The Gospel of the IMMACULATE Accumulation
(Material Prosperity, God's Blessing, and the Christian)
"BROTHER, I SEE MONEY AND WEALTH ALL OVER YOU." said the prophet of God directly to me in a church service around 1999.
"There's several millionaires in this congregation and God showed me you are one of them", said the pastor to my wife and I around 2002.
"Great wealth is coming to you" we were told by yet another prophet around that time.
There were other ministers who spoke to us in agreement with these words on different occasions and I was praying and confesssing scriptures like:
Psalms 118:25 Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity!
Psalms 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
AND
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Please bear in mind we were in a typical middle class congregation in a commuter community and our church leadership was very influenced by a number of wealthy and visibly successful pastors who administered great programs, facilities, and ministries.
One visiting Pastor's wife testified "GIMMEE THE GLITZ HONEY!"
Another pastor-bishop boasted how "I can turn a piece of paper on the street into money", yet another pastor complained how the church was just too small to support a pastor and his family, and that they had to work. (see Acts 20:35)
In our experience, we saw countless preachers into multi-level marketing (which made the congregational "sheep" fair game), church business and fund-raising schemes galore.... Raffles, Photo Portraits, Bake Auctions, Yard Sales, Valentines Day Bouquets, Tri-Tip Bar-B-Cues, peanut brittle sales, and a host of other activities all promoted as ways to fund "the Kingdom".
In reality most of the money collected went to pay for building expenses, church overhead, and/or equipment. In some cases the youth benefitted (a trip to a convention or to the Great America amusement park), on rare occasions a needy family was helped.
You would be shocked and sickened to see how many local ministers for personal benefit openly sell merchandise to their flocks and employ various business practices within the church to extract even more money from those they oversee. This is especially common practice in churches that teach tithing.
We recall at one denominational regional meeting, as we exited from the service at around 10pm, one of the ministers pulling up in front of the church in his shiny, new, white Jaguar in order to display the great blessing he was driving.
At the time, we were part of a jewelry-forsaking, no make-up, no pants on women, holiness denomination. The Jag made me a bit uncomfortable and maybe a bit envious as we walked out to our 1979 Ford Fairmont with 150,000 miles.
Obviously I needed to pray down and confess some prosperity! Of course tithing was a core pillar in building our house of future wealth.
I write these things to illustrate how easy it is to get our eyes off the Lord and His Word in order to seek what we became persuaded into thinking was God's Will for us to have a Best Life Now.
And our fleshly mind easily is entrapped into ignoring the warnings of scripture concerning material wealth as we tell ourselves things like: "I will give BIG to God when I am RICH!" or " I can handle wealth and still be a Christian", the implication being some of us are wise enough and spiritual enough to handle wealth without spiritual harm.
If our own mind was not deceitful enough, you can quickly find a bevy of wealthy evangelists, healers, and Christian SuperStars that will help you justify the pursuit of riches.... Maybe even your own pastor.....
Paul wrote to Timothy, an overseer in the church at Ephesus:
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness” (1 Timothy 6:6-11).
Somehow in the middle of a materialistic and wealthy nation, the church has absorbed the notion that material wealth and prosperity is a blessing from God, that gain is an indication of Godliness and blessing.
Poor Lazarus missed God's Best Life and the rich man.....
Church leaders practice "double speak" and say we are free from the love of money, yet the current "role models" of Christianity parade around in their Italian suits and shoes, live in palatial estates, drive luxury automobiles, and fly around in private jets?
Can you see how the church has institutionalized the pursuit of a "Better Life" at the cost of the truth?
"OH man of God, FLEE these things...."
How can a materially RICH person be poor in God's eyes?
The answer is very simple, the rich have little need for God to supply them. They can afford other men to supply them with goods and services. (We might recall and consider the verse "cursed is he that trusteth in man" at this point).
And materially wealth can bring the delacacies of life in terms of travel, vacations, posessions, prestige, houses, cars, etc.
Erring from the faith has more to do with a lack of dependence on God than it does false doctrine.
