anybody heard of Creflo Dollar?

Hello Friends~ My first time posting to this board. I was annoyed by something a very caring friend sent me today in my e-mail. Yesterdays sermon by Creflo Dollar? (www.creflowdollarministries.org if you want to hear the sermon, it's called NO FEAR HERE) He preached against WLS, saying that people who get it are motivated by fear of not being accepted and loved by others? I am so annoyed. I get annoyed when people with a calling on their life, like this man I suppose, use thier place of power to talk down other people's choices. He talks about a good friend of his who went for WLS over the summer and she never came back, she died on the table. NOW... isn't he trying to get me NOT to get surgery by making me afraid the same thing will happen to me? BUT.... we shouldn't be motivated by fear he says. OK..... He also says all fear comes from the devil, no fear is good, no fear comes from God. What about the fear of dying at a young age because of morbid obesity.... does that come from the devil, or do our own bodies give us that message? I know I am ranting, I am annoyed with this man. What are your thoughts? Michelle in NJ

Hi Michelle, Don't let that get you down, remember why you had surgery and hold fast to that; As with most ministeries I eat the meat and spit out the bones. Let the Holy Spirit guide you, yes I know him and listen to his ministry on occassion. Pooky

Pooky~ Thanks for your response. I haven't had the surgery yet, I see you just had yours How are you feeling? How was it? I am scheduled for 7/27, but don't have insurance approval as of yet. I am expecting to hear any day, since it was submitted yesterday, and the nurse said BCBS usually takes 48 hours. I hope you are doing well, and thanks for the uplifting advice, I will chew the meat and spit out the bones, as I was taught as a young Christian anyway. Thanks for the gentle reminder Michelle in NJ

Hi Michelle, I'm doing good, have a time with gas even though I walk, walk, walk. In the beginning I had some fear, but yet knew that it was in God's will for me. I totally got relief from that fear the day before my surgery, believe me the prayers of the righteous avails much, and I had many people praying. My husband and I prayed before they came to take me to anesthesia, I was blessed with someone who took me to anesthesia that knew the Lord! He prayed with me also and decreed that God was going to bless me from my head to my toe. I felt good in Jesus and about the surgery. When I woke up, I was in pain and I was glad for that pain for it meant that I was alive, I was taken to my room, with my new little friend the pump for pain. believe you me I use it as often as I could. I walked that night and different time on each shift, the next day I got to eat broth and Jello, nothing red though, I wasn't hungry just thirsty. Gas, Gas, Gas, walk and pray, walk and pray, 2 weeks out still walking and praying, Gas is lessening. I'll tell you about my hospital stay later. God will see you through! Pooky

Good morning Michelle, How is everything in NJ? Yes, I have heard of Creflow Dollar. He is from the Atlanta area and really is a good preacher, but even some of the best preachers get off on the wrong road. It is hard sometimes to preach what the Holy Spirit has laid on your heart without throwing your personel feelings in the sermon. A lot of people have a bad taste for WLS. Some have good reasons and some don't, but your are right, it isn't his place to judge others. Yes, part of the reason I had surgery was because of vanity, but mostly it was because of health. I prayed to God and asked Him to give me an answer on rather I should have surgery or not and if He didn't want me to have surgery to stop it, close the door and not allow it to be opened. I had surgery last October and have been doing great since then. My wife had surgery this past Feburary and has been doing great. What I have found out is that no matter what you decide to do, if you don't allow God to make your decision, then you take a gamble. If God leads your heart and mind then it is a sure thing. To say that a person is motivated by fear isn't all wrong. We all have fear of something, even preachers, but the thing that you must remember is that we should turn that fear over to God and then walk away. I'm sure that someone who is about to have heart surgery or brain surgery is scared to and they most likely made the decision to have that surgery because of the fear of dying. Well, obesity is just has dangerous of a problem has a bad heart or a brain tumor. They all can kill you. Don't worry about what others say about WLS, just follow what God tells you and put your trust in Him and you will not go wrong. In Christ love, Ken heaviest 395 pre-op 363 current 248 goal 169

Ken~ Thanks for the encouraging words. I am trying to do what you said and just don't worry about his opinion..... it is just that, HIS OPINION.. ALL of the people that matter to me, my husband and parents, are 110% behind me having the surgery... and that is what does matter. I am blessed beyond blessed to have the love and support of all those close to me. My children, ages 14, 15 and 16 are nervous, and I would be too if it were my Mother, but they agree I need to get healthy, I want to dance at all of their weddings, and their childrens weddings too! I am going to be just fine, and so are you and your wife! God bless us all real good! Michelle in NJ

