*update: I originally stated “John Hagee” below, this was a mistake, I meant Kenneth Hagin… My apologies. I know nothing of John Hagee’s ministry.
The Lights dim , the music starts, softly, quietly.. the pastor pauses, looks up, and says “Some of you are hurting today..Some are sad, and lonely, looking for a friend” as he turns to the other side of the room “Maybe you’re marriage is on the rocks, or your bank account is emtpy” then to everyone, he says “Won’t you come to Jesus, He’ll fix all your problems, heal you from cancer, cure your addictions, fix your depression, get you that new job, and make life all better..” then as the music plays on, he leads the entire congregation in a “sinners prayer” then instructs those who prayed that prayer for the first time to come forward and get a free bible! Sad thing is… thats not the gospel. thats not evangelism, and thats not how people “get saved”. The pastor mentioned nothing on Sin, Nothing of repentance.. the people are making a false confession of faith, based on promises the Pastor can’t make.
As I dig into the Word, and read other books and articles on the subject of Word/Faith and “prosperity” messages. It becomes increasingly clear why the gospel has been taken out… of the gospel.
Word/Faith can be traced all the way back to Mr. Phineas P. Quimby, who if Mary Baker Eddy was the Mother, Quimby was the father of Christian Science. His metaphysical poison took holds in Christianity to, with E.W. Kenyon onto Kenneth Hagin, and so on. Prosperity Gospel however was started by a misled man by the name of Oral Roberts, who stumbled upon a piece of Scripture and realized God wanted us to be rich. Somewhere along the line the two become one. There is A LOT more to that history (this is not meant to be a history lesson) look up E.W. Kenyon, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, and Oral Roberts. Prosperity teachers run the gambit some like Juanita Bynum tell you to empty your bank account, others say “the prosperity message is true” but give what you can, these same will say we tithe to “reap a harvest” (That’s not why I tithe!!) If you tithe more, you’ll get more. and so on.
Prosperity teachers in my opinion fail to see the alarming depravity of man, they can not possibly have a clear comprehension of what sin is, what sin does, and the result of sin. When we look at God as a vending machine, to pump out our every wish, He becomes nothing more than a Cosmic Santa Claus. We no longer fear Him, we no longer respect Him, and we no longer have a correct view of Him. Instead of urging people to come to Christ because of their wretched state, and the eternity that awaits them. We say “Come to Christ, and you’ll be happy, wealthy, healthy, famous, great marriage, and so on” Then the person says a prayer, converts to Christianity, and receives the promised tribulation, and persecution, and in most cases “backslides”.. Making a bitter and angry false convert, who wants nothing to do with the God of the bible, because he’s been let down one to many times.
God hates. God hates as completely as He loves. Have you ever heard that? Likely not. But it’s true, the Bible speaks openly of God’s wrath, and who will be the subject of that wrath, the unrighteous, who are the unrighteous.. US. God hates sin, one itty, bitty, tiny little sin is an un-crossable chasm in the pathway to heaven. You can not enter heaven with sin. Prosperity teachers do you understand this? Hell is a very real place, to not warn the dying man of this is a travesty. It’s your solemn duty to preach the true, biblical gospel. And what do we hear? Jesus will make your earthly life richer, happier, healthier, etc. does it say that in the bible? Does Jesus say “come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, I’ll give you all your needs, and make you rich, and wealthy, and healthy”
No the verse is: (Mthw 11)“28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
“You will find rest for your souls” – not “you’re going to be blessed and not stressed” have you ever looked at your life before Christ? And seen the amazing depravity you were in? The sins piled up daily, hourly, drowning you in the inky blackness of death. Likely it worried you, caused you great trouble and stress. Knowing that you were hell bound, when you died, the very thought of ever having peace was gone, and eternity in suffering, tears, body wracked in pain haunted you… THATS WHY CHRIST CAME to save you from THAT.. That’s the rest He provides, His burden takes all that away, He’s paid that ransom! How can you pervert the gospel into a materialistic way, which only leads right back to that death? What you preach is no gospel at all, it’s a faulty retirement plan.