How can a materially POOR person be rich in God's eyes?
James 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
The materialy poor of this world that have learned to depend on God to supply are become spiritually rich, in God's sight. If a poor Christian man can believe and receive from God healing from cancer, and a wealthy Christian man believes in his medical insurance policy and medical specialists, which man is wealthy in God's sight?
Which man is rich in faith? Which man has brought pleasure to God? By the way, poverty itself is not necessarily a virtue, some may err in putting their faith in their own poverty and become self-righteous in it.
Material wealth and things of this life can destroy faith in God and Jesus put it like this in Matthew 13:22) He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. Deceitfulness of riches? CHOKE the WORD?
You mean riches deceive? Do you know what "rich" really means? To be rich is to simply have more than you need: from the dictionary: "rich: money, abundance, wealth, abounding...".
Can anyone honestly deny that the average American Christian is not "rich" according to the scriptural definition?
Here are a few typical "deceitfulness of riches" thoughts that are common in Christianity:
- "I can handle being rich and still be a Christian"
- "I don't LOVE those things more than God",
- "If God blesses me I will give BIG", "
- "God WANTS me to be rich",
- "If you make me rich Lord, then I wil....",
or "God showed me that I would be extremely wealthy, living on ten percent of my income and giving ninety away. The ninety would be used to further the gospel and to reach people at the far reaches of the earth. I have known since I was a young child that I was called to be a vessel of honor and that my life would be a beacon for thousands of people to see. "
The last one was a quote in an email received from a woman who desired Christian fame and fortune.
Did you know that if we set up an IDOL called "Prosperity" in our heart, God Himself will send us deception or "STRONG DELUSION"?
From Eze. 14:
3. "Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them?
4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord: Every man of the house of Israel that taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him therein according to the multitude of his idols;
5 that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
Wow! -that ought to make you catch your breath. God was not talking bowing down to a statue, he was talking about what was in the heart of the leadership of His people! And GOD HIMSELF would CONFIRM their deception, even with witnesses.
This is exactly what happened to not only ourselves but many others like the lady who wrote me the email.
There are many Christian books written to instruct us how to not only obtain wealth, but even how to INVEST for even greater wealth and monetary growth! It should be a clear wake up call to the church that these messengers of Christian material prosperity are deceiving God's people by contradicting Jesus Christ when He taught in Luke 12:
16) And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
The ground speaks of our fleshly works.
17) And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
The rich man was well "blessed", can you imagine how he would have been received when he visited church? Perhaps he had even paid his tithe and could now view what he had left over as "MY fruits".
18) And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
Could we even imagine the man was a Christian leader? Have you ever noticed the numerous "barns" called "churches" that have been built or enlarged to house the "fruits" of someone's ministry?
19) And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20) But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21) So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Now Jesus really lets us have it between the eyes, "SO IS HE...." because he LIKENS what that rich fellow did to the believer who is focused on what he accomplishes at work, investing (which is a nice term for "accumulating"), or even his own MINISTRY.
I recall the words of a "bishop" who told the young pastor, "see those folks out there? -those are your cd's" -certificates of deposit. (these were non-denominational ministers who staunchly taught tithing.)
Many scriptures speak to us wealthy brethren, meaning the average American Christian:
-Luke 18:25 it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
-1 Timothy 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
-1Tim 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1Tim 2:18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute
James said For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
-James 5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. (rich means having more than enough)
-Revelation 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked
You say "I don't trust in riches", yet how many believers really trust God by not buying their way out of their problem? What was Jesus' attitude toward material wealth? Does material prosperity appeal to our carnal nature? Is material gain an indication of God's blessing or may it be a temptation offered by "the god of this world"? What about the apostle Paul's view on material gain? And John, the disciple of Christ?
Here is what Jesus said to the Law-keeping, tithing (Matt. 16:14)
-the Pharisees, who were lovers (lovers means fond) of money, heard all these things; and they scoffed at him.