Michelle, Ditto to what Ken said. I would also like to add that many, many people do not understand WLS. Because they have a friend/relative who had a bad experience, and death is a horrible thing to happen, they then form an opinion that wls is bad all around. They do not have the understanding and knowledge that we have. My sister told me of her fiance's sister who died after 3 mini strokes that she suffered 6 months after having lap-band. I did ask my dr about it and he said that the surgery most likely did not contribute to the strokes. In fact, he said that her weight had probably caused a problem long before her surgery and so her death can not be related to the surgery but more to her being overweight for so long. Remember the Creflo Dollar is human, just like you and me and he simply doesn't have complete understanding and knowledge of WLS. He shouldn't be passing judgement and spreading opinions based on his own fears but still, he is human and perhaps his emotions with this subject just got the better of him. I know you understand this. I am just reminding us all. Hugs, Robin

Hey Michelle, I have a friend that listened to a Creflo Dollar message where he basically said you should never use credit cards, never ever. Then at the end of his message he wanted you to give to his ministry or order his tapes, and you know how??? By using a credit card. Now is Creflo a bad preacher...NO WAY. He's a good preacher...but he's not God and is not all knowledgable. Would i have rather had faith to heal me of obesity...you bet. I would much rather have been delievered from obesity through a super natural miracle (either instant or progressive) but the reality is that I wasn't, and i tried to for 26 years (13 of which i was a Christian). I even did first place (a faith based diet program) and the weigh down diet (back in the 90s). You know what I dieted myself up to 500 lbs. The biggest hinderance for me to get WLS was that I didn't want to alter the body God gave me, because we are wonderfully and fearfully made. But the reality is that at 500 lbs i did alter the body God gave me and I was hurting myself by not treating myself medically. Now would you tell a diabetic ...sorry diabetic no insulin for you...you need faith, or to be free of fear (faith being the absence of fear)??? Or would you tell a person with a very bad bacterial infection and fever...sorry no antibotics for you...you need some faith? The answer to the above two rhetoric questions is an overwhelming...NO. Why? Because we know that those conditions without proper treatment will get worse, they will not heal themselves (in most cases). So what is the proper thing to do? give them the right medical treatment. Last year the AMA declared morbid obesity a disease and said the only medical cure for it is WLS. It was the only medical technology available that would allow people to lose weight and maintain that weight loss. No pills, no diets (which fail about 95 % of the time statistically) could do that for MO people. Now, are their risks? Yes, same as with any other operation. But the risks of staying MO or SMO are much greater at least I think so. My hearts desire has always been to do some missionary work in Africa, you know at 500 lbs that wouldn't have just been physcially diffiicult it would have been impossible. WHY ??? because in order to go there you need to take a plane (which i couldn't fit into any plane seats), i'd need to be able to walk around ...but at 500 lbs i could barely walk 10 feet...etc etc. My weight put so many physcial limitations. I hope this helps.... your not a failure for having WLS...nor are you fear filled. You just want to make a decission that will be a blessing to your life, to yours and your families. Scott PS if creflo felt that way about WLS i wonder what he thought about Joyce Myers when she had a face lift (i think she's actually had 2)...that certainly doesn't have any medical necesity to it. Was she just being VAIN!!!! Was she full of fear????? I highly doubt it. If you have the money and you want to do things that make yourself look better...WHY NOT. Most of those TV Preachers spend 1000s of dollars on their suits. I'm not talking about 1 or 3 thousand ..i'm talking about 5 or 6 thousand. So are they being vain because they dont' pick a suit off the rack from Men's world? Those same preachers...i.e. benny hinn (sorry to drag you into this benny and joyce)....travel with their chiropractors and medical doctors for their own personal health. Are they failures and full of fear???? I remember what Joyce Myers said just before Y2K was suppose to happen. She said it is wise to prepare, not foolishness or because your in a panic or fear. But if disaster is coming and your being warned of it, it's wise to take precautions just in case. Well if you are MO disaster is coming, MO people tend to get lots of diseases and have a lower quality of life then thinner people. To take action against it is not fear based...it's wisdom. OK lol as you can tell i could probably go on this topic for 3 or 4 hours myself...sometimes preachers can say things that make my blood boil. I want to start flipping over money changer tables and say you make my fathers house a den of thieves...LOL. Hope this helps scott