Looks like the 9/28/08 Chest of Joash service may have been a royal humdinger of a bust.As of 10/3/08, the budget committments were $8.5 million, compared to an annual budget likely to be around $16 million. Mac tried to fleece us for a cool million in cash that day, but only got $245k (which ain't bad).
I said it before and I said it again: those of you who are wising up to Mac and Honey's fleecing of our church, the ONE AND ONLY way we can make a difference and be heard by Mac and his hand-picked trustees is to stop the money faucet.
Maybe more money and pledges will trickle in. Maybe this is typical for us to be so low on pledges as compared to our budget and I'm just whistling Dixie. But its worth noting that the giving is way down.
If we have to tighten our belts and cut, let's see is Mac gives up some of his salary. Or his wife's. Or son's. Not likely.
By the way, if you haven't been able to drive through Deerwood to check out your preacher's pad because its a gated community, here is a front picture of Mac's digs that your tithes and offerings help pay for - this is the 2-story, 5200 square foot, 6 bedroom, 4.5 bath home valued at $1.1 million. It sits on the 0.6 acre tract of land valued at $275,000 that was given to Mac just 2 weeks after he arrived in Jax in the spring of 2006. The picture below wasn't wide enough to show the entire house, it is so wide.
Ain't God good?
23 comments:
Watchdog,
A little off the subject but I noticed one of our lead men in the finance committee went on vacation with Brunson and Honey.
Guess some you bulldog and others you smooze. Tom Stymler (also on the pulpit committee who brought in Brunson) was on vacation with the Brunson's. Nice move Brunson!
What a wonderful sermon tonight. I learned so much.
I learned that we have a man of the mental capacity of Jeremiah Wright in the pulpit.
Mac said tonight:
"You think God hadn't been actively doing something? God says 'I've been active all this time. I've been active putting into place all these things. I've been actively seeing how high I can get gasoline for you Americans, I've been actively seeing how I can cause the economy to crash because if you will not turn to me in my blessings on you I will TAKE THEM AWAY..."
Now that is a pinhead. That is worthy of play on Bill O'Reilly's show on his "Pinhead/Patriot" segment.
That's not a preacher. That's a pinhead. That's an "SBC Jeremiah Wright". The only thing missing is a reference to "chickens coming home to roost"...WAIT A MINUTE....Mac did use that line as well!!! And I'm not lying!
What's so funny is just before he told us how God has been actively looking to crash our economy, he said, "Isn't our God good?"
As Joe Biden says, God love ya Mac.
Please everyone, invite your neighbors to come hear Mac next week tell us how God is responsible for taking their life savings away.
COME ON NOW...AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET A SATELLITE SET UP FOR THIS GUY DOWN IN SOUTHERN DUVAL SO HE CAN PREACH THIS ASININE CRAP TO MORE PEOPLE? WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!
He also tonight said, "We should be known by the way we talk to other people". And, "God allows us to endure the same treatment we have extended to others."
Lets hope he remembers those words as he goes about shepherding his people. He hasn't thus far.
He further said, "God allows us to go through crises and emergencies when blessings don't get our attention." And,"Every blessing that comes to you in the midst of sin is God saying, WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP. If blessings won't get you attention, maybe buffeting will."
He also said "God caused the economy to crash!" 911 and Hurricane Katrina were sent directly upon us by God, according to Mac.
My, my what an encourager this man is. Makes one wonder what he is like when he is in a Good Frame of Mind, probably like on a European vacation with vested friends.
WD - what amazes me is even after all of this going on, so many good Christian members still LOVE and RESPECT Mac and Honey and HATE this site. I don't get it. Is blind loyalty what you are called to? Hard to believe so many people don't see any problems at all with Mac and still see him as a great blessing to our church.
To those I would say, the only harm the watchdog is doing is cutting how easy it is to fleece ALL the people. SOME are wising up, and it is all due to the Watchdog, right? So without the Watchdog, imagine how much more money Mac and Honey and Tom Stimler could have to spend as they please.
SHAME ON YOU TOM STIMLER! You are a party to this "robbing of God" by Mac and FBC Jax. YOU SIR, will give an account to God and to all those that could have been helped with those millions you used for Mac and for our own selves. Sick, Sick, Sick. Do you not fear God? What are you gaining by such blind loyalty? Friendship with a celebrity preacher? Why not rather please the Lord? Shameful.
