"Money Cometh to Me Now!" Why I left this Church and pray for those left behind!: Mother's Day at Light of the World Church (another...

"Money Cometh to Me Now!" Why I left this Church and pray for those left behind!: Mother's Day at Light of the World Church (another...: As Mother's Day approaches once again this weekend, I want to extend a Happy Mother's Day to all.  Mom's are very special people, especially...

Mother's Day at Light of the World Church (another money cometh scam)

As Mother's Day approaches once again this weekend, I want to extend a Happy Mother's Day to all.  Mom's are very special people, especially if you are part of Light of the World Church in Ft Pierce, FL.

While I was there, we would plan a mother's day celebration, not for the mom's in the church, but for Joyce Leiphon the pastor of LOTWC.  This is how it works:

All of the core group would receive an email from one of Joyce's assistants extolling the virtues of the pastor and how much of a blessing to us she is and how she means so much to us etc.  We would have a list of items of appreciation to contribute to.  All these items were approved by Joyce herself or a close family member.  Actually there was a "gift fund" we would put additional monies in each week/month for these special occasion's. This in addition to the other offerings to Joyce Leiphon.  I remember we had a private meeting and some of the families who were struggling in their finances wanted to make something simple, you know, something from the heart, a simple card or handmade gift.  A big NO was the answer they got!  Our pastor deserves the very best and we will not do anything less than that!

So on Mother's Day, Joyce Leiphon would receive lavish gifts, one year it was a big screen tv, an I-pad, cash money etc.  The leadership, (I was one) would give a small speech and sing a song to her for all she did for us.  Imagine that, a song of praise to a person, (I've since repented and sing only songs of praise to the only one of whom all praise is deserved!) Then, those who wanted to say something and give her a gift would be able to speak.  One of the only times anyone was able to speak (with gift in hand).  We would even call Joyce Leiphon our "spiritual mother".  The spiritual mother thing always bothered me and even then I was uncomfortable calling Joyce Leiphon, "Mom".

I'm not against showing appreciation to anyone, however in the case of hijacking Mother's Day and using it to earthly gain in the name of Jesus is just plain WRONG!  Calling Joyce Leiphon "my spiritual mother" was off base and elevating her to a higher level than deserved was totally WRONG!

I'm glad and thanks be to God that my eyes were opened and set free from this false gospel that is really a cult.  Celebrate your Mom this weekend.  Joyce Leiphon, you are not special and do not deserve the worship you demand from your followers.

"Money Cometh to Me Now!" Why I left this Church and pray for those left behind!: Where does the money come from Joyce? An answer t...

"Money Cometh to Me Now!" Why I left this Church and pray for those left behind!: Where does the money come from Joyce? An answer t...: I received this comment on one of the posts recently and would like to give a few answers, Here is the comment first: Sorry, I'm not very k...

Where does the money come from Joyce? An answer to a readers question

I received this comment on one of the posts recently and would like to give a few answers, Here is the comment first:
Sorry, I'm not very knowledgeable about tithing or what this Storehouse is. But what I would like to know is where all this money is coming from that enables Joyce to live so high on the hog? Rent and utilities and furnishings for a leased church suite are not cheap. She apparently has quite a luxurious home and it is not likely that the mortgage, taxes, and insurance are cheap on that either. Even if she doesn't have a car payment, she has to maintain that vehicle, buy gas for it and pay insurance on it. Not to mention clothes, food, internet, electric bills, water bills, telehone bills, cell phone bills, cable TV bills, and so forth and so on. Extremely interesting......just where is all this money coming from?

Joyce Leiphon teaches the "Money Cometh to Me Now" false gospel.   The cult like following is very real and she teaches that not only are you to give tithes (10%) of your income as well as offerings (anything above 10%) to the church, but it doesn't stop there.  You are expected to give and to give at each of the meetings.  If you miss a meeting, you are still required to give.  As I explained in my first post, money is number # 1 at Light of the World Church.  Since there is no oversight and she has complete control of the money, where that money goes is not open for discussion at "her" church.

The real income comes from the "Money Cometh to Me!" doctrine.  This is where she teaches that God will give you money if you give her money first.  It's cloaked in Christinese so it sounds like it's good thing to do.  At each meeting, I mean even at prayer meetings you were expected to give directly to her.  While I was there we were in the $100 club.  At each meeting, Monday prayer, Wed meeting, Sunday morning we would, in addtion to tithes and offerings, give Joyce Leiphon $100 personally!  Yes we did it because we thought that's what God wanted, but it was also because WE wanted something in return.  We would write on the check what we wanted from God.  Kinda like using God as an ATM machine. Simple math puts that at least $300 bucks each week from just one family.  We weren't alone in the $100 club as there was a few other families doing the same thing.   Add it up and it comes to alot money in her hands each week to do as she wills.  (What happened to God's will?)

In my first post I talked about some of the other perks Joyce Leiphon enjoys as pastor of Light of the World Church.  She even had a personal assistant emailing the church members about what gifts she wanted.  I mean does Joyce really need that $1200 Louis Vuitton purse?  A personal valet?  An offering to cover her lawn maintence? Designer dresses? Joyce Leiphon teaches this and we did all these things and more.  If you feel inclined, take a look at her church website, scroll down and see what Leroy Thompson brags about when he pulled $15 grand out of these people when he visited recently  It's the Edification sound clip.  It's all about the money!

