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Seeing Through the Crystal Cathedral
By Karen Spears Zacharias
Author; blogger, Patheos.com
Joel Osteen better pay attention before he ends up in the same ugly mess as the Reverend Robert H. Schuller.
Schuller might soon be yanking a foreclosure notice from the doors of his Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. The empire created by the 84-year-old Reverend has filed for bankruptcy. The ministry is a whopping $43 million in debt and is facing several lawsuits as a result of its financial woes.
The landscape crew and the professional window-washers have all been let-go. Dutiful volunteers are tending the 40-acre mega-complex. Sheila Schuller Coleman blames the bankruptcy on a bad economy. Ms. Schuller Coleman is the current senior pastor. She assumed the job after conducting a hostile take-over against her younger brother, the Rev. Robert A. Schuller, who was their daddy's pick to succeed him. (Whoever said middle names don't matter apparently wasn't part of the Schuller family.)
But long before Wall Street came to a jerking halt, transforming Lehman Brothers from an investment firm into a repentant prayer group, the elder Schuller implemented a bail-out scheme of his own.
Schuller's plan was fairly simple: To woo investors one only need to build more buildings. Building your way to a better future, it is the American way. When the economy takes a nosedive, build a dam, build a road, build a mega-church. Build it bigger and better than ever before.
"It's the myth of progress," Pastor Ken Wytsma recently told his congregation. Wystma is senior pastor at Antioch Church in Bend, Oregon. This popular resort and recreational community has seen its own share of troubles as a result of a wobbly economy. Bend leads the nation in home depreciation for a metropolitan area - values have dropped 52.5 percent since 2006. "We live under this myth that things should always get better and better, bigger and bigger," Wystma said.
It's a lie. A myth loved by people everywhere, but a lie nonetheless. One that has earned Joel Osteen, like the elder Schuller before him, America's most-popular pastor status.
"God wants to increase you financially," Osteen assures the thousands of devotees who attend Lakewood, one of the nation's largest and wealthiest churches. The Houston, Texas church has an annual budget of more than $80 million.
God wants to make us bigger and better and richer in everyway, Osteen purports.
Really?
Try telling that to Miz Betty. She's been homeless in Raleigh, N.C., for the past six years.
When she was in her 30s Miz Betty was married and raising a family. She never envisioned spending her retirement years in the van she now calls home. But Miz Betty doesn't blame God for the fix she's in - it's purely a money matter.
"I don't have any," she says.
Our nation's veterans are waking up on the streets to the myth of progress that Schuller and Osteen and others like them have been wrongly preaching. According to the Veteran's Administration over 6,000 women veterans are homeless just like Miz Betty. Women who fought for the freedom to make their lives bigger and better have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan to find that they can't even get a job washing the 10,000 or so windows at the Crystal Cathedral.
"Things don't always get bigger or better," Pastor Wystma told his flock.
Sometimes you get cancer and your spouse walks out on you. Sometimes you lose your job and the custody battle. Sometimes you make one wrong investment decision that costs you everything. Sometimes your child or your sibling dies in war. Sometimes you discover that freedom isn't everything -- it may not even be the most important thing.
Sometimes you wake up an old man to discover that empire you spent a lifetime building is simply a glass house and the neighbors are staring while your kids are fighting.
Karen Spears Zacharias is author of Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide? 'cause I need more room for my plasma TV (Zondervan, 2010). See her blog at Patheos or follow her on Twitter.
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David Charles
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October 28, 2010; 12:26 PM ET
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Posted by: woodstock-41 | November 1, 2010 7:15 PM
Dear L E P I D O T E R Y X
Ya Ya. Interesting.
Another Example of "Tax-Payers" or "Tax-Exempt-Money"s going to a better-deal;
is IF the "White House $2,000,000,000 annually financed "Faith-Based (un)Initiative Community, Tax Payers Cash-Cow" [An Illegal Established CHURCH via Jealousy and their Prong in Our Holyi [SECULAR] GOVERNMENT; INSTEAD OF CONSTITUTION"] A Self serving self Aggrandizement of a Pre-Apocalyptic Religio Entity, Based on JEALOUSY, and thus Must be "ABOLISHED", Like Bin Laden (Religious FundaMENTAList Terrorists) OYE...! Soo
Imagine How Many 'Homeless Shelters' (Not Private-Prison CORPorations), can be built instead Every Year. Or the $2,000,000,000 Can be better used, as mentioned somewhere before TO
Boost Dividends or Coupon INTEREST Rates For "U.S. TREASURY"s (3 Months or 6 Months or Annually) instruments to at least 100 to 150 Basis-Points or better.
Boy , The CHINESE or South Korean would Love That! Even The Ishlami's! Ya Ya.
___
VOTE: Abolish the 'White-House" Faith-Based Illegal-CHURCH in OUR (not Their) .GOV! This Holyi Tuesday.11.02.10!
WHEREFORE:
VOTE: DEATH to The DEMOCRAP'S - PARTY!
Nice Nice, Verrrryya Nice-a!
Posted by: woodstock-41 | November 1, 2010 6:57 PM
Something tells me that Jesus would have spent the $40 million mortgage on a homeless shelter, and the $50 thousand that went to livestock rental for the living nativity on sides of beef for the food bank.
Posted by: lepidopteryx | November 1, 2010 10:45 AM
Who Needs 'Wik{ileaks'!
Talking about Seeing 'Through & Through' the OBAMA's Admin & Democraps & CO. desperateness, and Englands Admin yea sayers, and Israels Admin Mossad and Frances Admin false Bin Laden Tape lalala, ALL
'Self Dealing, Self Serving FALSE UPS & False FEDEX phony games, now called a "Locker{bie" style Bomb' Plot.?? OYE...!
B R E A K I N G -- N E W S:
Now The OBAMA Admins via the Corrupt Government of Yemen, who was secretly promised 50 Used American Tanks+ to PLAY [Sing]-ALONG etc..; SITUATIONALLY lie and 'BackPaddle" like:
"The suspect... Hannan al-Samawi ... 22-year-old engineering student was released on Sunday after investigators established that she was not the woman who sent the bombs via UPS and FedEx from the Yemeni capital, Sana’a. She was freed on condition that she made herself available for further questioning, as the Yemeni authorities tried to establish whether she might know or have some connection to the suspect... A government official in Sana’a said: “Another woman had used her name and ID.”"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/8100329/Key-suspect-stole-students-identity-to-post-bombs.html
__
Note: Despite The President of Yemen whom on Friday said, There Was NO, NO NO Fedex or UPS plains that Left For England, France nor Any America's liar rag-heads in the Gulf (Dubai, Arab Emeritus). OYE...!
Remember: This imaginary "PLOT" (Before Election) or Threat Started With Israel spreading the News or sending the Tip! MOSSAD Anybody??? See what i [WE] see?? OYE...!
OYE... It was mean for the Jewish Votes, who Makes or Breaks the American DEMO{CRAPS Party! Oye...
You've S H A A M E D America OBAMA, Polosi, Hillary, Schumer et al!
___
VOTE: Death To The DEMOCRAPs Party!
VOTE: Death To The DEMOCRAP Party!
VOTE: Death To The DEMOCRAPs Party!
___
SUMMARY: Somebody Said: "YO CAN FOOL SOME 'of 'The-People' Some Time, Buy "NAY" All The Time! So AMERICA's incumbent Desperado's Democrap Party, State Department Etc.. created These self-planted Plots to Distract the Voters from the Real Problems.. Especially the Elderly!
Note: SMART American & Smart Government Should Never Let The Terror Threat Or Card, be So Important Anymore!
The New Question is: NOt Where the Terrorists Are: But rather
WHERE Are The "ROBBER BARON"S [Real Terrorists]?? Donating to Their 'Constituents' (Protectors) Evil Campaigns!???? OYEV...!
