All Nine Chapters - Index and Summary Chapter 1 - Introduction To The Prosperity and The Word-Faith Gospels. HERE Chapter 2 - Alleged Biblical Support For The Prosperity Doctrine. HERE Chapter 3 - The Never Mentioned Verses. HERE Chapter 4 - Uninformed People in The Scriptures? Chapter 5 - The Word of Faith Doctrine and New Thought. HERE Chapter 6 - Joel Osteen - The Blind Leading The Blind. HERE Chapter 7 - How Words Precede Form. HERE Chapter 8 - God and Money. HERE Chapter 9 - The Crown Without The Cross? The Very Appealing Prosperity Doctrine Cannot Be Called 'Christianity' It is a Full Blown Descent Into American 'Capitalism' Although the Prosperity Doctrine frauds seem to be living proof of the power of positive confession, the fact that rarely seems to sink in is that the constant begging for money, the fund-raisers, the barrage of direct mailing and advertising campaigns all allow them to live their lavish life styles. They live in multimillion dollar dream houses, own boats, private jets, works of art worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, wear the most expensive suits and deck themselves with expensive jewelry and watches because, according to their own theology, if they weren't rich and prosperous, they would not be blessed.
Hundreds of thousands regularly respond to these charlatans, totally ignoring the fact that virtually no layman without the benefit of stage, air time, charisma and a well memorized collection of out of context Bible verses ever comes anywhere near acquiring the material wealth that these high flying ministers have amassed. For example, Paul and Jan Crouch, who founded TBN once lived in a 5 million dollar, three-storied, nearly 9,500-square-foot house that boasted six bedrooms, nine bathrooms, an elevator, tennis court, billiard room, climate-controlled wine cellar, a sweeping staircase and a pool with a fountain. Fred Price, founder and now retired pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center (CCC) in Los Angeles lives in the pricey Palos Verdes Estates in Southern California and drives a Bentley. Jesse Duplantis' is the proud owner of an over-the-top $3 million, 35,000 square-foot, five-bedroom house that has more than seven bathrooms and a home theatre located in St. Charles Parish, LA. The first floor of the home boasts two bedrooms, 4 1/2 bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, a breakfast room and a music parlor. Creflo Dollar's 17,000+ square home is built on adjoining parcels of land in Fayetteville, that together amount to a staggering 182.9 acre. Not so long ago Dollar launched a fund raising campaign to get his followers to pay approximately $60,000,000 for a new Gulfstream G650 jet. He suggested his followers each commit to giving "$300 or more." Kenneth Copeland owns a lakefront 18-thousand square foot home valued at $6.3 million plus a fleet of private jets. Ed Young, Senior Pastor of Grapevine-based Fellowship Church in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; lives in a 5 bedroom, 6.5 bath 7,027 square foot house on an acre of land and has a $ 4 million Home in The Florida Keys. Steve Furtick and his wife had a $1.7 million 16,000 sq. ft home (8,400 sq. ft, heated) built on 19 acres in Weddington NC.- which he told his congregation was a 'gift from God'. Joel Osteen's home in Houston is valued at $10.5 million. It sits on 1.86 acres and has six bedrooms, six bathrooms, three elevators and five wood-burning fireplaces, with a one-bedroom guest house and pool house. According to City-Data.com, Wendy and Casey Treat live in a luxury 5 bedroom 8,100 square feet home on a 57,935 square feet lot on lake Fenwick in Kent WA. The house has an almost 2000 sq. foot attached garage. The entire property is valued at $988,000
See Welcome To The Mile Wide And Inch Deep Flashy Mega-Churches with Very Expensive Entertainment And Wealthy Celebrity Pastors With Deep Pockets And Self Serving Shallow Theology Lifestyles of The Tele-Evangelists Joel Osteen even says we can expect to receive preferential treatment from God: I know when Victoria and I used to travel with my father overseas, a lot of times we would go over a few days early, and it was amazing how many times we would get upgraded to first class. When I'd go up to that counter I'd kid with Victoria and I'd say 'Watch this! We're going to get upgraded.' And I'd go up there expecting to get preferential treatment. I'd go up there knowing that I have an advantage, I've got the favor of God... when I'd go up there I'd just smile real big and be real friendly and that whole time under my breath I'd be saying 'Father, I thank you that I have your favor. I thank you that you're causing me to stand out in the crowd. I thank you that your light is shining down on me.' And Victoria will tell you time after time, for no reason at all, they'd bump us up to first class. See, that's the favor of God ... That's God's favor giving us preferential treatment. [01]
I guess he has forgotten or is ignoring the fact that Jesus told us that like Him, our rewards will come later. In His words, And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. "But many who are first will be last; and the last, first. (Matthew 19:28-30 NASB)
In fact, the Prosperity Doctrine teaches is that a believer can have... A Crown Without The Cross As said in an earlier chapter, even the most cursory look at the Messiah's life tells us that the Son of God voluntarily relinquished the throne of heaven for our sakes. He opted for a lowly birth, a life of poverty without even a place to lay His head (Matthew 8:20). He was constantly opposed and persecuted by the religious leaders of the day, rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, and endured the deepest shame of being crucified between two thieves.
Becoming a disciple of Christ means to willing to surrender all that this world has to offer in order to serve Him - commitment to Him has to supersede all earthly ties. In the Savior's words ... "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 10:34-39 NASB) (Note: Since the Bible often speaks about loving our neighbor and honoring our parents, the word "hate" cannot be interpreted literally. Jesus, as He often did, used vivid hyperbole to make the point that being a disciple could be at the expense of even our closest relationships.
