The Prosperity Gospel...

"This is what the LORD Almighty says:
'Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you;
they fill you with false hopes.
They speak visions from their own minds,
not from the mouth of the LORD.'"
Jer 23.16

Summer time is wonderful for someone like me. Lots of studying happening over the year but not nearly the time to get it all on the blog. Now I have the time.

Speaking of writing.....I'm gonna let you know right now that this one is way out of my league. I am not a great scholar and don't claim to be. Just a girl that loves to study God's Word......a girl that knows the Truth and wants others to know the same. No backing down. You know me, when God speaks, no matter how hard or uncomfortable it makes me or you, I will write. I have no other choice. I will say this rather bluntly but in love.... God has something to say but if you aren't going to bother watching the 2 minute video below then go ahead and click of the blog because what is written will mean nothing to you without it. This is just an all or nothing kind of post.

The Prosperity Gospel... "what is it, what does it look like, do I/you believe in it?"

Prosperity theology (also known as prosperity doctrine, the health and wealth gospel, or the prosperity gospel) is a religious belief found among "tens of millions" of Christians centered on the notion that God provides material prosperity for those he favors.


Its growth is at least partially due to the massive amounts of money the leaders are able to extract from the faithful. This influx of cash allows for huge buildings and extensive ministries, and more importantly, wide exposure on television, which translates into numerical growth. It has been defined by the belief that "Jesus blesses believers with riches" or more specifically the teaching that "believers have a right to the blessings of health and wealth and that they can obtain these blessings through positive confessions of faith and the 'sowing of seeds' through the faithful payments of tithes and offerings"......


It has been linked back to cult like behaviors and beliefs. Like most cults, the promoters of the prosperity gospel have found great success using satan scheme methods of wrapping cult like doctrine with Christian lingo......so many times we see them preaching on tv or go to their churches and they fly under our radar because their gospel is packaged just so.

This behavior of false doctrine covering true doctrine is nothing new. Satan has been doing it for a LONGGGG time. Justin Peters, who has done great studies on the Prosperity Gospel Church said this in a presentation at SWBTS..."If they preach a different Jesus of the bible then they preach a different bible."


The Word of Faith (Prosperity Gospel) movement is big on speaking the Word, and short on doing it. .....Confessing the Word out loud is the dominant teaching....not doing what the Word says.


This is what John Piper has to say....

Wow, right? I mean, need I say more...........I am in FULL agreement with John Piper and stand firmly with him on the words he just spoke. Powerful.

That video has been around for awhile now. I am sure many of you have seen it before.I have watched it over and over so many times. Never ceases to move me to tears, to anger me about false prophets speaking crap, or to make me think down deep about my own attitudes and beliefs.


I have been studying about this Prosperity Gospel/Word of Faith movement/theology for awhile now. God began to talk to me about it several months ago. I received an email from a reader about "positioning myself for blessings..for greatness".........I will never forget that email. I won't share all over it but the summary was pretty much "you know you have the power to speak life or death". wow. The minute I began reading it my discernment took over and red flags started flying.


I then began receiving other emails with the same ideas of health, wealth, and success. All from nice people trying to encourage me but with the wrong gospel. Two days ago I received one that stated that I was probably still single due to sin, not giving enough money, or because i was not...get a load of this.."I wasn't speaking out in faith or MY POWER WOULD CHANGE THINGS"...??????????


ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME????????


It wasn't about the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in me...oh no, this person was talking about my own power as a "little god"!!!!!!! I COULD HAVE SCREAMED MY HEAD OFF AND JUMPED THROUGH THE SCREEN!!!!!!!!!


I could hardly believe what I was reading. See, some of these Pros gospel people believe that because they came from God that they are little gods and if they are a god then they can't be poor or sick but healthy and wealthy. And if you aren't getting the things you want then it is your fault, your doing something bad... blah blah blah blah blah.....it's what I call crap. Do you not see how that mentality causes a stronghold over someone. That type of belief system is no different than the Buddhist clinging their coins and praying to an empty statue. It puts all the focus on a life of works and on self. IT IS BONDAGE! Not freedom! It stands in judgement over them. It is not what the God of the Universe gives!


When this started, I had already seen a growing trend with people (that are followers of the P. Gospel) that read my blog becoming more and more uncomfortable with me sharing my struggles or being very transparent about my life.


Aside from their completely WRONG doctrine, I have found that they can't stand feelings. To feel....to share about different emotions just gets under their skin. Their words of advice are more about self glorification above God and taking scripture out of context so that they in control. In Ecc 7.14 it says "When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future".


