I’m A Blogger

Today it seems that many christians are turning to the prosperity doctrine.  Especially during these hard financial times in the U.S.  People have an urgency to provide for their families in any means necessary.  So instead of working hard for their money, they turn to God.

Now I know that last statement might make it sound as if I don’t believe that God can help us financially.  That is the furtherst from the truth.  I, for one, am a great advocate of titheing.  There have been times in my life where I quit titheing and I could tell it, but when I applied the ordained principle of the tithe, I believe that God honors that and supplies our Needs.

The key word there was “needs”.  We have somehow gotten away from that word.  My Bible says:

“But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philp 4:19)

So, how are the people “falling” for the lie that Jesus died to make us wealthy.  Here are some quotes from some popular word-faith / prosperity preachers:

• Frederick K.C. Price states: “The Bible says that He [Jesus] had a treasurer-a treasury (they called it “the bag”); that they had one man who was the treasurer, named Judas Iscariot; and the rascal was stealing out of the bag for three-and-a-half years and nobody knew that he was stealing. You know why? Because there was so much in it, He couldn’t tell. Nobody could tell that anything was missing…, if Jesus didn’t have anything, what do you need a treasury for? A treasury is for surplus. It’s not for that which you’re spending. It’s only for surplus-to hold it until you need to spend it. Therefore, He must have had a whole lot that needed to be held in advance that He wasn’t spending. So He must have had more than He was living on.” (”Ever Increasing Faith” program on TBN [23 November 1990.)
• John Avanzini says "Jesus had a nice house, a big house big enough to have company stay the night with Him at the house.  Let me show YOU His house.  Go over to John the first chapter and I'll show you His house.  Now, child of God, that's a house big enough to have company stay the night in.  There's His house." (BVOV, TBN Jan.20,1999)

Now what does the Bible really say about "riches"

Kenneth Hagin claims not only for himself but for the Bibles written promise, "He [also] wants His children to eat the best, He wants them to wear the best clothing, He wants them to drive the best cars, and He wants them to have the best of everything.” (Quoted by D.L. McConnell a different Gospel p.175)

Did not Jesus say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20) Whose right? Was it riches he was promising or spiritual blessings?

Throughout the Bible there is a constant warning of riches being a snare. David who had it all prayed that the Lord would not give him too little, that he would be in need or too much that he would forget God. In the middle ages the church thought that for one to to be poor was equivalent to being spiritual. Today it is on the opposite extreme, to be rich shows God’s blessings. They have fixed their eyes on earth and become subject to the earthly law of gravity, instead of fixing their eyes to heaven above by true faith.

Do riches prove God’s blessings? Nothing could be further from the truth. Their are many a heathen and atheist who are rich despite their disbelief. Prosperity is not an absolute to show Gods hand in ones life, it might in fact show the opposite.


Proverbs 16:16: tells those who want to pursue God - it is better to get wisdom instead of gold.

Matt 6:19-21: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matt 10:38: “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. Mark 8:34-37: “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? “Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? In other words the pursuit to be financially free and keep on gaining is not what we are to be focused on. Denying oneself may mean to give up a lot. It depends on how attached and attracted ones soul is to the comfortable things of life.

Luke 12:15-21: And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to them, about a rich man who was planning his future expansion, he sums it up in vs.21″So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Do we ever hear sermons on the TV of being rich toward God without money? I think not!

Luke 14:33: “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” This again is a hyperbole. Give up your possessions for self use (sometimes completely divorcing oneself from them) so as not trusting in the world but God alone.

WERE THE DISCIPLES RICH

2 Cor. 8:9: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” This is spiritual riches in Christ not a promise of earthly gain.Why is it spiritual riches? Because Christ actually said the poor are blessed not cursed. Not because He made them wealthy but because they inherited the kingdom of God. Jesus did not change ones status in life but He certainly changed their hearts attitude.

Rom. 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long suffering.” Rom. 9:23 “ that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory.” Eph. 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Eph. 3:8 “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ”

Matt 19:23-25:  Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

They were not astonished because they were rich and wondered about themselves, Jesus is talking about someone other than them. However in Luke 18:28-30 Peter being convicted of this states,  “See, we have left all and followed You.”  Peter’s perception was that they had no riches in money or property since he says they left it all behind. So why do some say they were wealthy?

Paul makes it clear 2 Cor. 6:9-10: “as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed;  as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”

How were they made rich? Col. 1:27 “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 4:11-12: “To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. “

Acts 3:6: Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” This does not mean they had none on them at the time; they had NO money. These are words out of their own mouths recorded by the Holy Spirit through their hands as Scripture.

Acts 20:33-35: “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. “Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Paul says it was good to work with his hands, he showed by example to help those less fortunate by hard work.

1 Tim 6:3-12: ” If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,  useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.  Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.   For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.  But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.   Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

Those who want to become rich now suffer a loss in faith, as Jesus said you can’t serve two masters. There’s nothing wrong with having money but there is a lot wrong with money having you. How can you tell the difference, just listen to the message and find out where they fit it in.look at what they teach, Godliness means more blessing = money.

Kenneth Copeland writes, “Do you want a hundredfold return on your money? Give and let God multiply it back to you. He urges his supporters, “Invest heavily in God; the returns are staggering, … “Every man who invests in the Gospel has a right to expect the staggering return of one hundredfold.” (Laws of Prosperity , pg.67) This may be true but it may not be in your bank account.

This is why Creflo Dollar and Kenneth Copeland can lead the congregation in a affirmation “Money come unto me NOW” three times. (Dec.4, 1999 Voice of victory telecast).Creflo Dollar  says “Yo’all better obey the prophet and reap the prophets reward, my prophet is rich and I’m gonna be rich too” “I call in the money, I found me a preacher, this is my first million and to it, do you all hear what I’m saying,…I’m going to have what I say, what I say, what I say, what I say, what I say”(and the people cheered madly).

Peter writes ”They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children”(2 Peter 2:14)

“Poverty is from the devil and that God wants all Christians prosperous.” (Benny Hinn, TBN, 11/6/90).

Nowhere does the Bible say this. James was the head of the Jerusalem Church that was the poorest of all churches. As Jews converted they lost their family friend’s and job. the people in the church gave the best seats to those who were rich hoping for some response  in help. This is why he writes in James 5:1-5: “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!  Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.  Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.  Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. ” This is a sobering rebuke for those who will be accountable for using their money to promote themselves and neglect the needs of the people.Yes, there will be rich church people in the last days that will be judged for their covetedness.

Phil. 3:7-1:1″ But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,  if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Paul a Pharisee was quite rich yet he gave it up for a life to follow Christ.

James 2:5 “Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” The very opposite is being said, “has not God chosen the rich because they have faith for their wants!”

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