Oral Roberts
"Second, we know Jesus was not poor because He needed to have a treasurer. According to John 13:29, a disciple by the name of Judas Iscariot was Jesus' treasurer. Now a treasurer is needed by a person who must deal with large sums of money that has to be accounted for, write checks, make purchases and pay bills, taxes and debts. You ask, 'Did Jesus have that kind of money?' Yes, or He wouldn't have needed a treasurer. He had so much that later Judas stole from the treasury."
(Oral Roberts, "How I Learned Jesus Was Not Poor," page 16)
"Fifth, Jesus wore good clothes. Today we talk about 'Designer clothes,' that is, uniquely made and different from the ordinary. But Jesus' clothes were even better than that."
(Oral Roberts, "How I Learned Jesus Was Not Poor," page 24)
"Jesus was not poor. He had a house. He had a treasury. He had a team. He had a partner family. He had nice clothes, and He was put in a rich man's trust fund."
(Oral Roberts, "How I Learned Jesus Was Not Poor," page 28)
"Benny Hinn means so much to the world, but not just to the world, but so much to Oral Roberts and his family. He's my represenative now, in going to the nations of the world. He goes in my place...I trust him with my financial gifts that I send him....Send your financial gift. I'm telling you it works, you will get more than you gave...God will multiply that seed back to you, Just watch!"(Oral Roberts, on the Benny Hinn Telethon, LeSea Network, April 16, 2004)
"Someone will be watching this ministry on the air, who promised a large sum [of money] to God. And you act like you have given it, but you did not pay it. You are so close to lying to the Holy Ghost, that within days you will be dead unless you pay the price God said. And somebody here is getting the message. You're on the edge of lying to the Holy Ghost. Don't lie to the Holy Ghost. The prophet has spoken."
Oral Roberts "divinely berated" the Assemblies of God leadership, the Charlotte Observer newspaper, and evangelist Jimmy Swaggart over the disclosure of his friend Jim Bakker's sexual and financial indiscretions. Roberts told his nationwide audience:
"And the Word of the Lord in my mouth is to you, my brother, whom we all love, you're sowing discord. And the Lord said, 'Discord will come back to you.' Flee my brother, repent, and ask God to cleanse you. For you're a good man and we love you. And the Word of the Lord is saying to those people in the headquarters of that denomination, where Jim out of graciousness turned in his ordination papers because they wanted him to, and you've not accepted it. You've said, 'No we're gonna strip him. We're gonna crush him.'...The Word of the Lord is coming to you from Oral Roberts' mouth today, if you strip Jim Bakker, you've touched God's annointed, you've harmed God's prophet. And the Word of the Lord says, 'Touch not my annointed, do no harm to my prophets.'...I beg you, headquarters of a great denomination, one that we respect and love, desist, move back, and treat Jim Bakker as what he is, an annointed man, a prophet of God. And the hand of the Lord will not fall upon you. But the Lord will bless you. And to the great newspaper: You seem so immune to what our God can do, You've touched God's annointed and you've tried to harm God's prophet, Jim Bakker. You've come into an unholy alliance with these others in the name of religion and morality. You've set yourself up to be a standard of morality, when you're not. The Word of the Lord comes unto you from my mouth. And the Lord says that He'll create great dissension in your ranks. You'll have such dissension in your ranks. You'll have such dissension that it'll spread across the news media of America and you will not know what you're doing. There'll be much falling out and falling apart, anger among yourselves. And you'll wonder why this has happened."
(Pfo Quarterly Journal, January-March, 2003, pg. 6-7. Oral Roberts, Richard Roberts Live broadcast, March 1987)
However, when the facts all confirmed the allegations and vindicated Swaggart, the Assemblies of God denomination, and the Charlotte Observer, Oral Roberts admitted:
"Out of this experience I went on nationwide television and preached a message of forgiveness and that after a period of time, there should be restoration. I also said some harsh words about a great church, the Assemblies of God, and the fellow brother, Jimmy Swaggart. At that time, I did not have all the information that they possessed and I did not perceive that they were ever going to forgive Jim Bakker in their hearts. I also did not understand their full procedure for withdrawing ordination papers and working to restore a minister. Also, at the time I didn't know the full story about finances and other alledged irregularities."
(Oral Roberts, "The Media Have Had Their say, Now The Truth," Abundant Life, September-October 1987, pg. 9)
"Some people think they don't have anything to give to the Lord. But everybody has something they can give.
I once told a man who was facing bankruptcy that if he would give out of his need and aim his seed toward his need, I felt God would deliver him from his financial strain. "But, Mr. Roberts, I don't have anything to give!" he exclaimed.
"Everybody has something to give," I said. "Think about it. Seed must be sown. If all you sow are your good intentions, how can God multiply them into a harvest that you can reap?"
As he thought about it, he discovered there was something of value that he could give to God. And when he gave it, a miraculous change took place in his business and in his spiritual life as well!
If you're wondering what kind of seed you should give, let me ask you a question: What is your need?"
(Oral Roberts, "Sow a Seed to God," Article CFAITH)
"Oral an Richard, here are the names of my loved ones who need to know Jesus or need a miracle in their lives...As I write their names, I am releasing my faith for a miracle in their lives. And as I plant my seed of faith, I am declaring that God's circle of life will not be broken in my family.
Yes! I want to plant a seed of my faith into this ministry. As I sow so that others can be reached by the gospel, I'm expecting to reap a harvest of miracles in my life according to Luke 6:38. I sow my seed of $______ believing for a miracle harvest."
(Oral Roberts Ministries, Prayer request sheet 2004)
"When you return your prayer sheet, write down the names of your loved ones who need to know Jesus as their savior. Do it as a point of contact to release your faith. And if you feel led, send a non-returnable photo so we can pray over them. Then plant a seed of your faith against the devil, who would love to break God's everlasting circle in your family.
Your seed not only can produce a harvest of salvation and deliverance in your own family, but it can help us take the message of the Gospel to many families around the world."
(Oral Roberts Ministries, Letter from their ministry 2004)
"Hello, this is Richard Roberts, thank you for calling the Oral Roberts Ministries for your prayer cloth. In these times of turmoil and uncertainty, Linsday and I want to send this to you for a powerful point of contact to help you release your faith for miracles."
(Oral Roberts Ministries, When you call the number for your prayer cloth, 2004)
"Oral Roberts once mailed out plastic bags full of "holy water" from the River of Life Fountain at ORU. To demonstrate how to use the stuff, he poured a bag of it over his own wallet on his television program while standing knee deep in the fountain."
"Prosperity teachers are so committed to presenting a Jesus who wears a Rolex that they are willing to do whatever it takes to sell this myth to their parishioners. Oral Roberts, for example, wrote a book titled "How I Learned Jesus Was Not Poor."
"On January 4, 1987, Roberts launched his most notable campaign to date. Roberts told his followers that if he did not raise a total of 8 million dollars by March, God was going to take his life...Comparing himelf to the apostle Paul, Roberts begged not to let Satan defeat him. "God" he says, "clearly told me he needs me here on earth. And here's why, because of all the ministries, this ministry is the only one God has on this earth that owns a medical school."...Some time later, Oral's son, Richard, took pen in hand to warn of his father's impending doom. Without "the additional $4,500.000." explains Richard, "God will not extend Dad's life." He then pleads, "Partner, we cannot let this man of God die. There is no reason for him to die." ...After sternnly warning, "IF YOU NEGLECT TO PAY ATTENTION...Then Satan will take advantage and hit you with bad things and you will wish that 1985 had never come," Roberts closed his letter with a hard sell. Sending a seed-faith gift will not only enable you to "STOP SATAN IN HIS HATE TO BRING YOU DOWN," it will also "help you get your hundredfold return."
According to Roberts, the money will be used to provide full scholarships for medical missionaries who will later be sent to Third World nations...On his program "Expect a Miracle" of January 4, Roberts claimed that unless he received $4.5 million for scholarships at Oral Roberts University Medical School, God would take him home by March....The televangelist said that $3.5 million has already been raised, but urged his supporters to extend his life by providing the remaining $4.5 million before March.
(Christian Research Journal, Winter/Spring 1987, pg. 5)
"Jesus was put in a rich man's trust to insure He had a proper burial place--actually, so that He might be buried with the rich."
(Oral Roberts, "How I Learned Jesus Was Not Poor," page 11)
"Jesus had a house large enough for guests."
(Oral Roberts, "How I Learned Jesus Was Not Poor," page 11)
"Jesus had a team, a large one that He had to support financially from city to city."
(Oral Roberts, "How I Learned Jesus Was Not Poor," page 11)
"Yes, Jesus had a house, a good one for the day in which He lived, and so can you. Stand on the Word of God that tells where Jesus dwelt and say, 'I will work, I will sow my seed, I will believe, and I will expect a miracle and get my house."
(Oral Roberts, "How I Learned Jesus Was Not Poor," page 15-16)
"Wearing His [Jesus] seamless robe, enrolled in a rich disciple's trust fund for His burial, and having a treasurer to handle His funds, He went up and down the land living example, proclaiming, 'I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.'"
(Oral Roberts, "How I Learned Jesus Was Not Poor," page 92)
"Jesus wore good clothes, clothes that many people today might call designer clothes, clothes that were costly and unique to His needs."
(Oral Roberts, "How I Learned Jesus Was Not Poor," page 11)
"Oral Roberts shows that not only was Jesus not poor, but in several important ways He was rich. Jesus had a house. He had a treasury adequate to finance His team ministry. He had a group of faithful donors, so on....He [Oral Roberts] gives practical teaching on breaking the spirit of poverty..."
(Oral Roberts, Back insert on cover of his book, "How I Learned Jesus Was Not Poor")
