Benny the
Dip
Rev. Richard Abel
“Benny the Dip” is a slang term used for a sneak thief who picks peoples pockets. A pickpocket or “dip” generally operates with the assistance another person who distracts or diverts the attention of his victim while he helps himself to the contents of his or her pocket or purse.
After watching Dateline NBC’s most recent expose on Benny Hinn and his “healing ministry”, I was disgusted even further by what was revealed concerning a man whom I believe has been picking the pockets of many dear and desperate folk who come to him sincerely believing that he has a great “anointing” from God to bring healing to their infirmed bodies.
Sadly
enough, Hinn has never been able to produce any documentation demonstrating
unequivocally that anyone has been irrefutably, miraculously healed under his
“ministry”. This reality has been
documented very well in the book “The Confusing World of Benny Hinn”, written
by G. Richard Fisher and M. Kurt Goedelman.
This book, now in its 9th edition, is a must read for anyone
who really desires to know the truth concerning Benny Hinn “the great faith
healer”. [1]
The
evidence has been in for a long time from both Christian and secular
sources. If people would do their
homework, they could easily find out what a fraud Hinn really is.
Dateline
gave us a glimpse into the opulent lifestyle that Hinn lives at the expense of
those who believe in and support his “ministry”. The mansions he lives in, the high-priced vehicles he drives or
the hotel rooms he stays in while traveling (some costing more than $10,000 per
night) do not bespeak the lifestyle of a humble servant of the Lord Jesus
Christ. This is a far cry from the
life-style of Apostle Paul that we find recorded in the New Testament
Epistles. Nor does it seem to line up
with our Lord’s way of doing business.
We read Jesus’ words in Luke 9:58 where He said of Himself, “Foxes
have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not
where to lay his head.”
Now, I
don’t think that preachers should have to stay in the cheapest, flea infested
motel they can find, but I do think that Benny Hinn could do just fine in a “Super 8” as I, and many other
preachers, have often done.
While
there are indeed many sincere (yet deceived), God-seeking people following
after Hinn, I also believe that there are any number of people who follow after
him in order to feed their own superficial spirituality on all of the
experiential, charismatic hype found at any of Hinn’s meetings.
Methinks
that the vast majority of Hinn’s followers fall into this second category and
are not at all interested in knowing the truth about this man. I know from personal experience how his
devotees have responded to me after asking me what I thought about Benny
Hinn. After politely telling them the
truth, I’m viewed as the evil one coming against the “man of God”. These people have absolutely no thought of
checking out for themselves what I have said.
They believe what they want to believe and that’s the end of it.
Such
people remind me of my school days and some kid walking around with a sign
saying, “Kick Me” taped to his backside.
It is these people who keep feeding Benny Hinn’s pride as well as his
appetite for the luxuries of this life.
As long
as such deceivers are applauded and adored by the deceived they will continue
to pick their victim’s pockets while using their “charismatic gifts” as the
assistant who distracts them.
For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell
you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end
is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame,
who mind earthly things. Philippians 3:18, 19 KJV