Prosperity Gospel

[jsca777]

There needs to be balance. I do believe God wants us to suceed, to be blessed, to prosper, but some preachers have twisted the Word for selfish gain. I have seen preacher preach all about giving, then after they finished preaching, it's all about giving to " their ministries. They use hype and manipulation. Using hype and manipulation is a basic form of witchcraft. It is a basic form of witchcraft because they are trying to control people.

When it comes to giving, we need to give unto the Lord, trust in the Lord( and not in man), and keep our hearts pure. God is concerned about the heart, not about the pocket book. Matthew 6:33 says to seek ye first the Kingdom of God and it's righteousness, and then these things shall be added unto you. What is someone seeking, God's Kingdom or money? Jesus was about being Kingdom minded and that is His will for us too, to be Kingdom minded. When He sent out the disciples in Matthew10:1-8 and the 70 followers in Luke10:1-19, they were doing the will of the Kingdom, they weren't about making money. A preacher's job is to preach about righteousness and truth. If they are not preaching repentance, then are they really do the work fo the Kingdom??? Jesus preached holiness, so did the apostles.

Making money in itself isn't a bad thing, for Job was very sucessful and wealthy, it is when money becomes an idol and takes top priority in someone's heart. The bbile never says that "money[i/]" is the root of all evil, it says that "the love of money[i/]" is the root of all evil. Big difference. As longas you don't fall in love with money, as long as making money doesn't become averice and greed, then there is nothing wrong with making money.

I find it amazing how certain preachers tell people to have faith in plant seed into "their ministry." Can they do the same? Can they support needs causes since they can talk the talk when it comes to faith?

[MelodyCat]

There needs to be balance. I do believe God wants us to suceed, to be blessed, to prosper, but some preachers have twisted the Word for selfish gain. I have seen preacher preach all about giving, then after they finished preaching, it's all about giving to " their ministries. They use hype and manipulation. Using hype and manipulation is a basic form of witchcraft. It is a basic form of witchcraft because they are trying to control people.

When it comes to giving, we need to give unto the Lord, trust in the Lord( and not in man), and keep our hearts pure. God is concerned about the heart, not about the pocket book. Matthew 6:33 says to seek ye first the Kingdom of God and it's righteousness, and then these things shall be added unto you. What is someone seeking, God's Kingdom or money? Jesus was about being Kingdom minded and that is His will for us too, to be Kingdom minded. When He sent out the disciples in Matthew10:1-8 and the 70 followers in Luke10:1-19, they were doing the will of the Kingdom, they weren't about making money. A preacher's job is to preach about righteousness and truth. If they are not preaching repentance, then are they really do the work fo the Kingdom??? Jesus preached holiness, so did the apostles.

Making money in itself isn't a bad thing, for Job was very sucessful and wealthy, it is when money becomes an idol and takes top priority in someone's heart. The bbile never says that "money[i/]" is the root of all evil, it says that "the love of money[i/]" is the root of all evil. Big difference. As longas you don't fall in love with money, as long as making money doesn't become averice and greed, then there is nothing wrong with making money.

I find it amazing how certain preachers tell people to have faith in plant seed into "their ministry." Can they do the same? Can they support needs causes since they can talk the talk when it comes to faith?

I agree with what you have said here.

I just want to add the Seed sowing thing is based on this parable.

MK 4:1 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."

MK 4:9 Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

You note these Prosperity Teachers focus on this line and then tell you that your seed is money and it has to be sown in the right soil, a ministry that serves God (like mine), then they tell you if you give them money into this project or that you will get 100 fold.

Of course these men know many people don't read there Bibles, they like to just sit in a Church and get re-gurgitated scripture. [Notice re-gugitated food don't look like the original and at times you couldn't even work out what is was after it's been re-gugitated.] So they think you are not going to read on and see what did Jesus say about this parable.

MK 4:10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that,

" `they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,

and ever hearing but never understanding;

otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!' "

MK 4:13 Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?

Jesus seeing these guys hadn't worked out what the parable was about went on to actually INTERPRET the parable for them. Here is what Jesus tells us is meant by this parable of the soil and the seeds.

MK 4:14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."

The seed is the WORD.

People are the SEED.

Those people who are planted in good soil thrive and produce a crop.

So we see that SEED is people and the WORD of God NOT money.

What does the Word of God produce in people? If these men knew their Bible they would never teach it is material blessings. No the answer is Spiritual Fruit.

MT 21:43 "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."

Not earlier Jesus tells the Twelve that the parables gave them the secret of the Kingdom of God. The result of having the Kingdom is to produce fruit (not material possessions).

