May 25, 2026
Monday, May 25
Costi Hinn is the nephew of Benny Hinn, the most famous faith healer in the world today. Raised in the family business--preaching the prosperity Gospel—Costi traveled the world on private jets, staying in luxury hotels, and collecting money from people who wanted his uncle to heal them. As a teenager, he drove a Hummer and wore a $10,000 watch. It was obvious to him that he and his family were anointed by God. Why else would He bless them with such a lavish lifestyle? Then that foundation started to crack. He witnessed the extreme poverty of people in places like Mumbai, and wondered how his family could get wealthy on the offerings of people so poor. He noticed that many who came to the huge events never got healed. He went to Dallas Baptist University to play baseball, where the coach taught Scripture to his players. Costi had never heard the Word truly and faithfully taught, and it shook his belief system.
One day, he watched a video of a woman in a wheelchair giving her testimony. This woman (Joni Earickson Tada) was a quadriplegic, due to an accident when she was a teenager. He expected her, at any moment, to get out of the chair and declare herself healed. After all, that’s how all testimonies went in his experience. Instead, she talked about times of discouragement, times she didn’t want to live. Through it all, God was faithful, using her hardship to do amazing things in the lives of thousands of people. She looked forward to the day she would dance in the presence of Christ.
Costi had never heard anyone express this kind of faith. In his family, they believed that if you even admitted you were sick, it was a “negative confession” that would hinder the power of God from healing you. This mentality literally almost killed his fiancé. She lived for a time at the Hinn’s massive home in Vancouver, and almost died from an asthma attack, because she had hidden her nebulizer and couldn’t get to it in time. Why had she hidden this life-saving device? Because she knew that if Costi’s family was aware she had asthma, they might not let her marry him.
In our current series, we’re talking about grit, which the Bible calls steadfastness or endurance. Last week, we talked about developing grit to stay active in Church even when many others are walking away. This week, we’ll talk about building grit that can withstand the worst that life can throw at you. The prosperity gospel that Costi Hinn grew up with is incredibly popular these days. But it doesn’t build grit. It writes checks that the bank of Heaven won’t cash. It doesn’t prepare us for the reality of living in a broken world. The true Gospel, in contrast, builds unbreakable disciples.
“Lord, you do not promise us a pain-free life. In fact, you tell us in advance that we will have tribulation in this world. But we can overcome it all because you have overcome it, through your death and resurrection. Build in me the resilience I need for the trials ahead. In your name, amen.”
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Conroe
More from Pastor Jeff at his website: jeffbergerwriting.com