Making money out of the Gospel of Christ is just plain wrong, yet I was deceived for 3 1/2 years doing all this crazy money game thinking I was pleasing God.  All it did was make me behind in my bills, forgo gifts to my family, and made Joyce Leiphon some money!  I had forgotten what God really wants, and it's not your money.  Do not be deceived.  Give as you are lead by God, I hope this answers your question.

Joyce Leiphon on healing, get it or it's your own fault!

I recently spoke with a Christian believer and a brother in Christ.  He called me about my blog and wanted to speak with me about a few things.  I'll call my friend Tim, as he has given me permission to write about this and to share his experience with Joyce Leiphon.

I remember Tim while my time there, he visited Light of the World Church for a few months.  He was breathing with the assistance of an oxygen tank and could tell it was difficult for him to get around.

Joyce Leiphon prides herself as a miracle worker and claims she has healed hundreds of people during the course of her ministry.  Money has always been connected to faith at this church, so if you gave more, you should expect more, and receive more.  The god of giving only gives if you give to the woman of god.  When we had "healing conventions" at Light of the World Church it would always come back to money.

At one meeting, Tim came up for prayer and Joyce went through her antics, (shouting, screaming, shaking, etc) to heal Tim and get him cured of his lung disease.  Unfortunately, as praise and worship leader I was setting the atmosphere for her god to show up and produce a miracle.  She touched a few people and they did the "falling out" thing.   When she got to Tim, nothing happened.  Tim has been a Christian for many years and believes in healing but Joyce literally pushed him down in a chair and then commanded him to prove his healing by running around the church!  After a few minutes, a very winded Tim wasn't healed and was visibly shaken after having to endure the Joyce Leiphon healing show.  Joyce said flippantly to the church, "He just doesn't get it!" and moved on.  I never gave it a thought until my recent phone call from Tim.

I continue write about what I personally saw and was a part of while at Light of the World Church.  In retrospect, I realize the lack of compassion for the people came there for help.  If you didn't get your healing or your money, you just "didn't get it".  You didn't believe enough or give enough money.  Tim never came back after that day and is currently on a lung transplant list.

Joyce Lephion on "The Midas Touch" by Kenneth Hagin Sr a message from Hell?

On one Sunday, I forgot to "sow our seed" to Joyce. This is when, we would walk up to the podium and lay our money down while she was preaching. If it was a large amount, $100 or more, she'd wave it in the air and yell out "Money Cometh to Me Now!" I got a call on Monday morning out of concern that we not miss our blessings since we were so connected to her and I was expected to show by example to give her money each meeting. I was reading a book from Word of Faith grandfather Kenneth Hagin Sr called "The Midas Touch". This was one of his last books before his passing in 2003. It was about bringing balance to the prosperity gospel. It seemed many of his followers at the time (spiritual sons?) were doing some wacky things in regard to money. He called a meeting and if you click the link you will see all the famous money preachers showed up, funny thing, Leroy Thompson was one of his spiritual sons and refused to heed the warning from his mentor. Joyce told me she was aware of this meeting and that Doc Thompson was told by God not to come. She told me to destroy that book and never read it, adding it was a book with a message from hell! She later called me and told me, that Kenneth Hagin Jr actually wrote the book out of a spirit of vindictiveness. She finally told me (ordered me) not to read that book anymore....period... talk about control issues!

If the grandfather of the word of faith movement tried to bring some sanity to the money gospel, it didnt' last long. I couldn't believe Joyce would tell me to throw the book away, plus it was a message from hell! She went as far as saying Kenneth Hagin Jr actually wrote it because he was jealous over Leroy's money making gig.....Imagine that! She used to quote Kenneth Hagin Sr many times, but I guess his book about the abuses of making money off the gospel was too much to bear for her. So the money game continues at Light of the World Church in Ft Pierce. Glad I'm outta there!

Other money making schemes and is the “Prosperity Gospel” heresy?

I remember the beginning of each year at Light of the World Church, starting at New Years Eve, everyone was required to come to church to pray the new year in. I see nothing wrong with praying as we should continue to pray without ceasing. However, when the members were trying to outdo each other by giving her money as the clock struck midnight and she would wave the cash in the air declaring "Money Cometh to Me Now!" I felt like....so this is the God we serve? The more you gave, the richer you would become in the coming year. Got it and did it for several years. I never got rich at all. There was an unspoken competition who could give her the most money. I didn't pay my bills so I could do this, passed on giving gifts to family, did without meals, all in the belief that by "giving 'till it hurts" was somehow something God wanted me to do. Interestingly, in the last year I stopped believing this lie and gave as the Holy Spirit led, I was blessed and it had nothing to do with shouting and jumping up and down yelling "money cometh to me now"

The first few months of the year was great for Joyce Leiphon as she taught us (brainwashed) us into giving what she said was "first fruit" offerings that went to her directly. So, like obedient sheeple, we gave our first weeks salary, first sales commission, she would wave it in the air then put it in her bank account. Back a few years ago when the government gave everyone a tax credit and everyone received $500-1,000 check, she told us that money belonged to her! Some members actually gave her their tax refund that year. I did my own study about "first fruit offerings" and while there is such a thing mentioned in the old testament, I believe the way it was done at Joyce Leiphon's church was just another money making deal.

I found this very interesting as it is the same gospel preached at Joyce Leiphon's church in Ft Pierce. The exception in the article is that the "Money Cometh" churches are much more in your face with the money message.

Is the “Prosperity Gospel” heresy?