As stated in a previous blog, DECEPTION is on the rise because we are living in the Last Days. In Matthew 24:4, Jesus warned: “… Take heed that no man deceive you.”
The technology explosion alone has laid the foundation
for millions of people to be victimized by scams, hoaxes, fraud and identity
theft. Daniel 12:4 references that an
unprecedented increase of knowledge would occur in the end of time. Today, we call it the technology explosion!
DECEPTION knows no boundaries.
Like a tsunami, it sweeps through the earth, leaving destruction, death and
misery in its wake. Like a snake, it has
even slithered into and defiled the Church of Jesus Christ—introduced by false
teachers, false prophets and false christs (themselves deceived),--bearing damnable
heresies designed to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10):
Now
the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking
lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; (1 Timothy 4:1-2)
But
there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false
teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying
the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways;
by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through
covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:
whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation slumbers
not. (2
Peter 2:1-3) [Emphasis Mine]
A popular Prosperity Gospel is overtaking the Church and multiplying
like an invasive species. Much like its demonic
partner, spirit of python, this
“other gospel” (Galatians
1:6) targets and fixates on gullible victims in a congregation,
mesmerizes them, and while they are spellbound, snares them in its coils and
squeezes until there is no more money or life to give. How do I know this? Because I was once in this snake’s coils and
it was only by the mercy, grace, favor and provision of God that I survived the
ordeal without suffering a nervous breakdown, succumbing to humiliation and shame,
and remaining in bondage to intimidation and fear about warning others of the
danger!
I wish I could say that I emerged from this experience entirely unscathed. The truth is, despite
my honorable intentions and pure motives for giving (to finance the End-Time preaching of the True Gospel), Newton’s Law
prevailed: “For every reaction, there is
an equal and opposite reaction.” Before
God lifted the veil of deception, I managed to give the python ALL of my
savings and retirement. Although God
delivered me and protected me from emotional, psychological and physical harm, I
limped away disillusioned, disgusted, broke, unemployed, and unable to pay my
creditors, was forced to file for bankruptcy.
Now you be the judge. Does my
experience with the Prosperity Gospel represent GOOD fruit or BAD
fruit? Jesus had this to say about fruit:
For
a good tree brings not forth corrupt fruit; neither does a corrupt tree bring
forth good fruit. For every tree is
known by his own fruit. For of thorns
men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his
heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure
of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart
his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:43-45)
Either
make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his
fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. (Matthew 12:33)
In my case, the python (Prosperity Gospel) that
ensnared and robbed me of my finances and sucked the life out of me (Proverbs 1:19)
PRODUCED BAD FRUIT! Years
later, my once impeccable credit record is still tarnished and I have not received
the financial landfall that was promised by the python and its handler! The following words of the Apostle Paul
describe how a Christian should really live and warns believers about the love
of money which is the root of all evil:
Not
that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith
to be content. I know both how to be
abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed
both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can
do all things through Christ which strengthens me. (Philippians
4:11-13)
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)
And Jesus said:
And,
behold, one came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do,
that I may have eternal life? … Jesus said unto him, If you will be perfect, go
and sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure
in heaven: and come and follow Me. But when the young man heard that saying, he
went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto His disciples, Verily I
say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the
kingdom of God. (Matthew
19:16, 21-24)
Did my bad experience leave me bitter? No, I would not give Satan the satisfaction! Since I hate to be deceived about anything or
victimized, I am thankful that God allowed me to walk through this valley so I
could learn the Truth! Have I forgiven
the python’s careless, callous and deceived human handler? Even more important, have I forgiven
myself? Yes in both instances, because I
need and want God’s forgiveness if and when I do something wrong! (Mark 11:26).
Yes, God has completely delivered me from my past and He
continues to bless and prosper me in ways that money cannot buy. For example, when I did not have the
financial means or credit standing to finance a USED car, He made it possible
for me to finance a NEW car instead, without having a good credit standing or
financial assistance from any family member or friend! In so doing, He taught me a valuable
lesson—that, in the midst of an evil and perverse world, I can completely trust
Him to take care of me and meet every need in my life, as long as I delight
myself in Him and continue to obey His Word!