All too often Christians mistake the common trials and tribulations of life as their crosses. Everything from chronic ill health and toothaches, to a tiresome spouse have all been interpreted as crosses the believer has to bear. However, this is a completely false notion. The non-believer down the road also has difficult people and situations to cope with. And, as Tozer once said, even the Robin's wings droop in 104 degree weather, and the devil would have toothaches if he had teeth. Jesus said "take up" your cross, which means it does not apply to simply accepting a bad situation, but is something we do voluntarily. Jesus' warning about counting the cost and denial of self is diametrically opposed to the Prosperity Doctrine's mantra of "Your best life now". In fact, I am not sure if self-denial has any part in the faith of all too many modern Christians, who want salvation with as little personal sacrifice as possible. In the early days after Pentecost, the apostles were frequently threatened and beaten in efforts to stop their preaching, but they counted it an honor to suffer for His name. Paul, who went through any number of trials including being imprisoned, called all his suffering a "light affliction". This does not mean that all believers will be persecuted for the faith or come to a gruesome end, but the principles of carrying ones cross and denying oneself applies to every facet of our lives. In most cases, conversion means having to change how we spend our time, what we wear, who we associate with, who our friends are, and what we watch on television. We need to learn how to control even our thoughts and imagination and scrupulously examine our motives. We Are Instructed to Pray For Our Needs, Not 'Confess' Our Wants Although they are in error about Tongues being evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit or a "second Blessing", the following - part of the official statement regarding positive confession issued by the General Presbytery of the Assemblies of God in August 1980 is perfectly said.
When the positive confession view teaches that believers are to confess rather than to pray for things which God has promised, it overlooks the teaching of God's Word concerning importunate prayer. According to some who hold this view of positive confession, God's promises are in the area of material, physical, and spiritual blessings; believers are to claim or confess these blessings and not to pray for them. The instruction not to pray for promised blessings is contrary to the teaching of God's Word. Food is one of God's promised blessings, yet Jesus taught His disciples to pray: "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). Wisdom is a promised blessing of God, yet Scripture states, if any man "lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not" (James 1:5). Jesus called the Holy Spirit the promise of the Father (Luke 24:49), and yet He also taught that God would give the Holy Spirit to them that ask (Luke 11:13). While there were times God told people not to pray, as in the case of Moses at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:15), there are many Scriptures reminding believers to pray, and that, without ceasing (Romans 12:12; Philippians 4:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Jesus emphasized the importance of importunity in prayer. The illustration of the persistent friend who came at midnight asking for bread to set before his guests became the basis for Christ's statement, "Ask, and it shall be given you" (Luke 11:5-10). The parable of the widow and the unjust judge became the occasion for our Lord to emphasize importunity in prayer (Luke 18:1-8). These people were commended for importunity and not for prayerless positive confession. While God's ways are above man's ways, and we cannot understand the reason for every command in Scripture, we do know that in His wisdom God has ordained prayer as part of the process included in meeting a need. Rather than an indication of doubt, importunate prayer can be an indication of obedience and faith. [02]
We have to put our focus on God and trust Him to provide all the essentials that we are instructed to pray for... food, drink and clothing. "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:31-34 NASB) And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 NASB)
See Tongues Citing the book of Acts, most of the groups that teach the doctrine of the baptism in the Holy Spirit claim that the single outward sign of this 'second blessing' is speaking in other tongues. This often takes place in an intensely emotional religious atmosphere sometimes called a "tarry meeting", in which seekers agonize and plead with God to send down His Holy Spirit.
What few believers seem to realize is that tongues and the related phenomena have been seen throughout history in both pagan and heretical Christian movements without apparently ANY difference. Even worse is that if you watch certain videos in chapter 5, you will see that the jerking, the screaming, and the collapse, are exactly the same in voodoo rituals, people who have a 'kundalini awakening' (as taught in Hinduism), and Pentecostals all over the world. Can any Christian believe for one moment that God has bestowed the gift of the Holy Spirit on Christians, non-Christians, cults, and pagans without any discrimination whatsoever. Which brings up the multi million dollar question of where the unintelligible gibberish and crazy movements come from?
The Conditions That Have To Be Met Before Prayers Are Answered
1 John 5:14 tells us that if we ask anything in accordance with His will He hears us. Therefore it stands to reason that if what we ask for is not in accordance with His will, He will not grant our wish regardless of how sincerely we ask or how great the magnitude of our 'faith'. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14 NASB)
John 15:7 says we must abide in Christ and have His Word abiding in us before we are granted our prayers. However, anyone who abides in Christ is not going to ask with the wrong motives nor are they going to ask to indulge their own pleasures. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:7 NASB)
James 4:3 says we ask and do not receive because we ask amiss (with wrong motives) which James defines as physical desires/pleasures and self-indulgence. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. (James 4:3 NASB)
1 Peter 3:7 says our relationships must be in order You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7 NASB)
Finally Modern Christians and The Money The issue of money and its place in the Christian's life cannot be over simplified.
It is true that early Christians leaned towards asceticism - largely because they tended to believe that an excess of wealth was morally and spiritually damaging. However, in the modern western world most Christians are able to live far more comfortably than ever before. This has led to questions that need to be addressed - How should we live? How much is too much? How much should we keep and how much should we give away? When does the respect for money become worship of the god mammon? End Notes - Chapter 9 [01] Joel Osteen, "The Truth of Resurrection," April 23, 2000, Lakewood Church, Sermons, http://web.archive.org/web/20050323022921/http://www.lakewood.cc/sermons/cs_002.htm. As quoted in Christianity Still In Crisis: A Word Of Faith Update by Bob Hunter. http://www.equip.org/articles/christianity-still-in-crisis-/ [02] The Believer and Positive Confession. https://ag.or g/Beliefs/Topics-Index/The-Believer-and-Positive-Confession |