Tom Stimler, you are a good, honest Christian man. I am shocked you are so blind to what Mac is doing. Satan must be loving it, though. Why? Because you could have 30 Churches like Calvin Carr's or ONE like Mac's with that budget. If I were Satan, I would try to get everyone to give all their money and time to FBC Jax and Mac and continue to toss a few crumbs to those Christ came to minister to and serve. I would hope all of "God's money" would go to buildings and budgets and CEO salaries for preachers. Why should Mac make any more than Calvin? Just because he landed a job a larger church? Sure, Mac can supplement his income with book deals and preaching gigs that Calvin can't. Good for Mac. But why pay Mac so much more in salary? It is robbing God.
And all those good families are there at FBC Jax, giving not just their support, but also their love and respect. Amazing what a gullible, blind people we are. So ripe for wealth building, charismatic leaders to take us for all they can. All in the name of the Bible and of Jesus. Just turn on the TV and see the millionaires we created. Come Lord, Jesus!
Don't you realize this is negative reinforcement. It is a simple Pavlov psychological ploy to reduce the downplay of what's happening by introducing false logic whereby the hearers will give more money to satisfy the threats of the spokesperson that would supposedly prevent future calamities. God does not need our money, He owns the cattle on a thousand hills.I wonder where this "cutting edge" idea came from as it certainly does not come from the Word of God. Perhaps it is a marketing "buzz term". God does not sit on his throne and send depressions or problems on his people. He opens the windows of heaven. Here again you are receiving false information. All of this evil coming our way because we don't meet budget. If we had met budget would he still be saying these things? You're right, he would be saying God is blessing his people. Strange how the bible is used to trick the simple minded. Good going watchdog you catch him at every turn. You know your BIBLE. Can we get away from all of this guilt association or is this just another dig at the people? Recall how Robertson and Falwell said that 9-11 was done by God to punish America and they had to apologize for what they said. How dumb is this? They did not know the mind of God. I'm afraid today there are too many acting like they know what God is thinking and some even believe they talk and hear from God directly.
God is not active in sin. HE doesn't look upon sin. Man is perfectly capable of "ruining" his own life. God did not cause the greed and credit excess. Those leaders in Washington did that. Can we stop blaming God for man's failures. If the preacher actually thinks of such faulty logic, then what does that say to the rest of us. Maybe FBC needs to be "bailed out". FBC needs a new CEO. Not an infusion of funds to be wasted on excesses of the present CEO.
Well said Anons.
The man said in crystal clear language that God worked, God plotted, God planned....to have larger gas prices. God plotted and planned, worked behind the scenes to cause our economy to crash. That's rubbish. It is man's sin, his rebellious will that caused that. Our leaders in Washington that were selfish, looking out for their own interests instead of those of the average American are what is causing this crisis. It is Americans who took out mortgages beyond their means, then defaulted on them when their home values tanked and the interest rates increased on their loans.
To head Mac quote God, to clearly tell us what God says about these things...IN THE FIRST PERSON...is absolutely shameless, careless and nonsense.
And the gullible Kool Aid drinkers lap it up.
If the man pulled his pants down and mooned us most people would Amen and give him a standing ovation.
Make no mistake about it. God is in control ultimately. But He allows man to have his own will. It is man that brings upon himself disaster. As regards to natural disaster such as storm, hurricanes, etc., remember what happened with Job, who was manipulating disaster in Job's life? Right!!! Eph:2vs2: the prince of the power of the air. Eph..6:vs l2: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Satan is the enemy. We won't have heaven until we are there!!!
Tom Stimler went with the Brunson's to Europe? Isn't he the head of the "finance committee"? Maybe we're going to set up a satellite church in Milan or Sicily!!
Stock market is up, God must not be so mad at us today, eh Mac?
Come on people of FBC Jax...you need to sign up for those Salvation Army slots else God will get mad at us and the market will crash! Or another Katrina will happen! And those recalcitrants that haven't turned in their pledge cards or their fleece for the building maintenance: GET ON THE BALL BEFORE GOD GETS ANGRY AGAIN!!!!!