Trust
in the LORD, and do good; so shall you dwell in the land, and verily you
shall be fed. Delight yourself also in
the LORD; and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way unto the LORD; trust also in
Him; and He shall bring it to pass.
And He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your
judgment as the noonday. Rest in the
LORD, and wait patiently for Him: fret not yourself because of him who prospers
in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass (Psalms 37:3-7).
Today, God has commissioned me to join forces with other
“enlightened ones” who, having learned the hard way, are exposing the PRO$PERITY GO$PEL for what
it is … a heresy and “doctrine of devils!”
By posting this blog, the desire of my heart is to warn believers about
this deceptive and destructive doctrine and hopefully protect them from being
deceived and suffering as I and others have.
WHY THE PRO$PERITY GO$PEL IS HERESY
The Prosperity Gospel is
heresy because it is built on a
flawed understanding of the Abrahamic covenant;
The Prosperity Gospel is
heresy because it is built on a
flawed understanding of the Atonement;
The Prosperity Gospel is
heresy because it is founded and
built on a flawed understanding of the Biblical teachings on giving;
The Prosperity Gospel is heresy because it is based on a faulty understanding of the
Biblical teachings on faith;
The Prosperity Gospel is
heresy because it has been
constructed upon faulty Biblical interpretation.
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WHY THE PRO$PERITY GO$PEL IS DANGEROUS
The Prosperity Gospel is dangerous because it is spiritualizing the American Dream by
promoting: 1) individual freedom of choice in life styles; 2) equal access to economic abundance,
and 3) the pursuit of shared
objectives that are mutually advantageous to the individual and society as a
whole. The Apostle Paul clearly taught
that believers are to separate themselves from the world (2 Corinthians 6:17) because to
be a friend of the world is to be the enemy of God:
You
ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it
upon your lusts. You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the
friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a
friend of the world is the enemy of God.
(James 4:3-4)
The Prosperity Gospel is
dangerous because it reduces God to a
cosmic bellhop by making demands on Scriptures that are taken out of context,
in order to satisfy the worldly and fleshly desires of believers, which is why
many in the Body of Christ are not bearing fruit. Their focus is on wealth, which is NOT a fruit of the Holy Spirit!;
And
that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth,
and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and
bring no fruit to perfection. (Luke 8:14)
The Prosperity Gospel is dangerous because it teaches Christians to be a part of the
worldly “microwave, instant gratification, quick fix” generation, expecting God
to bless them materially and financially NOW! Unfortunately, a problem exists with the NOW element. Consider this scenario: Assuming for a moment that The Prosperity
Gospel is true, is not selective and applies to everyone, according to its proponents,
even a person that lives in a poor slum who gives every cent that he has (as
did the poor widow in Mark 12:44), will reap a harvest. So, will someone please explain to me why so
many poor Christians who have swallowed the Prosperity Gospel have not turned
into millionaires, and why so many middle class Christians who have done
likewise are now broke and in the poor house?!
The Prosperity Gospel is
dangerous because it also teaches
that any delay in the blessing coming is their fault (due to sin, lack of
faith, giving with the wrong motive, etc).
In the face of harsh reality when bills have to paid and a person is not
at fault, a delayed financial blessing can shake a Christian’s faith to the
very core and cause him to blame God for not honoring His Word (the Scriptures
quoted by the Prosperity Gospel preacher).
The Prosperity Gospel is
dangerous because it perverts the TRUE
Gospel of Jesus Christ;
I
marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of
Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that
trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach
any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be
accursed. (Galatians
1:6-8)
But
I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so
your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that comes preaches another Jesus,
whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you
have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might
well bear with him. (2 Corinthians 11:3-4)
The Prosperity Gospel is
dangerous because its central focus, theme
and message exalts MAMMON (material wealth, greed) over the central focus, theme
and message of the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The lust for MAMMON constitutes the sin of idolatry (Colossians 3:5).
