Judgment of God-American Church, Part Six, Prosperity Gospel

Judgment of God-American Church, Part Six | False Prosperity Gospel |

Before I address this subject I need to make some things clear:
-I am a Continuationist, none of the gifts of the Spirit have ceased.

-I believe there is still the Fivefold ministry of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers.

-I believe it is God’s heart for all Christians to be prosperous, it is a promise from God.

-I believe God is in the healing ‘business’. He heals via divine healing, healing through doctors, and healing through medication.

This article is much longer than the other articles on the topic of Judgment of God-American Church. The reason is because sadly with all the exposure of the corruption of this false doctrine it still is welcomed, adhered to by many within the American Church. If it is not repented of, strong judgment can come upon the body of Christ to expose the evil of this doctrine.

3 John 2-4 (KJV)
²Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. ³For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. ⁴I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

3 John 2-4 (AMP)
²Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually]. ³For I was greatly pleased when [some of the] brothers came [from time to time] and testified to your [faithfulness to the] truth [of the gospel message], that is, how you are walking in truth. ⁴I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my [spiritual] children are living [their lives] in the truth.

When I use the phrase Charismania it is not to mock or condemn the Charismatic Movement. I would identify as being part of this movement. When I use this phrase I am talking about the beliefs, mindset, behavior, and teachings that are unbiblical, contrary to Scripture, the twisting of Scripture, based upon emotions alone, So, yes I am use the phrase in a negative manner in regard to some portions of the Charismatic Movement. Yes, I am saying the common understanding of the Prosperity message by some Charismatics is a False Prosperity Gospel. I use the phrase gospel because those who teach this false doctrine consider it part of the gospel message.

False Prosperity

I am not saying that God does not want to prosper His children. Far from it. God certainly wanted to prosper His chosen people, Israel, and he did many times. God certainly wants to prosper the saints of God, true followers of Jesus Christ,

The problem is when the word prosper is used by the False Prosperity Gospel pastors, teachers, prophets, apostles. This is where this false mindset movement becomes part of the False American Gospel. The most common usage is prosperity means being financially blessed (with the concept of being wealthy) and blessed in materials. (Fits into the American Dream concept.) The second most common usage is prosperity is all about being healthy. That God wants Christians to not experience the consequences of the fall, sickness and disease. It is a mindset that Christians are exempt from the fall when it comes to health. Thus the False Prosperity Gospel is that wealth and health is part of salvation. If you are saved you are to be wealthy and healthy.

Thus, if you are not financially and materially blessed you are outside the will of God, or the devil is having control over your life. If you have sickness and disease you are either outside the will of God or the devil is having control over your life, So God in reality is removed from the picture. He is not the Sovereign Lord that works in the life of the Christian, it is the either Christian themselves or the devil is working in the life of the Christian. (They will never say this, but their mindset does not give room for God to bless us in other ways or for God to allow sickness in our life for a greater purpose, or that there are consequences for sin even in the life of a Christian.)

The biggest problem with this mindset is the belief that prosperity is only about wealth and material things. This is the main reason the Prosperity Gospel is a false gospel. (They will not say it is the gospel, but the Wealth and Health message as being part of the gospel.)

True Prosperity
If there is the false there is always the true. So, what is true biblical prosperity? When using the word prosperity we should include the word blessing. When you combine the words prosperity and blessing you find it is so much more than wealth and health. The False Prosperity Gospel is actually very limiting.

God can bless us (prosper us) in a variety of circumstances. It is limitless.
Prosper: to succeed in an enterprise or activity; to achieve economic success; to become strong and flourishing; to succeed or thrive; flourish.

Blessing: special favor, mercy, benefit; a favor or gift bestowed by God; bringing happiness; the invoking of God’s favor upon a person; God’s protection; something that brings well-being.

It should be clear that the prosperity and blessing that comes from God can be much more than wealth and health and that a Christian can be blessed rather they have wealth or health.

The Beatitudes

If anyone takes the time to read the Beatitudes and each of the blessings it is clear that Jesus did not speak of being blessed in a materialistic way. Far from it. The beatitudes end with:
Matthew 5:10-12 ¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. ¹²Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

American False Gospel and False Prosperity Gospel

There is a mindset among some American Christians that God’s wants every Christian to have the American Dream experience. Thus, there are those who have the goal to take the False Prosperity Gospel message and export it across the world. If Christians across the world are not experiencing wealth and health they are experiencing all that God has for them. It is a mindset of those who are not wealthy, healthy are second class citizens. (Again those who promote the false prosperity message would never say this but their messages/teachings are saying this.)

These false teachers go as far as if you are not financially prosperous you are missing out on the fullness of life. You are not walking in the blessing of God. This means an overwhelming majority of Christians across the world are not blessed and are able to be prosperous. If God wants Christians to never been sick or have a disease then a majority of Christians across the world are not blessed but cursed. Hmm, if the prosperity message is true, it would mean most Christians are not truly Christians or walking in disobedience to God.