You people act so offended that Dr Brunson would even mention the possiblity that God might show another attribute besides mercy---God is so much more than mercy---He is just, He is vengeful, He is jealeous---the Bible says that all---and yes He is judging America and more importantly He is judging the church and the so called Christians who instead of making a difference for Christ and reaching out, would rather blog, complain, and rejoice in the fact that giving is down. Shame on YOU ALL who are rejoicing
KOOL AID ALERT!!!!
Dude: you don't need to lecture me about the attributes of God. I'm well aware of the many attributes of God.
But Jeremiah Brunson last night clearly, with no ambiguity, said that God himself was working to make our economy crash. That God was looking for a way to make our gas prices higher. That's a far cry from saying that God can teach us something as we endure these hardships...he is saying God is causing it. If that's your and Mac's God, then as Joe Biden says, "God love ya".
And lay off the Kool Aid.
This is amazing. Preachers are to preach God's Word from the bible. Not give the word their own lopsised interpretation. And, certainly do NOT put words in God's mouth. ICor.2:vs.l6:"For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."
Basically, FBCJAX is over!!! It's just "lip service" now. What a shame. It once was a mighty fortress for the Lord and a safe haven for those seeking salvation and forgiveness of sin. I never thought it would fall in my lifetime. But you know what I see? THEY DON"T CARE. Did you get that THEY DON"T CARE!!!! All that matters is "get the money". Ask yourself this: what do you hear most about...programs and money. None of this is getting people saved. Nor is it spiritually feeding the sheep.
I gave you the earlier lesson on the attributes of God which you apprently Do need. God can infact cause bad things to happen and in fact He has---why don't you read Jeremiah 29 where God says it was Him that caused Israel to be carried away captive out of all their comforts---it was Him that either causes or allows everything that happens in this world. God is under no obligation to make us happy all the time. God does judge sin and it may be time that He is judging America. Why is that so hard to believe? Why can't you accept that Watchdog? God causes things to happen for a reason and He very well could be causing this economy to crash and at the very least He is allowing it.
SOOO Watchdog, you have been blogging for quite sometime, and yet things continue down at FBCJAX. What are your recommendations for creating real change in our church? It's amazing to me that we have members of our church facing job loss, foreclosures, vehicles not working, etc. and yet our church staff are living in the life of luxury. Amazing on the house of Brunson. I can still remember the Lindsay's humble abode.
So, what do you recommend that we do?
If you believe Mac Brunson is the wrong man to lead our church, then stop giving to FBC Jax. Scriprute does not require that you bring your offerings to the storehouse at FBC Jacksonville. Use your offerings to help someone, or to aid some other worthwhile Christian cause.
That is the only thing that leaders like Mac and our trustees in this new "market driven" church culture understand: dollars and cents. If the giving dries up at FBC Jax, Mac will be sent out of town faster than you can say "Help us Calvin Carr".
Annon. 1:29 pm. We can agree slightly on one point. You stated that God causes everything to happen on earth ... absolutely not so. He does not cause nor look upon SIN..period. Maybe God is allowing man what man has asked for. But, please recognize that man's WILL brings about his own disasters. This Calvanist attitude that God directs every aspect of man's life is incorrect. He certainly is capable of doing so but ALLOWS man his own will. Otherwise, we would all be saved and live perfect lives, which we won't ever have on this earth. Calvanism does not concern itself much with salvation as they believe God is going to save whom HE will, therefore it really doesn't matter what you preach on salvation. We have a definite leaning toward this doctrine at FBC now. As it appears God does not always "interfere" in what is happening to man on earth. Because man does not always seek God's will but chooses his own path. As was said before, we won't have heaven and perfection until we get to heaven.
If you want to say that God is judging churches, then maybe he is judging FBC, and that is why Mac is failing at every turn. And maybe that is why the money has dried up. But keep in mind the "Judgement Seat of Christ", for the Christian is coming up and the Great White Throne Judgement is there to judge the lost. Believe me we have not faced judgement yet. We will certainly face judgement one day. God does not condon sin, that is why he sent the Savior Jesus Christ to save us from sin which we have chosen by our free will. To say that God causes man to sin and then say that we need a savior from it makes no sense even to the faulty logic of man.