No
man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other;
or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for
your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body,
what you shall put on. Is not the life
more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for
they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not much
better than they? (Matthew 6:24-26);
Wherein
in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of
disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the
lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others (Ephesians
2:2-3);
Lay
not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures
in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be
also (Matthew 6:19-21).
The Prosperity Gospel is
dangerous because it diverts a
Christian from being Christ-centered to being self-centered;
Look
not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others (Philippians 2:4);
For
all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's (Philippians 2:21).
The Prosperity Gospel is
dangerous because it contradicts
Jesus’ and the Apostle Paul’s humble, simple lifestyles, and their warnings
about the dangers of seeking wealth and worldly possessions;
And
Jesus looked round about, and said unto His disciples, How hardly shall they
that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were
astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again, and said unto them, Children,
how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye
of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:23-25)
The Prosperity Gospel is
dangerous because its proponents take
Scriptures out of context. For example,
their phrase “sowing seed” is always used to reference giving money. However, in the “Parable of the Sower” (Matthew
Chapter 13), the word “seed” represents the Word of God, not
money. These wolves in sheep’s clothing
also completely ignore the Words of Jesus and the Apostle Paul regarding the
pitfalls and dangers of accumulating riches and wealth, because those Words
conflict with their doctrinal beliefs;
The Prosperity Gospel is
dangerous because it encourages
Christians to go into debt.
DEBT IS BONDAGE, according to Proverbs 22:7.
Therefore, God does not want His Children to be bound by debt. The Bible says that God’s people are
destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6).
God has laid this teaching on my heart because, by ordering my steps, He
has given me much insight, knowledge and wisdom in the area of finances. Where your finances are concerned, God wants
you to be armed with knowledge, wisdom and spiritual armor so you can stand
against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-18);
DEBT DESTROYS! Cash and
credit cards enable people to buy many things; unfortunately, money can’t buy
happiness, love or a lasting relationship.
Surprisingly, debt is the leading cause of divorce today. According to a survey conducted by Citibank,
fifty-seven percent (57%) of divorced couples in the United States cited
financial problems as the primary reason for the demise of their marriage;
DEBT IS A MEGA BUSINESS ENTERPRISE. Debt is a
business in America. Debt is also encouraged
by proponents of the Prosperity Gospel.
Their high-pressure sales pitches go something like this:
“If you can’t sow a $1,000
seed because you don’t have that much money in the bank, charge it to a credit
card!”
If you can’t sow a $1,000 seed
at least get 10% of the seed in the ground by charging it to a credit card!”
If you can’t sow a $1,000 seed
by check or credit card, complete and submit a “Faith Promise” card and pay it
when God blesses you!
In other words, they are prepared to do and say
anything that makes it easy for them to get your “seed” (money). Nowhere in The Bible does God encourage or
command His people to incur debt. God
wants His Church out of debt, not in debt!
The Prosperity Gospel is
dangerous because if it is true, GRACE is obsolete;
For
there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to
this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 1:4);
Let
us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews
4:16);
Be
not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good
thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not
profited them that have been occupied therein (Hebrews
13:9).
The Prosperity Gospel is
dangerous because its proponents
describe FAITH as a self-initiated
spiritual force directed at God that generates prosperity, not as a
God-granted, God-centered act of the human will;
The Prosperity Gospel is
dangerous because its proponents have
reduced the value of PRAYER as
leverage to force God to grant prosperity.
To them, the focal point and purpose of prayer is money. Prayer is not to be used to manipulate God! When Jesus prayed, He asked that His Father’s
Will be done, not His own Will;
The Prosperity Gospel is
dangerous because its proponents have
an incorrect view of The Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12,15,17,22), why the
covenant was created, and its intended application. They also quote Galatians 3:14, but this too is
an incorrect application because this Scripture pertains to the spiritual
blessing of Salvation, not the material blessing of wealth.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ does not want us to be
poor, but it also does not want us to be rich because wealth can become a god
and idolatry separates us from God. I do
not care how self-sufficient a person thinks or says that he is. He may think that he has succeeded in life
because of his superior intelligence, his knack for making things happen, and
the possible added element of luck. The
truth is all Blessings come from God. For
that matter, all money belongs to God.
