Is the prosperity gospel dangerous?
Is the prosperity gospel dangerous?
The prosperity message is one of the most deceitful lies of the enemy in America today, yet day after day tens of thousands of people fall for this deceitful lie and support the "ministries" that preach it.
Jesus said in Luke 16:13, "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
The word mammon translates to mean wealth or money. While the bible may speak about money more than it does heaven or hell, what it says about money is the exact opposite of the modern day prosperity message.
Jesus said in Matthew 19:23 "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."
John Piper of http://desiringgod.org posed this question to Prosperity Preachers...
"My question for prosperity preachers is: Why would you want to develop a ministry focus that makes it harder for people to enter heaven?" - John Piper
What other examples does the bible say about prosperity and riches?
Matthew 6:20 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal"
Proverbs 11:4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.
1Timothy 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.
So be careful of where your heart is, and stay away from hypocrites who use lies and deceit to fund their own selfish desires.
Jesus said in Mark 12:38-40
"38 And in His teaching He was saying: "Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places,
39 and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets,
40 who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation. "
The prosperity message is one of the most deceitful lies of the enemy in America today, yet day after day tens of thousands of people fall for this deceitful lie and support the "ministries" that preach it.
Jesus said in Luke 16:13, "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
The word mammon translates to mean wealth or money. While the bible may speak about money more than it does heaven or hell, what it says about money is the exact opposite of the modern day prosperity message.
Jesus said in Matthew 19:23 "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."
John Piper of http://desiringgod.org posed this question to Prosperity Preachers...
"My question for prosperity preachers is: Why would you want to develop a ministry focus that makes it harder for people to enter heaven?" - John Piper
What other examples does the bible say about prosperity and riches?
Matthew 6:20 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal"
Proverbs 11:4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.
1Timothy 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.
So be careful of where your heart is, and stay away from hypocrites who use lies and deceit to fund their own selfish desires.
Jesus said in Mark 12:38-40
"38 And in His teaching He was saying: "Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places,
39 and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets,
40 who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation. "
posted by D @ Thursday, October 18, 2007
2 Comments:
At November 30, 2008,
Anonymous said…
In Genesis chapter 2, doesn't it say that Havilah was the land with gold, and that it was good? That means that gold is good. Didn't God also promise to make Abraham rich? And he made Job rich after he repented? And he promised to pour out a blessing so big that there isn't room enough to receive it if His people tithed? Isaiah 53 says that Jesus was made poor so that we could be made rich.
God has no problem with wealth. If your money gets in the way of God, you have a problem, but if you are putting God first, there is no reason to think that God wouldn't want to make you prosperous.
Do you hope that your kids grow up, get great jobs, and prosper? Then how much more would God want that for His children (Luke 11, I think)?
Especially in this recession, people need to know more than ever that they can trust God, not just to barely get by, but to do well, as if there wasn't even an economic downturn. All of the scriptures you named say not to put money ahead of God. But hello, if you don't have money, you aren't going to survive too long. And I've never heard the prosperity message as "Everyone, put money ahead of God".
The prosperity message is "Trust God, and He'll bless you, so that you can bless others".
So, to wrap up, God definitely wants all of His people to have money. Anyone who tells you otherwise hasn't read the bible.
At November 30, 2008,
D said…
Hi Garrett,
Thanks for the thoughtful post.
"The prosperity message is 'Trust God, and He'll bless you, so that you can bless others'."
What happens if God chooses not to bless you. What happens if God chooses to let you continue to be poor no matter what you do. Is it because of Your lack of faith?
Jesus didn't say for His disciples to go out into all the world and make people rich so they can make others rich. He said to go and make disciples. Matt 28:19.
Look at the book of Acts. The early church came together in the Spirit of God and what did they do with their wealth? Take a look at Acts 4:34. That's the modern day picture.
So what's the deal with the "riches" in the Old Testament? First the promises were given to whom? You? Me? or the Nation of Israel?
