Thank you for sharing your understanding. I agree with you, and what Prudent said...God has good plans for us. Prosperous plans! But, the prosperity message today actually in my opinion, paradoxically HINDERS people from realizing a lot of these things. Why? Because it teachers people to seek things first! It teaches us to use the word and God
as a means to accumulate more stuff for ourselves. When God's word says the opposite...he says seek me first! And all of these things are ADDED. When we seek God's face and not his hands, he blesses us. When we delight in the Lord(1st commandment) he gives us our desires. When we tie love and faithfulness about our necks (second commandment), we win favor Proverbs 3:3 with God and he causes us to be blessed. And it's got to be sincere, God knows our hearts.
We have to truly lay down our lives and give of our selves...God can't use God's word for personal gain. Let me show you where I found some real prosperity gospel.
Matthew 19:29
"And every one who has left houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for the sake of the gospel,
shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit life eternal."
The true gospel causes us to lay down our lives and follow him. John13:38 In fact, it says, it will cost you everything! Luke 14:25-35. Just like that rich young ruler in that video where Creflo twisted the scripture. You can't just give a thousand dollars and get 100,000 like a ATM machine. We will be turning down some real stuff. People will lose a lot and suffer for the gospel. We have to identify with Christ's sufferings. He didn't die on a cross so that we can get a car. No, he died so that we can join him in his sufferings...that we may later reign with him. 2 Timothy 2:12. This is the gospel. The rich young ruler had to give up everything to be Christ's disciple just like the other 12. But he refused.
But there is more with the Matthew 19:29 scripture above. As I stated before, he promises persecutions too. So that our hearts are not in it for gain, but because we lay down our lives because we love him...we love his people. And we do it because he bought us with a price! Here's the persecutions part.
Mark 10:30
He not will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--
and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.
He does not tell us what the hundredfold will be! Is is money? Maybe for some. Is it homes, relationships, yes! But regardless of what it is...we have to die to self and give up everything to follow him and see what God has for us. But see I know he is a show off, he has great things in store. And he wants us to humbly ask for those things...not force them with scripture. That is the real gospel. He spoke this to the disciples.They walked away from careers to follow God. They gave up everything. Yet nowhere in scripture do I see them naming and claiming wealth, health, and promotions. Nope, I see them suffering persecution for the sake of the gospel. I see Paul and Timothy with physical illness. Paul went hungry on several occasions! That's what I see. BUT...because God is good...he does give us good things. When we have a humble attitude and come to him seeking his will...he gives us MORE than we asked for. Look at Solomon's attitude, he asked for wisdom to lead his people. And what did God do? He blessed him with wealth greater than any man who has ever lived. It's really about our hearts. When he is our delight and our hearts are right...he gives to us according to his will, not ours! The prosperity doctrine actually hinders that by teaching us to gain more and more for self. In fact, the bible says that selfish ambition is the root of every evil. James 4:13. Instead, of selfish ambition, he says...seek to esteem others greater than yourselves, Phillipians 2:3.
God tells us not to store up treasures on this earth...but prosperity teachers teach us the opposite. Please what it says here in I Timothy 6:
These are the things you are to teach and insist on. 3
If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind,
who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. 6
But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 T
hose who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Final Charge to Timothy
11
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
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For some. prosperity doctrine can actually lead away from the faith. Because people fall into selfish ambition and idolatry. And we don't know the spiritual state they are in...we know from scripture will depart from the faith because they were never with us. 2 John 2:19. Selfish ambition and Idolatry are listed in the things (Galatians 5:19-23) that will keep people from inheriting the kingdom of heaven. These are some of the dangers I find with prosperity teaching...Sorry for the long post.
or the 'Whhhaaaaaaaatt she say?' raised eyebrow reaction.
Love and blessings to you Precious Summer