Without Him, nothing would exist in the world, including money. Without God, you and I wouldn’t be here and
we wouldn’t have anything. Therefore,
all that we possess and own belongs to God.
As long as we inhabit this world, money will be a necessity of
life. However, The Bible warns us not to
covet or worship money. When God blesses
a Christian, he is supposed to share his good fortune with the poor, not buy a
bigger house, a second house, a beach-front condominium, a BMW, fine jewelry,
or an expensive Rolex watch that features the latest toots, bells and whistles.
Neither
was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands
or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And
laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto
every man according as he had need (Acts 4:34-35).
And,
behold, one came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do,
that I may have eternal life? … Jesus said unto him, If you will be perfect, go
and sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have
treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me. But when the young man heard that saying, he
went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto His disciples, Verily I
say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of
heaven. And again I say unto you, It is
easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to
enter into the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:16, 21-24)
GIVING MONEY TO THE
LOCAL CHURCH VS. A MEGA-MINISTRY
For years, I financially supported numerous Christian
television networks and Mega-ministries, but I no longer do so. God allowed me to witness firsthand things
that displease Him about Mega-ministries.
To further open my eyes to the Truth, He took me back to The Cross and
to Jesus’ teachings. When I compared
Jesus’ character and His earthly Ministry to what I witnessed, the difference
was like Day and Night!
God also taught me that tithe and offerings are to be given
to a local church where the pastor preaches (and teachers teach) the
uncompromised Word of God and where my hard-earned money will be used to Glorify
God by helping spread the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ, support missions and
other valuable outreach ministries, and see that the needy, the widows and orphans
are cared for. This is what the Gospel
of Jesus Christ is all about!
WOLVES IN
SHEEP’S CLOTHING
I am not going to use this Blog to advise
you NOT to give money to a national
or international outside ministry because there are many reputable ministries
out there that God is involved in. I will,
however, urge you to exercise extreme caution and wisdom! Many ministries do not represent “good ground.”
By this, I mean they are not in right
standing with God. For example, the
pastor may be preaching a “watered-down,” compromised gospel. He may be having an illicit affair with a
member of the congregation. Just as
blessings flow down from the head, so do curses flow down, so be careful! Be especially wary of MEGA-ministries that
are televised on Christian networks.
Just because they have grown into a MEGA-ministry and are on television
and the internet does not mean that they are of God or that God has been
involved in their growth and prosperity.
I hate to be the one to burst anyone’s idealistic bubble but, Satan is
making sure that Christian airwaves are being bombarded with deception in the
form of false doctrines, false teachers, false christs and false prophets. And, these “wolves in sheep’s clothing” are
making a killing. In fact, the killing fields
are ripe for harvest!
The focus and agenda
of false ministries has nothing to do with the True Gospel of Jesus
Christ. You can easily detect them
because you will never (or rarely) hear any preaching or teaching about Jesus Christ
or His ministry of salvation, healing and deliverance—all of which I have
personally experienced. Instead, their
messages are cleverly worded to “tickle” your ears and appeal to the fleshly, carnal
nature of man (Galatians
5:19; Romans 8:6). The
primary focus and message of such ministries is MONEY, the motivating force is GREED,
and the strategy or weapon that Satan uses is DECEPTION. The Prosperity
Gospel is included in this category.
Supporters of this heresy use showmanship hype and Scriptures taken out
of context to entice and entrap gullible believers who are easily manipulated, intimidated
and shamed into sowing all the money they have and hope to have. Tragically, many believers that fall for this
clever deception have a pure heart and motive for sowing which is why this heresy
is so reprehensible. What is happening
to many believers is heart-breaking! I
know because I have stood in their shoes and watched helplessly while my own heart
burst and bled out.
