Day 28 "Prosperity Gospel Debunked"

There is a lot of prosperity ministry going around: "Sow the seed and reap the harvest!" Listen to some of the television evangelists and preachers today and you can hear the pitch: "This is one of God's basic principles for your life. God wants you to be happy and successful! Just sow your seed by donating such and such and watch how God is going to bless you!" Yes, prosperity Gospel is your basic right from God." Really? I don't think so! Here are a couple of questions and an observation that causes me to debunk this type of Gospel and hang on to the Gospel of Grace. You decide for yourself.

First, why did God create man? If you have children, was one of the reasons you wanted to have kids was so that you could watch them grow up and be financially successful? Highly unlikely- although it might be some relief to see some of all the money that you spent raising your kids making its way back by showing up somehow in their bank or investment accounts. But seriously, though, doesn't our desire to have children fall more along the lines of wanting to have a close relationship with them, be able to interact with them as they grow up, be involved with shaping who they will become, teaching them things, watching them take ownership of their lives and finding their destinies and willingness to contribute in a positive way to the world around them, and then watch them repeat the cycle with their children. How much more do you think God desires that with us. I believe going all the way back to the garden in Eden, God desired to have an intimate loving relationship with man and continues to do so today.

What about Jesus and what he taught? Jesus, himself, downplayed any progression here on Earth towards financial success. Jesus' main objective was to make God known to man in a personal way and to reconcile us back into a intimate, loving relationship with Him. Knowing that things here on Earth are temporary, Jesus primarily spent his time empha-sizing to the people to spend their time wisely inputting their efforts on those things which would outlast this life.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Matthew 6:24

"But seek ye first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things shall be given to

you as well." Matthew 6:33

"Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth." Matthew 19:21-22

"Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

1 Timothy 6:18-19

Then a teacher came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has no place to lay his head." Matthew 8:19-20

16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” Luke 12: 16-21

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moths destroy. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:32-34

Jesus was clearly putting emphasis on living our lives for God's kingdom to come and allowing God's spirit to live through us to love and care about others here on Earth.

"Teacher (Jesus), which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commands." Matthew 22:36-40

It is not that money, itself, is the root of all evil. It is the motive(s) behind acquiring the money that lead us into our struggles.

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what he has and does- comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17

A wealthy person was asked how much money for him was enough. He replied, "Just a little more." There are many unhappy people with wealth today. Wealth is not the answer. What is? What can prove to be much more valuable than sowing seeds to achieve wealth? Lets take a lesson from the Apostle Paul in the book of Philippians, chapter 3 and 4:

"for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith." Philippians 3:7-9

Giving to the church is a good thing. It is God's way of working through His people to love and minister to others. But giving to the church believing that you are going to get something back on your investment is nothing more that trying to manipulate God into doing things for you through your supposedly generous heart. It will position you to look at your circumstances as to how you are affecting God. If things are going well, you will tend to believe you have earned God's favor. When things are not going so well, you will lean towards believing you have offended God and will have to do a little better next time. God's grace does not work like that. You cannot earn any more or experience His love diminished by what you do. God's love for us is unconditional- without condition. Therefore, until you believe that in your heart, you will always lean towards your performance to affect God, not your love. But when you come to realize God's love for you extended to you by His mercy and grace, unconditional love will become manifested in your understanding and set you free from performing for God.

And, now, for the observation. If you still believe in the prosperity Gospel, I invite you to consider John the Baptist. In his ministry, he dressed in camel hair and ate locusts and honey. He had no family nor possession that we know of. From birth he was called to be in service to God. And in the end here on Earth, he was beheaded. I would definitely say that John the Baptist didn't experience a prosperity Gospel. BUT Jesus said of him that no man born of women has ever risen greater than John the Baptist. From a worldly mindset, John the Baptist acquired little. But in the spiritual heavenly realm, John the Baptist made a profound affect on God's kingdom to come.

It is easy to get caught up in the way the world does things. But you have a choice. There is a different way to live your life that is liberating from performance and defining you by your do's and don't's. There is a life that can be lived in the understanding of being a child of God, unconditionally loved and accepted by God that transcends the temporariness of this life to instill a hope within you that will guide you heavenward through the rest of this life.

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There is no purer motive than to do something out of love

Hope you have a great day. See you tomorrow...