A Den of Wolves: Prosperity Pimps on the Loose

You would think this topic had been sufficiently re-hashed in Christ-believing circles by now, but sadly, no.  I am still confronted with supposed Christians who defend these so called ‘preachers.’  (btw, “I like him/her” is not a good biblical defense.) This should make us wonder about deception, right?  Because, after all, the problem with being deceived is, you're deceived.

To be clear, I’m speaking of any pastor, teacher or preacher who claims health, wealth and prosperity; “name it and claim it;” or any version of Word of Faith in relation to our success on this earth.  Currently, the popular ones are Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, Paul Crouch, and so forth.  You can usually find them on TBN. And, you can usually find them declaring things into the atmosphere and asking for "seed money."  You know the stuff Jesus did all the time.
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Let’s discuss how dangerous this false ‘gospel’ is:

1. It puts gifts before the Giver.  We are created to worship Him in spirit and in truth, not focus on our material needs.  When we put “blessings” as the focus of our worship, we are actually worshiping the blessings - and ourselves.  We are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  Prosperity gospel seeks comfort, material gain, success, blessings we are “entitled” to, and other worldly gains.
2. It is arrogant.  This false “gospel” teaches us to believe that WE know what is best for our lives.  It completely reverses the order of the God-redeemed relationship, putting the created in control of the Creator. 
3. It makes a mockery of the Cross.  The Prosperity "gospel" states that we don’t have to suffer because Christ suffered for us.  That’s a blatant twist of Scripture.  Yes, Christ suffered for us.  He died so that we could be reconciled to God. We are also to pick up our cross and follow him.  The Cross is an instrument of death.  That means we need to die to ourselves- live a life of self-denial; less “me,” more Him. 
4. It’s a “gospel” of comfort.  It claims that God wants us to be happy, healthy and prosperous.  Actually, God cares more about our spiritual growth into holiness rather than our level of personal comfort, career success or happiness. We are called to enduring suffering and to walk out our salvation with fear and trembling. Maybe the thing we need for a stronger reliance on God is an illness or poverty in this temporal life.
5. It is blasphemous.  It states that all we have to do is proclaim our desires into the atmosphere and God, the angles, the universe, have to respond. Ummmm??? God is God.  We are not.  He is sovereign.  He blesses whom He will bless and curses whom He will curse- not up to us.  He is God. 
6. It demonstrates complete and utter lack of faith (despite its name and claim). If God watches over us more than the sparrows, why would we ever have to declare anything for ourselves?  If He loves us and wants good things for us, why must we run around yelling into the atmosphere that God must fulfill our every wish because we have claimed it?  If He is in control, let Him declare it- or not.  Our job is to worship Him even if the fig tree fails, and to be content in Him in all circumstances.
7. It negates the words of Jesus, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”  WOF has no interest in being poor- in any shape or form.  Instead, this movement tells us to 'strike a power pose' and declare our desires into the spirit realm.
8. It is a slap in the face to anyone who has experienced devastation, heartbreak or need.  (you didn’t have enough faith).  They could have saved their sick child, kept their job or cured themselves of cancer had only they believed more.
9. It diminishes the sovereignty of God.  Maybe He wants us to go through hardships for our eternal benefit; to strengthen our faith or cleans our hearts of idols- or whatever reason God decides.  He’s God.  Maybe the trials we face are more about the sanctification process than about failure to speak affirmations over ourselves.
10. It confuses the wrath of God with normal trials and tribulations and with sufferings and persecutions of being a Christ follower. All suffering is not related to sin or lack of faith.  Suffering is a normal experience of being on this fallen earth.  Suffering is also useful for spiritual growth (perseverance produces …)
11. It misses the point of the Acts church. The Bible gives us the natural order of Christian living.  none of them had need as they shared amongst each other.  Scripture does not say, “No one had a need because they all proclaimed material blessings upon themselves.”
12. It tells us to pursue the very thing Jesus warned against. Love of money, instead of encouraging us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, pleasing to God.
13. It mimics Satan’s tempting of Jesus in the wilderness: “I will give you…” If God saw fit to warn us that Satan knows and twists Scripture in his efforts to lead us astray, we should take heed.
14. It’s a whitewashed tomb; witchcraft dressed up in Christian clothes; New Age law of attraction.  It’s deceptive, fueled by deceiving spirits that put a little truth in every lie to create an illusion of righteousness.  Funny, how even non-believers can see this.

 
All of this is said with the knowledge that no one can come to the Father unless He draws him or her.   Perhaps He will not draw those who are already fully convinced that they have already found their “truth” in the prosperity “gospel”?  It’s not for me to know.

What I do know is that He desires people to worship Him in spirit and in Truth and if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. 

Don’t take my word for it.  Please, ask God for wisdom and discernment. 
Be blessed with spiritual blessings, my friend.
 
Photo credit: https://pixabay.com

Prosperity gospel, lie, false doctrine, WOF