I won't go into what is spiritual fruit most people I'm sure can use a concordance and look it up for themselves.

So instead of these Greedy Men teaching us the Truth they twist it to get people to give them money.

2PE 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

They probably don't even know these scriptures above, if they did they would be repenting big time to avoid what God has in store for them!

[wyguy]

I heard one of those prosperity preachers actually say to get rich all you have to do is take your wallet and: "Just tell your wallet, 'Wallet, be full of money!' "

I quickly went to my garage and said, "Garage! Be full of expensive cars!"

I often think about that when I'm riding the bus..

[jsca777]

I heard one of those prosperity preachers actually say to get rich all you have to do is take your wallet and: "Just tell your wallet, 'Wallet, be full of money!' "

The proof is in the pudding. Let's see that preacher do it.

[jsca777]

2PE 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

They probably don't even know these scriptures above, if they did they would be repenting big time to avoid what God has in store for them!

I think they know the scriptures, they just don't want others to know. They depend on the fact that many in the church don't know much about the Word.

[wyguy]

I heard one of those prosperity preachers actually say to get rich all you have to do is take your wallet and: "Just tell your wallet, 'Wallet, be full of money!' "

The proof is in the pudding. Let's see that preacher do it.

His wallet is full of money I'm sure - from all of the people who fall for this garbage.

[MelodyCat]

2PE 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

They probably don't even know these scriptures above, if they did they would be repenting big time to avoid what God has in store for them!

I think they know the scriptures, they just don't want others to know. They depend on the fact that many in the church don't know much about the Word.

These men have NO FEAR!

And what does the Bible say about FEARING the Lord?

PR 14:27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.

[Guest shiloh357]

QUOTE

2PE 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

Good Scripture. I have noticed that false teachers will exploit anyone and anything for the sake of money. I have seen these TV Bible teachers even use the festivals of Israel for money. One lady, Paula White is always pleading with people to send in money so they can receive their "Passover anointing" or their Yom Kippur blessing, or some other nonsense.

One time on TBN, at the direction of RW Shambach, they built a mock "altar of burnt offering" to burn up people's debt. All you had to do was plant a "seed" of $2000 and they would put your name and the list of your debts on the altar and at the appointed time, your debt would be burnt up.

One guy, Rod Parsley gets on TV and promises a healing and prosperty "breakthrough" through communion. Don't even get me started on the "anointed prayer cloths."

There is no end to it. People who should be using their money to pay their rent, utilities and to put gas in their cars, are sending it to these people and I can promise you they don't read any of the prayer requests sent to them. They could not care less about the people they are fleecing.

[Believer1997]

I do not nor have I ever 'bought' into the prosperity gospel - although, I do think you must ask God to provide when you have a need - that is not to say that one can ask God for a Porsche and have it appear in your driveway or a million dollars just show up in your checking account..

God does provide and we must pray for His blessing and provision. It may sound lame - but I do not pray for anything in specific as a rule. I have been in need and made God aware of the need - Lord, I need to pay this bill by Friday and do not have the money - please Lord, provide me the resources to enable me to meet my debt. There have been times after such a prayer that I was able to work more hours on a project thus earning the funds I needed. I've always asked for "enough" and my prayers have not only been answered but many times overwhelmingly so.

Matthew 21:21-23

21Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Some take this to be an endorsement of the prosperity gospel - but I think you do receive what you ask for - just not always in the way you think it should be answered....

There have been those who point to the Prayer of Jabez as being one of the fundamental scriptures in favor of the prosperity gospel ..

10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

I do not really think that Jabez was asking for more than provision from God and His blessing.... any thoughts on that out there?

God blesses me so richly - with far more than I expect and I'm in wonder daily of how miraculous He is. God knows what is "enough" for all of us - and when I ask for "enough" - I am secure in the faith that He will indeed provide. Blessings, all!!

[wyguy]

One lady, Paula White is always pleading with people to send in money so they can receive their "Passover anointing" or their Yom Kippur blessing, or some other nonsense.

And what is so funny about Paula (or tragic) is that every single time while flipping through channels and I come to her, she, without fail, is asking for money. All of her teachings are about "sowing seeds" into her ministry (i.e., "bank account").

And people never seem to learn. Peter Popoff (the one who was exposed as a fraud on the "Tonight Show" by the Amazing Randi) is back and took in almost 23 million dollars last year. He's the fellow selling the "Blessed Annointing Oil" and "Healing Dead Sea salt" (which turns out to be just table salt).