Your thought on prosperity preachers

[Dennis1209]

I won't mention the horror stories and damage prosperity Gospel preachers have caused to families, homelessness and finances. But you'll know the wolves in sheep's clothing by their message and lack of preaching and teaching Jesus Christ. Have you looked at some (not all) mega-churches and how they became "mega"? 

2 Timothy 4:3 (KJV) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

There are too many prosperity Gospel preacher to mention, so I'll just use two as an example; Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen. They constantly preach the purpose driven life and prosperity Gospel; the more you give, the more God will give you back. They are not humble people of God, but in your face people living lavish lifestyles in multi million dollar homes, owning and traveling in personal jets, taking lavish vacations, the lifestyle of the rich and famous. All the while conning vulnerable people whom can least afford it out of their mortgage and food money. 

I myself do have a problem with prosperity preachers, because that's the only thing they generally preach, and use our Lord and Savior as a 'cash cow'. The Lord is faithful to provide for all of our needs, we are not on this earth to fulfill the desires of our own sinful lusts and greed. We tithe and give back a minimum of 10% of what the Lord has blessed us with, that He rightfully and ultimately owns anyway. Prosperity preachers generally preach for their greedy own personal prosperity, at the expense, misery and misfortune of others. BEWARE.

Edited June 19, 2019 by Dennis1209
Spelling error

[Dennis1209]

19 minutes ago, Scott Free said:

Explained in one word, selfishness. The "get rich quick scheme" they have going for themselves is in direct opposition the principles of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. We are to seek to give away our possessions not hoard them to us. We should have the desire to empty our purse to the needy, not collect our silver and live in decadence. The Kingdom of God has nothing to do with these wealthy pastors. 

Well said!  

[ejected]

Slot machine preachers! 

Sink your money into them, pull the lever and God will give to you.

Apostles, traveling preachers, were told to give freely what they received freely.

They could receive help if it was the givers idea, not theirs. They never charged for the gospel.

A true preacher doesnt beg. Or promise, or threaten like the prosperty preachers do.

Jesus never begged. Paul did speak about those that refused to support the gospel, but left it to them to consider it.

Heres the sham. These mega preachers claim if you give a dollar, youll get a hundred back.

If that works for them they should be billionaires by now. Why are they still begging from you? You have no one to beg from. Get the point?

 

 

 

[shortangel]

I do not like T.V. evangelists because of the fact that they ask for huge amounts of money when people who have low income cannot afford to give to them,  they promise that if you give & have faith that God will bless you finacialy,  & then if you don't give they say that you do not have enough faith to receive what God has promised that is just unbibical to me,  plus those preachers that teach that you shouldn't go to doctors because God's going to heal you if you have faith in Jesus healing power to heal you,  & then if the healing doesn't happen then they tell you you don't have faith enough,  some people have lost their lives because of this,  that is really scary

[Neighbor]

1 hour ago, Nonkululeko said:

I think this "prosperity preaching" is more than I thought it was. I thought it was just preachings that encouraged people , I didn't know it meant lying or robbing poor people of their tithes and offerings, in promise of wealth. I just thought it was seeing A in pain and letting them know "greater is he who is with you than the one in the world" and giving hope to the hopeless. Thank you all for sharing your opinion and view on the topic.

Hi, Perhaps it is  a matter of definitions. Prosperity  gospel drives many individuals.  Some are very fine and quite generous to others.  They tend to think in terms of hanging on, just hanging on, even in the harsh times that beset them. And that is a fine attribute. Their reliance on our Lord prospers.

 On the other side however are the numerous  and known far and wide claimers of divine power to make one rich, rich in the treasure of this world. All by sending them money as they are the representative of God that has the power of prosperity. They can move mountains, cast away hurricanes according to them  ( usually upon someone else is what I have noticed). What they seem to have in common, though their own schtick might be unique to them, is that  if YOU fail to get what YOU want it is Your fault for not having sent to God seed money, - of which they are the treasurer. God evidently needing seed money of faith to be  exhibited by trusting the prosperity preacher with  the seed buying fund.

Wishing  and praying for a person to prosper, helping a widow in need, raising orphans, and teaching the young the word of God is also  prosperity as well as personal gain; but the treasure gained is set up in heaven for each bond-servant of Christ Jesus  to receive a garland or two or three or more, all to be placed at the feet  of our Lord Jesus, giving Him alone thanks and credit for all that has be done, for we do all that we do for the glory of God if we try to prosper for our eternal life with God.  -That's the way I tend to see it anyway.

We are to run the race as though to win it.

[Reinitin]

9 hours ago, Nonkululeko said:

I personally have no problem with prosperity preaching, so long as they do not "add to the word of God, or subtract from it" as long as they preach the truth. I believe God never intended for anyone to be condemned, or to suffer, I don't believe in coercive preachings, they result in rebellion.I believe in letting people know the goodness and love of our God and once they know him, they will never think of sinning against him, they will actively seek him and his ways.  There  is a hell, but I won't promote it's existence more than the power of my God. Just my opinion, what's yours?

