According to Wikipedia, The Prosperity Gospel is defined:
Prosperity theology, also known as prosperity doctrine or the Prosperity Gospel, is the doctrine that prosperity, particularly financial prosperity, and success in business or personal life is external evidence of God’s favor. This favor may be preordained, or granted in return for efficacious prayer or merit-making.
I think John Piper hits the nail square on the head:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTc_FoELt8s]
John Piper hits it on the head alright,…with a sledgehammer. There is a reason Jesus said pick up your cross and follow me. We have become so comfortable in America it’s hard not to get sucked into the subtle deception that having ‘stuff’,ie, job, clothes, car, plasma tvs, you name it, somehow equates God’s favor. Or the lack of one or more of the aforementioned, God’s disapproval. We all have choices to make, and whatever they are, the choices always play out in the very real, everyday, practicalities of life. No matter the choice(s), God is with us in all things, we need to get over the idea that the ‘stuff’ will satisfy,…it doesn’t.
Preach it Jonnie B!!!! Preach it my brother! That’s right, do I hear an Amen now???
A BIG AMEN to this explanation!! All these “things” are but dust and soon fade away…how long does it take some folks to really understand it! Things don’t bring LASTING happiness!!
Amen!!
What comes to mind is that Job said, against the words of his wife and friends ~ Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him. Both blessings and adversity were permitted to test him ~ both given by the hand of God ~ If the prosperity Gospel were true, the disciples would have been made kings, princes, and retired in mansions with great wealth and status. Most of them died in exile ~ they knew what it meant to “take up the cross.” So when we face difficult times, we always consider ourselves to amongst good company. The men and women who followed Jesus when he walked the earth had no place to lay their heads and call home. *Any* thing(s) we have, or don’t have, are still gifts from the hand of God. Prosperity *should* be measured, rather, by the things that are eternal, not temporal ~ relationships, marriages, children, character, sacrifice, etc. Money and things will come and go in one’s lifetime, but the real blessings of God remain. Knowing that adversity is what qualifies Privates to become Generals, and Generals to Presidents, shouldn’t we count adversity as much of a blessing as we do prosperity?
I’m still ok with the prayer of Jabez, though, right?
: )
Hi Doug! (re; the Piper commentary) Keep that stuff coming…
Gerrit and Aaron’s church saw it on their big screens last Sun!!!
M&M
What John Piper is saying is true to a point. The gospel does not guarantee prosperity.
However, we should not seek poverty either. Do the homeless give or take? You cannot give what you do not have, either spiritual or physical.
Missionaries do not go out to the mission field without support – the countries will not let them in and the mission societies will not send them out.
So where is the solution to the dilemma? Jesus and only Jesus is our path to God. What we receive as a result of that choice is a matter of what we sow. We are all given talents, and it is our responsibility to use them wisely and then use the result for the service of others.
It is a lot easier to give away a half a million when you are making two million (the govt will get a little over a half as well) and you will still have quite a bit to continue to give from.
But if you are making $50K a year, even $1K looks tough to live on with a family of four.
Expanding your boundaries and being good stewards of your bounty is the true message, not disparaging the ‘Prosperity’ Gospel with hate – that isn’t very useful either.
That is quite insightful. Hey any one who needs further info on prosperity gospel here is a blog that could help you…https://7drizzles7.wordpress.com/
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