___
Note: America's Co-Conspirators In England and France are Also [Trying; Nice Try] To "Distract Euro's Members Real [Financial] Problem.
Example: Today GERMANY MEREKEL Said, NINE! NO, to IRELAND (Bill CLINTON's & CO. 2nd Home & a R.C.C. PEDPHILE NATION). PORTUGAL (a Roman Catholic empire) & SPAIN (A R.C.C. Empire to)
Pleazza, Better "Blow Yourselves-Up" Instead!!
Posted by: woodstock-41 | October 31, 2010 8:56 PM
OYE...!
Posted by: woodstock-41 | October 31, 2010 8:52 PM
OYE: WHY DO WE, The People Need To Know About This 'Plot' that did't Kill 1 fly!???
Instead:
Where are the All those "WALL-STREET Robber Barona aka [Economic] Terrorists?
more B R E A K I N G -- N E Ws (16/17:00 hrs)
Another BIG GOV'T LIE!
Excerpt: Desperado & Patsy; DEMOCRAPs of CA. & wannabe U.S. Congress Woman Jane Harriman Covered Up and said,
"A WOMAN 'SUSPECT' being Interrogated lalala ....the ink cartridge ... was packed with pentaerythritol tetranitrate, or PETN, confirming what Jane Harman, a Democratic ... had told the New York Times newspaper earlier." OYE...!
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/10/2010103017926499781.html
___
Another Gov't Plot With Promises & BRIBERY of a Sovereign Nation [YEMEN Officials, the 4th Poorest Nation on Earth]. Talkin bout Persuasion and PROPAGANDA based on FALSE Conspiracy's (And Planted Real Chemicals) & attempting to Fool "The PEOPLE."
DEATH to the LYING DEMOCRATIC PARTY & their Accomplices!
Maybe it was the Jealous/Desperate Democrats who Caused 911? After what they hath done lately, i[WE] Wouldn't pass that thought up, so Maybe Ishlami's have/had it right. Aye?
VOTE: Hell{NO to bad Apple [DEMOCRAP] OYE...!
B O O M & B U S T!
Where are the All those "WALL-STREET Robber Barona aka [Economic] Terrorists?
__ Point:
NO GOV'T Has Any Business to Inform The Free Walking Public About Any Threat from Any Ishlami's From Within nor Abroad!
The JOB Of The GOVERNMENT is to Fight Them Terrorist Quietly: Just Go After Them. It's NOt like Hitler is invading or China etc..
More People in America Die of Car Accidents + Drug Overdoses Annually Then The total Amount Of Soldiers Died in Vietnam During the Entire Campaign!
__
YES, WE KNOW, "IF Ye See Something, Then Say Something".
But WE Don't Need To Hear The same ole Crapo, "Terrorist This" Levels That, Osama Momma's etc..!
WE The People Don't Need to Hear about (COULD've). Plus LESS Publicity Is How Yo Eradicate more Terrorism (or inflame it; or implants such thoughts etc..).
STOP THE MEDIA/ANXIETY PROPAGANDA CARD/GAME! The Public Does Not Need To Know! It's All Bulll!
STOP THE MEDIA/ANXIETY PROPAGANDA CARD/GAME! The Public Does Not Need To Know! It's All Bulll!
STOP THE MEDIA/ANXIETY PROPAGANDA CARD/GAME! The Public Does Not Need To Know! It's All Bulll!
STOP USING THE MEDIA/ANXIETY PROPAGANDA CARD/GAME!
STOP USING THE MEDIA/ANXIETY PROPAGANDA CARD/GAME!
STOP USING THE MEDIA/ANXIETY PROPAGANDA CARD/GAME! DO Your Fkn-JOBS! Don't Boast. DO silently! GO! Leave Us Citizens alone already
WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT CREATING JOBS! Not some weak Bombs News
YES, WE KNOW, "IF Ye See Something, Then Say Something".
WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT CREATING JOBS! Not False Bombs News!!
YES, WE KNOW, "IF Ye See Something, Then Say Something".