The tithe is for the temple (House of God) to care for the poor and the orphanes and widows. Bible says true religion is taking care of people in these powerless situations.

When I hear them call their own bank account giving to God I tend to duck my head and pray for them because no one would want to hear what wants to come out of my mouth. I am not sure I want to hear what would come out of my mouth.

Jesus WOULDN'T let the sons of thunder call down fire from heaven. And did say when his name is proclaimed, men will be saved. So I just shake my head put my eyes down and walk away from it.

I Pray for all the people servicing the idols of a man. I Pray that group of people that tell the Lord. "We cast out demons in your name, we did this and that" and Jesus say's to them, "Depart from me you workers of iniquity, I know you not." Is a very small group and not the whole group.

Edited June 19, 2019 by Reinitin
I left out orphanes

[Firm Foundation]

Every minister should preach the Bible, whatever it says.  Most prosperity preachers are trying to entice people to give to them with promises they will get a huge return.  I don't think that is right.

[enoob57]

This world is not our home and the things in it we do not keep... thus here in the regeneration we suffer:
Acts 9:16
Rom 8:17-23
Rom 8:26
1 Cor 4:12-13
2 Cor 1:7
2 Cor 4:11-18
Phil 1:29
Phil 2:27-30
Phil 3:10
Col 1:24
2 Thess 1:4-5
2 Tim 2:12
James 5:10
1 Peter 4:13-14
1 Peter 5:10
Their message is not aligned with God's Word...

[Jayne]

9 hours ago, Nonkululeko said:

I personally have no problem with prosperity preaching, so long as they do not "add to the word of God, or subtract from it" as long as they preach the truth. I believe God never intended for anyone to be condemned, or to suffer, I don't believe in coercive preachings, they result in rebellion.I believe in letting people know the goodness and love of our God and once they know him, they will never think of sinning against him, they will actively seek him and his ways.  There  is a hell, but I won't promote it's existence more than the power of my God. Just my opinion, what's yours?

OK, both in your title of your post and in your last sentence here...….you DID ask our opinions.  Twice.

•  Here's the thing about money and health for some people.  It's never, never, never enough.  And for Christians like this, God is the cosmic genie.  Selfish prayers to God and giving small amounts of money are ways to manipulate God into giving them MORE.
•  Here's the thing about money and health for other people.  They are content with what life deals to them.  And for Christians like this, God manipulates US.  He uses us as he sees fit.  We may suffer or not.  Be wealthy or not.  But we are content.

Jesus didn't have a place to lay his head.  He was content.  The Apostle Paul experienced mostly want and he was content. My father died a year ago and I put that verse of Paul's in my father's obituary.  "I have learned in ALL circumstances to be content."  In fact, Paul said that he had learned the "secret" of being content.  It was Christ who "gives me strength".  Philippians 4

We must.....we MUST glorify the God of the universe in whatever state we are in.  Sickness or health.  Poverty or wealth.  And to teach that God wants all Christians to have money untold and never be sick is a lie and that's what it preached in the prosperity "gospel".  How many untold Christians have been "let down" and disappointed when they or their loved was not healed and the "big check" didn't come in the mail.  Whom do they blame for it?  God? Their prayers?

The Bible says that we are going to suffer afflictions.  I don't welcome it.  I didn't welcome cancer.  I didn't welcome my father's death.  I didn't welcome epilepsy.  I didn't welcome my brother's handicaps. I didn't welcome being alone at this point in my life.  But I welcome God.  I welcome Christ.  I welcome the Holy Spirit.  I welcome my church.

The Bible says there is a REASON for sufferings - 

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 - "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

To teach/preach that if you pray hard enough or give some "seed" money or drink some "miracle spring water"  or buy that prayer shawl from the TV preacher that God will go *poof* and you will be wealthy and healed is a lie.  

I don't know what else to say.  It is a lie and it is deceiving people and hurting people.

 

 

 

[missmuffet]

In prosperity teaching,Jesus is presented as a ticket to perfect health and financial wealth.

There has been a subtle shift within Christianity toward a version of the gospel that the apostles would not recognize. People are becoming biblically illiterate and are thus easily swayed by preachers who appear to know Scripture but who are perverting it to make it sound more appealing. These preachers are attracting huge crowds, just as Jesus did when He fed the thousands (Matthew 14:21), healed the sick (Mark 1:34), and performed miracles (John 6:2). But when Jesus began to teach the hard truths of the gospel, “many of his disciples turned away and no longer followed him” (John 6:66). Waning popularity did not cause Jesus to water down His message. He continued to teach truth whether people liked it or not (John 8:29). Likewise, the apostle Paul exonerated himself before the Ephesians with these words: “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:26–27). If today’s prosperity teachers would follow the patterns of Jesus and Paul, they could be confident that their works will not be burned up on judgment day (1 Corinthians 3:12–15).

www.gotquestions.org/prosperity-preachers.html

 

Edited June 19, 2019 by missmuffet