John Avanzini Defends his Failing Prosperity Teachings
by Jackie Alnor
Ó 1992 The Christian Sentinel

The Trinity Broadcasting Network’s (TBN) love gift for a donation of any amount during this year’s Spring Praise-a-Thon (fundraising marathon) is a new book by John Avanzini called, It’s Not Working, Brother John. In it Avanzini gives 25 excuses for why the donor is not receiving what was promised during previous fundraisers on TBN, which is the largest "Christian" television network in the world. The new book is bound to lay heavy guilt trips and self-condemnation upon its readers much in the same way as faith healers berate those who are not healed. One reason you most certainly won’t find listed in the book, is that it is unbiblical to give to get (Matt. 6:3-4; 2 Cor. 9:7; Luke 6:34-35).

One of the gimmicks Avanzini has used on TBN Praise-a-Thons to compel people to give is what he calls "God’s law of retribution." (Taken from 11/6/90 Praise-a-Thon transcript.) He bases this on Job 22:27-28. This is Eliphaz’s diatribe against Job where he says, "you will pay your vows. You will also decree a thing and it will be established for you."

Avanzini interprets this passage to mean that a Christian can "get violent in the spirit world and take back what’s been stolen." He warns the viewers to pay their vows (such as pledges made to TBN, of course) and then they can decree a thing and snatch back what the devil has stolen. This passage is often used to defend the entire positive confession message, but si it valid?

What those quoting from the book of Job fail to mention is that God was angry at Eliphaz and his companions for giving Job bad counsel and said, "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?" (Job 38:2). And later God spoke directly to Eliphaz saying, "My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has" (Job 42:7). Although this should make Avanzini shake in his boots, he instead promotes making vows and decreeing on the basis of Eliphaz’s bad counsel, and a hot of TBN regulars misapply the same verses! The notorious Robert Tilton (recent "Prime Time" subject) has gotten rich from this false teaching.

It is amazing that some can create an entire doctrine from such an obscure passage (to their own benefit) and ignore a direct command from Jesus who said, "You have heard that the ancients were told… ‘fulfill your vows to the Lord,’ But I say to you, make no oath at all… But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no;’ and anything beyond these is of evil" (Matt. 5:33-34,37). This warning is reiterated by the Lord’s brother in James 5:12.

Another of Avanzini’s teaching that he has had to backtrack on is the "100-fold" message that he first brought to TBN in the November, 1990 Praise-a-Thon. For all those calling in pledges during that fund raiser "Brother John" Avanzini promised to speak a special anointing over the pledge slips that would repay the donor 100 times the amount they would give.

"I’m usually not allowed to speak about this," Avanzini told the TBN audience. "God only tells me at certain times that I can… I’m going to speak the hundred-fold increase in just a few moments, as God leads… I was a little timid in the beginning because I was just, Lord, ar you really saying this to me?

"You know Jan Crouch has asked me a dozen times to speak the hundred-fold message and I have to say ‘Jan, anything else but God is just not letting me do it.’ But tonight I feel it," Avanzini beamed. This led to the telephone lines jamming up and Avanzini warned viewers not to get discouraged by a busy line but to keep trying to get in on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

The following Praise-a-Thon in Spring, 1991, had Avanzini backing down from the 100-fold increase, possibly due to complaints that it didn’t work. Avanzini explained, "When you hear 100-fold you got to be careful. But, Paul, I never understood 100-fold. I thought hundred-fold was a hundred times… But Vine’s dictionary says the hundredfold is the optimum harvest."

He went on the explain that the optimum harvest is the maximum one can get back on an investment. "It would be nothing for God to give a hundred thousand dollars to a person, why a bank could do that, a lottery could do that and a greater than a lottery has come. His name is Jesus and He can give us anything that the world could do, He would do."

So, John Avanzini had to correct his theology by reading Vine’s dictionary and TBN’s Paul and Jan Crouch continue to promote Avanzini’s flock-fleecing teachings in order to build their network. Besides Avanzini’s regular 10-minute spot called, "The Principles of God’s Economics," he now has a regular half-hour program sponsored by TBN.