As to Old Testament doctrine; Keep in mind that God deals with Israel differently than He does with the Gentile in the O.T. But, in sending Jesus Christ as the Savior of the WORLD He provides a way back to Him, the only remedy for man's sin through man's free will choices.
The Old Testament saint had to constantly provide sacrifices, adhere to the LAW, and basically do works to be righteous. Knowing that man could not meet the standard of perfection that HE requires, we are now Saved through the shed Blood of Jesus.
If God causes everything to happen here on earth, as you state, then certainly there would be no sin, sickness, death, etc. God did everything He could to prevent man from sin in the O.T., but man had his own will. Do you think God caused man to sin? Keep in mind John 3:l6 "For God so loved the world,that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life". He would never cause sin, and then sacrifice his Son. Man required the Savior and God loved us so much that He provided Jesus.
God sent prophet after prophet, judge after judge,(O.T. record) but man ignored them and chose his own free will path. Man must now seek and DO God's will in order to avoid calamity, but everyone must believe on Jesus Christ and His shed Blood to be Saved.
It's me from 1:29---I am not saying God causes sin but certainly you have to agree He allows it. I am not a Calvinist---beleive me but I do believe God either directly causes or allows EVERYTHING that takes place on this Earth to happen. If that is not true then God is not God of all and over all. What are you accomplishing with this blog? More division? More tearing up? What?
This blog accomplishes the only thing it tries to do, which is shine light on the abuses of Mac Brunson. Beyond that, it has no power or desire to anything further. Many still wanted to follow Bob Gray at Trinity after the press revealed he was a pedophile, many churches will still hire Darrell Gilyard after the press exposed him as an adulterer and child molestor, and many will still follow Mac and Honey even after the Watchdog (and eventually the press) exposes Mac Brunson as a charlatan.
But in all those cases, SOME people did see the light and left those ministries to serve the Lord elsewhere where there was a loving, humble pastor that was called to preach. I applaud the Watchdog for taking his time to expose all of these abuses. Obviously, many are listening and taking action that pleases the Lord. Others, just get defensive and ignore the obvious and then criticize the messenger instead of heeding the message.
Like the WD says, Mac could moon you all Sunday morning and you would amen him for being tough up there. But I guess your family, creditors, the poor and needy and other ministries do not need your money, because you continue to give it to Mac. Wow. I bet Mac and Honey and Tom Stimler had a good laugh over that while vacationing in Italy. Well done sheep. Well done!
Part of this blog serves to shed the light on whoever claims to be a Christian and share scriptures with those that are mature and those that are new in their Christian walk. If this system had been up during the days of Jim Bakker and others that talked the talk and failed to walk the walk there may have been no reason for Jerry Falwell to entertain the idea that he could resolve the issues down in S.C. If the battle for your minds and hearts is worth it look to the Bible for your answers not Man.
I believe another purpose for this blog is,as WD has ably stated, the abuses present at FBC Jax. Also, what some mega church pastors are all about. You know there are a lot of naive people in our churches today that just don't get it.
WD, thanks for the recommendation on what we can do. I think I will look for other storehouses. I bet Dr. Lindsay Jr is rolling over in his grave at the way we have treated our facilities and allow them to end up in the current shape they are in. I am embarrassed to walk into our sanctuary to see the way the pews and carpet looks. Speaking of which, what happened to the renovation plans that were revealed a few years ago? Please, please what are we working on; mission trips, renovations, repairs, schools, etc. Didn't Dr. Lindsay provide us with a singlar vision and goal?
you took a picture of that family's house and posted it???
that is creepy! mind your own business
Its called:
www.googlemaps.com
That's where the picture comes from.
No, I wouldn't be able to snap a picture since its a gated community and I wouldn't be able to gain access.
How about the fact that this site represents exactly what Jesus condemned in the Pharisees. Mac has sought to lead the church to a future and to reach the community, but that doesn't matter when it messes with the way you want church. Sound familiar, it should go back and read the Pharisees condemning Jesus.
May the Lord bless Mac & Honey and know that Satan is very proud of you and his work in what you are doing.
Check out David and how he dealt with Saul. Even when Saul was in SIN, which there is NO INDICATION of with Mac, he refused to be involved in an attack. You & Mac will stand before God one day. That should bring Fear & Trembling.
Post a Comment