My bible commentary stated that God allows both good and bad times to come to everyone. He blends them into our lives in such a way that we can't predict the future or count on HUMAN WISDOM and POWER. We tend to give ourselves credit for the good times. Then we blame God for the bad times.....not thanking Him for the good that comes out of it. Be on guard- don't let self satisfaction or complacency make you too comfortable.....


The facts are above...true believers in Christ ARE GOING TO SUFFER. And let me just state that my current struggles are not sufferings. I AM NOT A SUFFERING SINGLE. We all have daily struggles. Sufferings are things like my friends in foreign countries spending their lives preaching to GOOD NEWS. Family members living with cancer, sick babies..they are suffering. Sufferings are like my Japanese friends that have chosen to follow Christ even though their families have now disowned them. Families that have lost jobs, people having to give their lives for their faith....That is suffering. But we all will be touched by it in our lifetime and probably multiple times and ways. To the Prosperity follower they see our suffering as weakness and sin because they believe in human wisdom and their own power.


I have been called to share on this blog. I believe that He is using my story and many other blogger's stories to show others that the daily walk of following Christ is sometimes not very pretty. That making the daily decision to yield to Him is sometimes the hardest thing we do in the mornings. That He grows us as we hang on during the uncomfortable times. He comforts us in the sad times. He delights over us with singing....He never leaves our side.


He teaches us to SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS above all. Jesus boldly says in Mark 8... "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?"


THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF IT.................IT ISN'T ABOUT ME. This life is not ABOUT ME! It's not about me getting this or that or making this amount of money or being successful in this. It's about being willing to lose our lives for the sake of the Gospel NOT manipulate the gospel to get what we want. ALSO, IT ISN'T ABOUT YOU! I get so sick to my stomach as I see millions of people flocking to the churches preaching FALSE HOPE and a GOSPEL OF IDOLATRY. It's a pursuit of worthlessness. I don't know all the correct things to share or say but if we are not living our lives with our EYES ON JESUS, but on ourselves, then we are wasting our lives! We don't want to be like them and believe that we can take "Control of our Destiny" as the Prosperity Gospel leaders preach.


Simple truth is that we don't really know anything. We aren't that smart and we have to stop wanting to be in charge. That is why so many people want to believe this false teaching. Our natural man wants to be our own god. But we are not GOD and the self-centered pursuit for power will do exactly what Jesus said in Mark....we will gain the whole world, yet completely forfeit our souls in the process.


The prosperity gospel uses scripture like John 10.10 "I have come the you may have life and have it abundantly" ........ What I find so interesting is that this Movement is so fixated on MORE MORE MORE and ME ME ME....yet the first part of John 10.10 says "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy"....which is the very thing satan is doing. They are being taken captive by the very verse that was meant to set them free. Does that speak volumes to anyone else or just me?


"Then he said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."' Luke 15.12. We can't take things or money to heaven. The abundance of life that John 10 is talking about is the gift of a deep relationship with our Father. TO REALLY KNOW HIM! The ability to hear Him speak, to see Him work, and to feel His presence. The abundance we receive is from the fruit He produces in us. How He takes our snappy, rude attitudes and covers them with love and compassion. Above all Father gives us the gift of eternal life......do you really need more than that?


Lastly, the view point of the Prosperity Gospel is "if I do this, then God will give me this". That isn't obedience. We are called, as believers, to obey God and to serve Him only. Our act of obedience doesn't mean we are going to get something in return.


It is an HONOR to follow Christ.


As a believer.... I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT I BELIEVE.

Do you know what you believe?

Do you take the time to remind yourself of what it is you stand for?

Does your family know what you believe?

Parents of a kid heading to college for the first time....... do they know what they believe? Can they speak it back to you with conviction? Because 80% of college students leave home and never return to church.

If we don't know what we believe ahead of time then one day we will receive an email telling us that we have the power to speak and claim whatever we want. That we are little gods and we deserve to have riches....and before you know it you have been caught, led astray, and become a captive.

I leave you with Paul's words to the Ephesian Elders..

"For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.Be shepherds of the church of God,which he bought with his own blood.

I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!

Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20: 27-35

Oh Father, that was so much. And way out of my league. I pray it spoke out clearly. I give it to you. Let the eyes/ears that need to be changed by it click on this blog and let the rest stay away. So much false ideas everywhere. I became so angry as I began to see leader after leader listed as a follower of this gospel. Lord, they are everywhere! I pray that you would shut down those ministries and shine the light of truth to the people under them. I am pained that false teachers are acting as shepherd's but really wolves. Like Piper stated...let this cause the Christian Church to rise up and be bold! I love you, I ask for your forgiveness if I have over stepped. Cover my words in grace and truth. May they bring you great glory and honor. amen