Mat 6:19-21 (TEB) "Do not save riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. Instead, save riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. For your heart will always be where your riches are."
It is easy enough to "explain away" one or two verses to come to the conclusion we want. But what you are about to read is more than one or two verses: Scriptural teaching about money is clear, consistent, and radical. It is plain and clear that our focus as believers should be on The Lord and His work and not becoming rich. If the Lord blesses you to be rich, then it is His will for you to be rich. Too often preachers have lied and misrepresented the Bible and the Lord by teaching ALL should be rich.
Be Content with Your Needs Being Met…. Beware Of Materialism!
Heb 13:5 (RSV) "Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have."
Contentment is very rarely preached now days, the primary message today is centered on receiving a blessing. Giving is preached with the purpose of receiving! We are taught to treat God like a Cosmic ATM machine that is at our beck and call. Kenneth Hagin had a book titled, “How to Write Your Ticket with God”. We are so busy trying to BE GOD; we forget that God is in control! The Bible says that God will supply ALL of our NEEDS according to HIS RICHES in Glory! Key word is NEEDS, we don’t call the shots in this life HE DOES! God is a personal God that wants to KNOW us, we need to seek His face and NOT His hands.
Ps 37:7,16 (NAS) Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way... Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many wicked.
One of the lies of Prosperity Preaching is that ABUNDANCE means monetary wealth. The favor of God is not measured by the size of ones bank account. If this were true then Donald Trump and Bill Gates have more favor than anyone. This doesn’t mean a Christian cannot attain wealth, but wealth is NOT the indicator of an abundant or blessed life.
Prov 23:4-5 (NIV) Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
Wealth as transitory and can leave faster than it was acquired. Notice the scripture says “Cast a glance at riches…” The message of Prosperity is consumed with the concept of attaining riches. The preachers often convince the hearers that IF you give to THEM God will give to YOU! That is the essence of Prosperity preaching. Back in the 60’s there was a preacher named “Rev. Ike”, he was the Godfather of this preaching and teaching. He used to promise people that they would have “Good Luck” if they gave money to him. Rev. Ike was very obvious and wasn’t very scriptural in his delivery.
As time moved on the Prosperity Preachers became much craftier at using scripture to justify their larceny. Oral Roberts coined the phrase, Sowing Seed, He suggested that money is seed to be sown into ministries (his in particular) in order to REAP a harvest. The scripture is very clear when it speaks of SEED and HARVEST, Jesus was speaking of the WORD as the seed, and the harvest is LOST SOULS! The devil has taken the emphasis off of souls and placed it on MONEY! I have seen offerings in churches last longer than altar calls.
The 70’s introduced the PTL Club and the ministry of Jim and Tammy Bakker. They bilked millions of dollars out of people with the “name it and claim it” message. Jim Bakker has since repented of his larceny, and NOW preaches against Prosperity Preaching. Jim Bakker realized the error of his teaching while in prison, and had time to actually read the Bible. I praise God for his courage to refute the garbage he spewed earlier in his life.
Materialism is a sin and the Prosperity Message has clouded it and made it acceptable. If you see the typical Prosperity Prophet of today they all have more bling than a Gangsta Rapper! The loud suits and alligator shoes make them seem like ministry is the path to wealth, and if you SOW into THEIR ministry some how GOD will make you a partaker of their BLING! No where do you see or hear this way of life in the walk of Jesus our Lord and Savior.
Luke 14:33 (Phi) "Only the man who says goodbye to all his possessions can be my disciple."
Luke 14:33 (TEB) Concluded Jesus, "none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up everything he has."
Luke 14:33 (RSV) "Whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple."
Luke 3:11 (NIV) John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."
Luke 6:30 (Jer) "Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from the man who robs you."
Now don’t get mad with me just read what Jesus said! Does our savior seem to agree with the preachers of greed that infest our TV’s and radio waves? This simply doesn’t line up with the “Name it Claim It” message of today. Wake up saints! Who are we going to agree with Jesus or the disciples of Properity?
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