Where are the All those "WALL-STREET Robber Barona aka [Economic] Terrorists?
Not Bin Laden [Who's already DEAD!]
Posted by: woodstock-41 | October 30, 2010 9:14 PM
GOTCHA!
A Self inflicted DEATH TO the American DEMOCRATIC-PARTY aka the Jock-Oss Party!
B R E A K I N G -- N E W S: (07 hrs today.)
Excerpt: "The government of Yemen has expressed astonishment at the cargo plane bomb plots, claiming there were "NO" UPS or [Fed-Ex] cargo planes that had taken off from Yemen on Friday or any indirect or direct flights to British or American airports.
WHO NEEDS "Wikileaks"!
iMPORTANTO:: For the same reason that Delusional (Nepotist, Usurper & "POWERCRAT" of OUR not their Constitution) via Ex-Senator Hillary Clinton, who illegally became the "Sec. of State" under OBAMA/Peloso Tutelage and once-upon a time claimed she had to literally 'Duck' Gun Fire (imaginary Bullets flying over her/their head) while in KOSOVO or Albania etc..(She Should'v said That When Visiting Israel, not Kosovo) THAT
The LIAR's Of the OBAMA Regime are Goin DOWN! So are Their Foreign Leaderships CO-Partners in Crime by the 'THE BIG LIE'rs Club].
Pleazza, Don't be DENIAL to "THE PEOPLE"!
WE[i], Automatic Citizenz/Denizenz of S.pace S.hip Earth; Thank The [Qausi Secular] Government of YEMEN for Exposing them 'Satanic Versus Lovers (not only applies to iShlami's) within our [Abrahamic infested] Government! Thus Catching them in Their Own Game. YES BELIEVE [The Ishlami Govs] This time Only [but not all the time]!!
Shaame on England! Shaame on Israel! Shaame on France...
Note: Maybe France Should Take-Back their 'Statute Of Liberty'? (or [WE] should Ship it back).
GOOD BYE DEMOCRATS. You Should've Been Honest from the 'Get-Go'! aye?
___ N O W;
.......... . WHO NEEDS ‘LiBERTY’?
.
..... . . . OUR NATION IS BROKEN!
.
.................(_)
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..................... _\|/_ . . .
.......... #.\...... www . . .
.......... \ .\-.. . (/. .\) . . . [THE STATUTE]
.......... /\. /,`\. /\ . /\ . . .
... |.\/ . .. _) (_ . . . .
.......... `\.' . ; . ; . ,. ;`\ . . . .
....…………...... `\; . ; . . . .. . ; /U\ . . .
......…………..... .`\; . . . . .; . ;| .S.\ .
................ ; . . '' ' ; . .......... . . A. ./ .
.... |_.'' . . . . .; | . ./.)
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.. _ _|
..|::|\|::|............................[THE CITYs]
……...|::|/|::|
…..|::|/|::|. . . . ... |::|\|::|
. . .. |:|"|/|||::|/|::|\|||/||:|
__
Credits "JJ"
Posted by: woodstock-41 | October 30, 2010 3:34 PM
You are too pessimistic because FDR gave us Social Security; it's not much, but better than nothing. LBJ gave us Medicare, much better than nothing. Obama is working for universal health care, a safety net - very expensive you will say - but better than having millions un-insured crowding the hospital's ER.
FDR, LGJ, Obama are all democrats. Republican gave us bankings de-regulations,the cause of present problems.
Religious preachers are sure that G-D is just and created many things including our planet, but our planet has slow moving tectonic plates that cause earthquakes and tsunamies, killing thousand innocent babies and children.
The conclusions are obvious.
Posted by: ThishowIseeit | October 30, 2010 2:24 PM
HOW To Catch FRANCE, Israel, England and now U.S. in a B I G -- L I E!
Psychologically spakething; Suddenly ALL Before The Elections:
First it started with a FALSE & phony, concocted 'Bin Laden message [WHO is In Fact DEAD; an they know this] message BUT YOU (voting Suckers) DON'T] now
Pleasa Oyevay!