When we see Christ’s sacrifice as a ticket to material things, we no longer have a passion to share that with others. The salvation of Christ takes a back seat to the “benefits” of following Christ. Health, Wealth, and Material gain.
I am a “young” Christian, and I can see the truth. Why can’t you? Stop perverting the gospel, or step down out of that pulpit. You’re sending people to hell. You’re telling them they’re saved, declaring them born again, when you have no right, or power to do so. Repent, and Believe.
Christ didn’t die so I could have a new car, a better bank account or a better marriage. Can He heal those things? MOST CERTAINLY!! But that’s up to HIM, not us. Paul said he had learned to be content in wealth and in want. Why aren’t you teaching truth? Why aren’t you teaching people to be content? Why aren’t you teaching people to repent and believe the gospel? Showing them what SIN is, and preaching the result of SIN, then telling them of the grace of Christ, His sacrifice and what that means!
In Short the prosperity preacher sees Christ as a ticket to material gain, not a Savior. Why preach salvation, when health and wealth will get more people in the seats? Why preach Sin, Repentance, and Grace, when Health, wealth and prosperity pays the bills. Either the preacher is in grave error, and although he truly cares about his flock, he is in danger of misleading thousands to hell, or the preacher doesn’t care about God, and is misleading thousands to hell, himself included. Either way, the result is the same.
Simply based on the influence you have, the “pull” you have, why wouldn’t you ensure you know & teach the 100% truth.. YOU ARE MISLEADING PEOPLE STRAIGHT INTO THE DEPTHS OF HELL. And either you don’t care, or haven’t researched the Word enough to realize your error. Only a misconstrued, misunderstood, twisted scripture can lead you to believe prosperity preaching, and the word/faith heresy. Not to mention all the lies which accompany these grotesque, monstrous evil doctrines. Jesus rebirth in Hell, God being forbidden from interfering in our lives unless we ask… etc.
again I say Repent and Believe.
Really good post, Tom!
I am also young in Christ
and also want to add a little more from the Bible about prosperity gospel
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For EVERYTHING in the world- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, the man who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2;15-17
‘Everything’ in this regard includes love of money and wanting to become rich.
Have we not power to eat and to drink? {9:5} Have
we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other
apostles, and [as] the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
{9:6} Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear
working? {9:7} Who goeth a warfare any time at his own
charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit
thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk
of the flock? {9:8} Say I these things as a man? or saith not
the law the same also? {9:9} For it is written in the law of
Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that
treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? {9:10}
Or saith he [it] altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no
doubt, [this] is written: that he that ploweth should plow in
hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker
of his hope. {9:11} If we have sown unto you spiritual
things, [is it] a great thing if we shall reap your carnal
things? {9:12} If others be partakers of [this] power over
you, [are] not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this
power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel
of Christ.
1 Corinthians 9; 5-12
Yes, Paul had the right even to reap the carnal things. But he didn’t. Continue reading the chapter
What is my reward then? [Verily] that, when I preach the
gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that
I abuse not my power in the gospel. {9:19} For though I be
free from all [men,] yet have I made myself servant unto all,
that I might gain the more.
I believe we ought to give money to those who are earnestly preaching the gospel. We should also be cheerful givers so that Jesus is preached. God will judge the swindlers and rewards us on judgment day seeing our true intentions. We should be happy givers. GIVE! think not of what you get rewarded here. I am talking about the treasure from above.
Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up when I come no collections will have to be made. 1 Corinthians 16; 1-4
But just as you excel in everything -in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and your love for us- see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 2 Corinthians 8; 7
Note; grace of giving may not necessarily apply to money only here. It may mean your time. But we do have a saying. ‘Time is money.’ What do you have to give??