If you take the False Prosperity Gospel message and apply it to the New Testament, then Jesus, the original Apostles, Paul, were not prosperous or blessed. Then the body of Christ. the Bride of Christ in the Last Days are not prosperous or blessed.

It should be abundantly clear the American Prosperity Message is a False Message. When tagged unto the gospel it is a False Gospel. It is one of the characteristics of Charismania. It is not only false, it is foolish, it is of the devil.

The Bad Fruit of the False Prosperity Gospel

There is much bad fruit from the False Prosperity Gospel, damaging fruit. It is extremely harmful to the body of Christ. It taints Christianity. This false teaching is certainly a stumbling block for non-Christians as they see the stories of multi-millionaire pastors and the various scandals. It causes sincere Christians to question their walk with God because they are taught prosperity is part of being a Christian. It causes Christians who have sickness or disease to think they must not have enough faith, they must be doing something wrong, God must be mad at them. It creates a mindset there are the blessed Christians and the non-blessed Christians. It totally ignores all the Bible verses about Christians will suffer, they may experience losses, that persecution can be a part of the Christian walk. It creates abuse in Third World Countries by the poorest being taken advantage of for the profit of the false teachers.

Multi-Millionaire Preachers
What is always interesting in the False Prosperity Gospel is the preachers/teachers are wealthy while most of the congregation and those who support the ministry are far from being wealthy, in fact many have loss much money because of these false doctrine.

It is time to GET REAL! How many homes, how many cars, how many vacations, how many… does a prosperity preacher need to be satisfied? How much do they need and give the balance towards those in need. They always brag about how they are reaching, the ministries they have started, how much they are giving. Let this sink in. If you have $100 million net income and you donate 50% you still have $50 million. Does anyone think that Jesus, any of the apostles, any of the leaders in the Early Church would justify sitting on $50 million net worth of finances and possessions.

The argument is always look at Moses, look at Solomon, look at Daniel. Come on, they are the exceptions, not the norm. Why is it they never use Jesus and the disciples as the norm?

Damage Done to Christians with Health Issues
The message given is that if you are sick it must be because you are in sin, because you have lack of faith, you are the problem. The truth sometimes that may the case, but that is for the Sovereign Lord to address.

Scandals and the False Prosperity Gospel Ministries
There are multitudes of scandals in this camp. Corruption is massive. False gifting, fakery, sexual scandals. Manipulation and guilt tactics.

Wayward Christians and Worse
There are multitudes of stories of Christians who bought into the wealth and health false doctrine who when it did not work, walked have backslide or totally walked away from God. They sadly came to the conclusion that God must not love them, or that everything about Christianity is a lie. These false teachers caused Christ Followers to stumble and abandon their faith. Bottom line this false doctrine ceates spiritual confusion. Blood is on their hands.

The Lost
What is interesting is that it seems the lost have more common sense, more clarity of the fact that this false prosperity doctrine is a ‘get rich scheme’ for the promoters. But sadly, many of the lost have not separated the false from the true. Blood is on the hand of the false teachers.

False American Gospel, False Prosperity Gospel and the Avoidance of Persecution

One of the side effects of this false teaching is the mindset that God wants American Christians to prosper, that God will not judge the American Church or America. There is a Kingdom Now, Dominion Theology mindset that America is going to be Great Again, and ultimately Christianity will rule and reign in America. With this mindset there is a refusal that persecution may come to Christians. There is a refusal to see that God may have to allow persecution to expose the lies/deception of this false teaching.

What are currently seeing is God is certainly exposing the hidden sin of these false teachers. God is certainly taking down certain ministries that have profited off of others.

Many who are part of this false teaching believe that God will rapture the Church before any persecution comes to American Christians. Why would any Christian believe that Christians across the world should go through persecution, but God is going to protect American Christians from persecution.

What the Bible Says

What matters more than anything else is what the Bible says. Yes, there are many Old Testament promises of prosperity (one can debate if applicable to Christians that have been grafted in), and promises in the New Testament. Again prosperity and blessing does not automatically translate to wealth and health. But what about all the other Bible verses that are ignored? Balance, balance, balance!

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (ESV)
“Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches; but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight,’ declares the LORD.”

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NKJV)
⁹And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV)
¹⁹“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

James 1:2-4 (NKJV)
²My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Romans 8:18 (NKJV)
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

REPENT

If you have taught, promoted, supported the False Prosperity Gospel it is time to get honest with yourself. You have been brainwashed. You have believed a false doctrine that is contrary to Scripture. You have misinterpreted what is biblical prosperity and blessings. You have misled others. In fact, you may have caused some Christians to walk away from Christianity because the ‘formulas’ did not work for them. You have grieved the Holy Spirit. If you do not repent the Sovereign Lord may bring judgment into your life. Even if he does not bring full judgment here on earth, you will as a believer will face the future Bema Judgment of God. Your works, actions will be judged. if your hope and trust has been in your treasures here on earth, you ‘savings account’ in heaven will be empty.

This subject leads into the next article, Judgment of God-The American Church, Part Seven | Charismania |

Judgment of God-The American False Gospel Series

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