Creflo Dollar Slams Critics: 'If I Want to Believe God for a $65 Million Plane, You Cannot Stop Me'
After coming under heavy criticism for asking the public for $65 million dollars to purchase a luxury airplane for his ministry last month, popular televangelist and founder of World Changers Church International Creflo Dollar responded in spectacular defiance in a recent message to his church declaring: "If I want to believe God for a $65 million plane, you cannot stop me."
"Let me tell you something about believing God — I can dream as long as I want to. I can believe God as long as I want to. If I want to believe God for a $65 million plane, you cannot stop me. You cannot stop me from dreaming," he said in a clip of the message posted on YouTube showing his congregants rising to their feet and cheering in approval.
"You cannot stop me from dreaming. I'm gon' dream until Jesus comes. And here's another thing I want you to understand. … If they discover life on Mars, if you think a $65 million plane was too much, if they discover that there's life on Mars, they gon' need to hear the Gospel and I'm gon' have to believe God for a billion dollar space shuttle because we got to preach the Gospel on Mars," he said.
"I dare you to tell me I can't dream. I dare you to tell me that I can't believe God. If I find Jesus, I'm gonna look at Jesus until it comes to pass, because with God all things are possible to him that believe. And so, I say to you, dream on. Dream on baby, don't dream on what you can have, dream about what the devil says you can't have. Dream for the best. Dream for the best healing. Dream for the best deliverance; dream for the best house. Dream for the best car. Just 'cause the world don't have it, doesn't mean you can't have it. You are the children of the Almighty God. Dream, dream," he told his adoring congregants.
Dollar explained earlier in the message that he felt led by the Spirit of God to address the issue of the plane and other rumors circulating about his life because his critics are determined to discredit his voice and his ministry.
"I wouldn't say this except the Spirit of God led me to say it. Now you see why the devil tried so aggressively to discredit my voice. I'm on my sabbatical and the enemy is trying to discredit me. Heck, I found out this past week I was supposed to be in jail for stealing the tithes," he said as his congregation laughed.
"And therefore, yesterday, they were transferring me from one county to the other one. I sure wished somebody woulda told me. Found out my real name is not Creflo Dollar. You know what it is? It's Michael Smith," he said, addressing a number of online rumors.
"Found out that none of y'all can ever get in the dome unless you show your W-2 form. What you say? Are you listening to what I'm saying? The enemy has got to discredit the voices of faith and grace and truth because he don't want you to know that you can walk on the water if you can look at Jesus. I've got to discredit that man before he starts showing people Jesus," he continued.
He further explained that he never once asked any member of his congregation to donate to the $65 million airplane fund because he has three million donors around the world who contribute to his ministry and people have been giving to help him get a new jet for his ministry.
The Christian Post had contacted his ministry earlier to find out how much money was collected but received no response. Dollar's team also repeatedly promised that the televangelist would sit with this reporter to address public concerns about his ministry but the Lord apparently had another plan.
"We are in the midst of a great fight. The enemy, like he always have, is trying to stop the preaching of Jesus and we're not gonna stop. I never one time, you can attest to it. I never one time came to you for a dime and asked you for an airplane, did I?" Dollar asked his congregants.
He then mocked headlines highlighting the request roundly declared sheer extravagance by the general public.
"'Creflo Dollar asking his members for $65 million. I ain't never asked you for a dime. We've got over 3 million partners around the world, 3 million donors around the world who support the ministry so I can get to where they are. I had a man from the Middle East send a letter to say they cut off my relative's head. We need you in the Middle East, here's a check right here for that plane," said Dollar.
"You understand what I'm saying? You cannot stop and you cannot curse what God has blessed. Are you listening to me? Half the people that are commenting on the Internet don't even know me. They don't know this ministry. They don't know what we do. That's why they ask the question: 'What does a preacher need with an airplane? If you knew what we did then you wouldn't ask that question. But you don't know what we do," he ended in the clip.
WATCH CREFLO DOLLAR'S COMPLETE REACTION BELOW: