Prosperity gospel preacher Jesse Duplantis once appeared alongside Kenneth Copeland in an infamous segment about how their private jets were absolutely necessary for their ministries. (What else were they going to do? asked Copeland. Get in a “long tube with a bunch of demons”?)
In 2018, Duplantis bragged about the new plane he wanted to buy — but he couldn’t do it without everyone’s donations.
… You know, I’ve owned three different jets in my life and used them and… just burning them up for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now some people believe that preachers shouldn’t have jets. I really believe that preachers ought to have and go on every available voice, every available outlet, to get this gospel preached to the world.
… We’re believing God for our brand new Falcon 7X so we can go anywhere in the world, one stop. Now people say, “My Lord, can’t you go with this one?” Yes! But I can’t go at one stop… and then you pay those exorbitant prices for jet fuel all over the world.
Duplantis was saying he needed a new plane worth $54 million so he wouldn’t have to deal with the hassle of mid-flight refueling.
And before anyone chimed in with comments about how Jesus was all about the poor, not about material wealth, Duplantis added, “I really believe that if Jesus was physically on the earth today, he wouldn’t be riding a donkey… He’d be in an airplane preaching the gospel all over the world.”
That was the story of how gullible Christians sent Duplantis money so he could go from Private Jet #3 to Slightly More Convenient Jet #4.
On Friday, Duplantis appeared on a livestreamed “Don’t Limit God” conference hosted by preacher Andrew Wommack and spoke about how God was actually testing him when it came to a new private jet.
Duplantis didn’t need one. He was doing just fine with his other plane. But God spoke to him and basically dared him to ask for more.
Here: Enjoy Christian greed at its finest. (The audio and video are not perfectly synced up because that’s how it aired on the livestream.)
Well, I was so shocked. I’m on the plane. And the Lord said, “Do you like your plane?” I said, “Oh yeah, Lord!”
He said, “So you really like it?” I said, “Yes!”
He said, “So that’s all I can do?” And I went, “What?” He said, “So that’s all I can do?” I said, “Are you asking me to ask You for another plane?” He said, “No, I’m asking you to answer the question. Is this all I can do?” I said, “Well, no.”
See, that was taking the limits of me! You see, you’ve gotta understand something about people: Sometimes, when you when you have the car, the clothes, the shoes… the jewelry… whatever you think wealth is, you begin to get on cruise control! You’re movin’, but no longer by your power. You see what I’m saying? And you can get in a real quick accident on cruise control. And He told me to believe for this other plane.
He said, “I want you to believe for that plane.”
And I didn’t think anybody would get mad at me about that, because I was totally, completely satisfied with what I had!
[Wommack: It’s not that you’re lusting for something. You’re obeying God!]
Just obey! And then I realized I had limited God because he had met — oh, this is gonna make somebody mad — I had limited God because he had met all my need. But He had, see, He wanted to do some more! And now this other aircraft, I mean, can do more, can take you further.
…
… What I did was, I said, “Lord, you blessed me!” But you know what? I had limited God because… I don’t need another plane.
And He said, “This is not about need. Did I say anything about need?”
I said, “No, Lord.” And I realized I had made a mistake. It’s like you had that revelation… So I said, “Well, you know people are gonna get mad at me!” He said, “Well, they got mad at Me!”
I said, “Okay, I got it!” And so I said, “The hits just keep on coming. Let ’em say what they’re gonna say.”
[Wommack: See, this is part of this vision thing. You don’t ever get to a place where you’re complacent. You have to constantly be stretching yourself. And, man, if you reach a certain level, God is gonna give you another thing. You’re never gonna exhaust God’s power.]
Amazing how Duplantis was completely satisfied with his fleet of jets, only to have God give him another… by way of the donations of Duplantis’ gullible followers.
More than 60,000 people are dead from COVID, but God gave Jesse Duplantis an upgraded private plane. Totally makes sense.
Sounds more like a reason people should reject God rather than worship Him, but I’m an atheist, so what do I know about morality.
(Thanks to Kyle for the link)
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