Another BIG LIE!
"Cargo plane bomb plot alert: w/photos of self-serving explosive devices 'designed to harm US synagogues'" Oye...!??
[Self Serving] BOMBS Found In or near Borack Obama's Home Town... la la, but Obama is Not Afraid to gout on the campaign trail. Oye...!????
Found Bombs at or Near Sinagogues, lalala Oye...!???
CIA Head? Said, lalala... Oye...!???
[Coalition Created] Al Qaida; from YEMEN did it etc.. etc.. OYE...!??
like the IShlami's are really coming at US (Keffirs) All at Once?? as forewarned? Pleazza!
Oyevayzmeer!! Weak Weak weak!
Nice Try OBAMA Admin & Desperado's!
___
Note: Between this Hour & by Monday There will be More BOMB, TERRORISTS stuff Fed to Unsuspecting Voters!
Maybe Prez Obama will be Assassinated by an "inside-Job" before Tuesday? Now In AMERICA (The 1 We used to know) Anything is Possible!
This Time, Shame on The U.S. Government & CO!
END the lies lies lies! yet More Lies r aComing ye/Yo ways! (not OUR way).
VOTE: GOOD RIDDANCE! BOY/Gal who Cried WOLFE!
VOTE: NO D-E-M-O-C-R-A-P-S Party!
STOP THE LiE's, REVEAL THE TRUTH!
STOP THE LiE's, EXPOSE THE TRUTH!
STOP THE LiE's, REVEAL THE TRUTH!..
__
Remember: P-R-O-P-A-
BIN LADEN ids DEAD!
BIN LADEN is DEAD!
b>BIN LADEN is DEAD!
America created Him, Now They created othew's Bin Ladens??: O' Shame on DEMOCRACY!
Vote: HELL-NO DEMOCRATS! NO To ENGLAND'S QUEENS & KINGS Yoke!
The BRITISH [r the Biggest Trouble Makers on Earth; Not JU's/Israel, Not MUSLIMS!]
VOTE: BRITISH must GO not Come here! Let Them (Includes Australia & New Zealand) Fight the New Bin Ladens & Extinguish their Lamps!
NO MORE USA!
ENGLAND LAST!
_
POiNT: ISLAM will Defeat ITSELF in near Time:
WE[i] VOTING AMERICANS {The Real JURISTS} Don't Need to see The LIE's Perpetrated by "Democracy's! Current ADMI!?
Their Act & Behavior Is Blasphemous and an Abomination on a National/Conscious Level: Hint: It will surely Boomerang with a Vengeance!
BEHOLD: The Great OIL EMBARGO IS COMING! And Revolution In Many Nations! Thank You OMAMA! Thank You CLINTON's! Thank You PALOSI's, BADENS, SCHUMER & Evil Officials, aka Satanic VersUS Lovers!
!
YE art Surely gonna Shoot Selves W/out shooting a Shot. And it will start in Ye/Yo SLEEP! Ye/Yo Will Be talking in Tongues, like the folks of Sodom & Babel long long ago!
Posted by: woodstock-41 | October 30, 2010 12:54 AM
If there's one thing we should have learned by now, it's the power of negative thinking.
Posted by: WmarkW | October 29, 2010 1:14 PM
Oooopss.
In The 2nd Part, or Act 2 of the last part of the Post-Mid-Term Presidential Election; THAT
WE[i] Shall Vote for Any "CANDID"ate (Not Fork-Tongue) Who Will 'Promise' (Not Thomas's) that HE or She or They will "ABOLISH THE "WHITE-HOUSE" FAITH-BASED [CHURCH's] IN OUR (not Their) GOVERNMENT!
NO EXCEPTiON!
Vote: Sara PALIN For PREZ and MITT ROMNEY For Vice-Prez! Or Visa-Vis!
Note: Both are E-X-P-E-R-i-E-N-C-E-D [Governor's)! Not Floozy's, ooppps, NOt Loozer's!!
Eeee Haaa!