15 And he said unto them, Ye are they that justify yourselves in the sight of men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
You know what a man or a church "esteems" by what they speak about. What a contradiction we have from what the Bible says about the modern day Nicolaitane church: 1 Peter 5:2 "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind"...
Hire a pastor lately? Tithes anyone? Do you have a 501c3 salaried corporate church overseer called Senior Pastor?
Here they come! -the "but, but, buts... just as Jesus told the leaders of His day "ye are they which justify (your fondness for wealth) among men".
What a deception for a minister to say a church needs to support him with tithes or salary when the scripture tells them NOT to take a ministry for pay (lucre)-- 1Peter 5:2. Jesus said plainly: Freely ye have received, freely give".
I think we need to all examine our heart and attitude toward what the Lord said is an "abomination in the sight of God".
Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The materially poor believer is not in spiritual poverty like the Bible says the wealthy are, Jesus said the materialy poor are BLESSED IN SPIRIT because their needs cause them to receive the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God Jesus said, is NOT of this world which is under satan's rule. This was illustrated when satan offered to the Lord the material wealth, fame, reputation and glory. Jesus forsook houses, wealth, fame, and never built an earthly kingdom unlike so many major brand-name ministries of our day. His disciples followed Him in the same example, and even Paul said to the church leaders in Acts 20:35, "In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring ye ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Who was Paul speaking to? -the elders. What example did he give them? -He worked with his hands and helped support the weak and needy by giving to them rather than taking from them. And that exactly is what the church was called to do but instead we have given to the buildings and personal kingdoms of MEN.
Paul wrote: Galatians 2:10 "only they would that we should remember the poor; which very thing I was also zealous to do. This is the example Paul gave for the Christians to do. Yet today we have the majority of ministries who REAP from the poor every week, and the average Christian thinks he is serving God by giving to the "needs" of the building and clergy in the weekly offering!
Has the church truly taught us to be "zealous" in ministering to the poor or have they done a better job in teaching us to tithe and support the local church? (which usually bears no resemblance to the disciples of scripture).
2Cor.6:4 "...ourselves, as ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5) ... in labors, in watchings, in fastings; ...10 ...as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Here Paul followed Christ as making himself materially poor (he gave away zealously to the needs of the brethren), so that he said "I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ". -Phil. 3:8 Uhh, what kind of gain did you say Paul?
As you can see, the scripture clearly teaches a completely different and opposite attitude toward material wealth and prosperity that the modern church espouses and encourages.
As long as we desire and strive in our hearts to achieve material wealth and gain, we are in fact, serving two masters as Jesus said.
The tragedy of our times is that many Christians will take an article like this as virtual heresy and react with anger that some of us might challenge current convention regarding material wealth as the "Best Life Now". -And all the spin-offs of the best life that now have center stage in American Christianity.
The "BROADWAY" is now mainstream in the visible church
James2:5) Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?
6) But ye have dishonored (to despise, dishonor, disrespect) the (materialy) poor man.
James 5:1) Come now, ye rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you.
2 Your (worldly) riches are corrupted, and your (spiritual) garments are moth-eaten.
3 Your gold and your silver (righteousness and purity) are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have laid up your treasure in the last days (the last days before the end of the church age).
Our attitude of how we respond to adversity and the loss of things, money, job, etc. is a truer reflection of WHO is the real master our heart. In this day of collapsing real estate values, job losses, "natural" calamities from earthquake/tornados/fire,hurricanes, and floods, even a stock market collapse, American Christianity will be severly shaken as God's judgement unfolds.
Paul equated the sin of covetousness on par with stealing, drunkeness, sexual impurity, and others: "Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
Begin to Prepare His Way today, ask the Lord to give you the grace to become free of greed, the lust of material gain, the things of this world/possessions, and self-life.
Repentence itself is the gift of God.
Turn AWAY NOW from the wolves and false teachers hawking the prosperity gospel, as Paul told Timothy. ..."From such, turn away", for "you cannot serve God and mammon too".
This is the Word of the Lord on the matter.