The bait of this doctrine is the promise
of an immediate and multiplied return on all monetary “seeds sown.” The element of greed is evident because
believers are assured that the more money they sow the more money they will
reap. Anyway you look at it, this spells
UNBRIDLED GREED!
Through personal experience, I have
learned much about the devastation caused by this doctrine. As disclosed earlier, I was a victim of the
Prosperity Gospel and got burned, but God miraculously delivered me. He brought the shattered, fragmented parts of
me back together, healed my inner wounds, corrected my focus and distorted way
of thinking, and restored my confidence in His ability to take care of me—as
only He can! I also know many other
sincere believers who, with an honorable motive, cheerfully sowed everything
they had into these ministries, only to walk away disillusioned, wounded and in
a far worse financial state than when they initially fell for the
deception!
The Prosperity Gospel is not of God because it produces the rotten fruits of
covetousness, greed, loss, bankruptcy and poverty! Ministers that teach and support this
doctrine play on the emotions of well-meaning, but very naive believers. Desperate and greedy believers are also
targeted. Some believers fall easily for
this deception because they are emotional givers. They equate a “tingly, goose-bumpy feeling”
to being led by the Holy Spirit. They are
failing to discern that they are being emotionally manipulated. Many believers have been deceived and ruined
by this prosperity message. The only
fruit that many have harvested has fallen to the ground and rotted—an empty
bank account, fear, despair, hopelessness and disillusionment! When the miracle harvest they have been
promised and expecting fails to come in time to pay their bills, harsh reality
replaces the fairy tale illusion. Many
are never able to recover from their loss and contemplate suicide. Others that have charged their credit cards
to the hilt are forced to file for bankruptcy because they are unable to make
the minimum monthly payments in addition to paying their other bills. When their fantasy world comes crashing down
around their ears, instead of blaming the false teachers and their own naiveté
and stupidity, they have the audacity to blame God, even though they chose not
to consult with Him in the first place.
When their homes are being foreclosed, when their cars are being
repossessed, when they receive letters from collection agencies and when they
are threatened with eviction, does the ministry that received all their money
offer to help them? No! They could care
less! They are incapable of feeling love
or compassion because their father is not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! They are wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15)! All they care about is the almighty dollar
and lining their own pockets! These
ministers and their colleague friends bless each another with financial gifts
and then have the audacity to publish their so-called harvest testimonies on
television and the internet to prove that their financial formula produces the
results that they promise! The Bible
admonishes us to be “wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove” (Matthew 10:16). Yes, God wants us to give faithfully and
cheerfully, but He wants us to give wisely and as led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14).
So, I urge you to be a good and wise
steward of God’s money!
IN
CLOSING, before you consider giving
money to an outside ministry pray first and wait on God, who knows all
things. If the ministry that you are considering
represents “bad ground,” the Holy Spirit will let you know, to protect you and
your investment. Do not allow a fast-talking
pulpit huckster to play on, or manipulate, you emotionally! In addition, do not charge a “Faith Promise” monetary
gift to a credit card unless you can pay the balance when the credit card bill
comes due. Pay attention to the still,
small Voice inside of you. If you
experience an uneasy feeling in your spirit or if you are in doubt, the Holy
Spirit is saying, “Do not give to that ministry!” When a ministry meets with God’s approval, He
will give you peace in your spirit and He will give you the exact amount to
give. God knows what your financial
obligations are now and what they will be in the future when you retire. As long as you have bills, children to support,
a mortgage to pay and golden years ahead, He will never ask you to sow
everything you have—unless you are an unusual exception. Why?
Because He is the God of order and integrity. Only a devil will create chaos and confusion
and set you up to fall. But, I am here today
to testify that even when you fall, Jesus will pick you up, set your feet on a
new path, tell you to forget the past, and help you finish the race He has set
before you to run! (Philippians 3:14-15; Hebrews 12:1)
I am running my race and never looking
back!
Blessings!
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