Second, These promises of blessing in the Old Testament were conditional promises, and like a coin, they had a flip side of curses. So if you name and claim a blessing with a condition, you better live up to that condition. If you don't you may just get cursed.
Finally, these promises were replaced by the New Covenant that was made in Christ's blood. The old promises were made to show that mankind could NOT live up to God's standard. They always fell away, and God always punished them. But God did this to show them as an example of His commitment to his word, and to show that mankind needs a savior.
In the same way Israel fell away from God over and over, we have fallen away from God through sin, and God is so pure, he can't look upon sin. So God became a man in Jesus Christ and fulfilled the promises of the Old Testament. Jesus was perfect in all of His ways. And as the bible says, that scripture should be fulfilled, Jesus went to the cross and hung on a tree.
You brought up Isaiah 53. Have you read the whole chapter? That Jesus was beaten for you? That you have gone astray (v6), but your punishment for your sins was laid on Jesus? Have you read that it was the will of God to Crush the son (v10) so that you may have eternal life?
The bible says that if you repent of your sins and trust in Jesus' sacrifice, then he will grant to you Eternal Life. Not money that perishes with the lost. A promise of eternity in heaven with Christ, complete forgiveness of sins, and the power to overcome sins in this life through the gift of His Holy Spirit.
Money is so insignificant compared to eternal life.
Finally, your post brings up a great point and another reason why the Prosperity Gospel IS Dangerous.
(Thank you for this point)
Prosperity Preaching has a tendency to Murder the Bible. What do I mean?
You brought up Genesis 2 where it says that the gold of that land is 'good'. Then you used that scripture to say that the 'good' in that verse applies to us having wealth.
What prosperity preachers often do is grab their $2000 laptop, open up their $1200 bible software, and do word searches to find things that might "support" what they want to say that week.
If you do a word search for "gold" and "good", Genesis 2:12 will show up. Ah Hah! There we go... Gold is good... The bible says so. then they preach on it.
You don't read ANY book like that. Why should you do so with the bible? If you read the verse in context, it's obvious that the 'good' means that the gold is 'high quality', 'pleasant'. It is describing the gold in comparison to other locations.
No where does it say in that verse that having gold is good. But the gold itself is good (or high quality).
Then Isaiah 53, you brought up that Jesus was made poor so we could be made rich. There we are again. Let's word-search "rich".
Did Jesus die so you could be rich? Did He really? What a mockery. Without Christ, no matter how much money you have on this planet, you are poorest of the poor, because you are an enemy of God through wicked works, and come Judgment day you will spend eternity in a lake of fire. That is poor. There is no wealth in hell.
Prosperity preachers deceive. They are wolves in sheep's clothing, and they make a mockery of Christianity and the Holy Bible.
Garrett, what you've posted is wrong according to the Bible. The thinking and reasoning is ungodly.
Jesus Christ died to save you from a just and good eternal punishment in Hell. He mercifully took the punishment you deserve for all of your lies, all the times you've stolen, all the times you've looked at a woman with lust (which is adultery in your heart). He paid the price so that you won't have to on Judgment Day. We're all criminals but we all can be forgiven by turning away from our sins and trusting alone in Jesus for taking the punishment for you.
And if you never get wealthy or if you lose everything, you will still worship Him for the rest of your days. You could end up like Job until you died, but death would be welcome, because you'll finally see the one who died to save you. You'll see Jesus on that day looking forward to the words "Well done, good and faithful servant".
To those prosperity preachers, there is forgiveness for you too today. We must all come to Jesus on His terms, through humble repentance and faith in His death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. That alone. Nothing more. You can be forgiven as well. Repent.
If not, you too will meet Jesus on that day. And you'll say to him all the things you've done in His name. All the healing you've done, all the blessings you've given, all the tummies you've fed, and on that day He will say "depart from me, for I never knew you." Woe to those who trust in things other than Christ himself.
Matthew 13:22 "He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful."
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