weeks, at least a hundred new seedlings shot up every day or two. I’d just deep-fed the lawn so they were unfortunately in very fine fettle and wouldn’t quit! I was out there every few days digging them up!

With my own business I had no time to keep doing this, and I knew God, who cares about every aspect of our lives, didn’t want me doing this either! So one day, whilst they were still coming up in full flood, I cursed every remaining seed to wither and die like the fig tree, and they stopped appearing literally overnight. In the next few days only another three seedlings appeared and not one more. It was nothing short of miraculous. If what we are commanding is in accordance with God’s will, God will honour it!

I’m writing this because I don’t want anyone who is open to Jesus’ teaching here to miss out on the blessings that God has for us!

Thank You Lord - You are so good.