Christianity, Prosperity or Endurance

Greeting friends

I want to talk to you today about the false teachings of prosperity preaching.

From what I know about this teaching, it proclaims that if a Christian is walking obediently with God, then their life will flow with blessings of health, wealth, power, position.

A person whose life is filled with struggles with lack of blessing with health, wealth, power, position is walking in disobedience to God.

What brought this false teach up to me, in a manner of face to face personal way, was during a phone call with my mother who was not a Christian, and to my knowledge never became one.

My parent know I had gone to Bible college, and I had talked to them about every person’s need for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

So, with the knowledge of my financial, material, poverty and it raining inside my apartment, my mother asked me how I could be a servant of God and have all these struggles?

I answered her question by telling her that God had delivered me from the wrath that will fall on all sinner who do not put their faith in the redemptive work of God’s Son accomplished on the cross, to redeem sinful man from a path of eternal judgement and delivered them into enteral life, by restored them to a blessed relationship with our Holy God.

I told her God gave me purpose and meaning to my life. But God did not promise to prevent trials and tribulation from coming into my life. He did promise to cause all things to work for the good of those who are in Christ.

I also told her that all of Jesus’s apostles except John had face a Marder death for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I told her that all the suffering that goes on in the world does not make me doubt God exists, nor the goodness of His nature.

Suffering in the world instead drive me to draw closer to God, for His word teaches us that suffering in life is due to the creation that is crumbling under the cruse of caseous, and decay because mankind had chosen to disobey God.

Mankind suffers from sinful action committed of one own doing, and by the actions of other people around them.

Let’s look at and compare the false teaching of prosperty preaching to the truth of the word of God.

The false teaching that obedient Christian does not get sick mentally or physically

The Bible in James 5: 14 instruct what Christian should do if they get sick.

James 5:14 American Standard Version (ASV) . 14 Is any among you sick? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, ©anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 and the prayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up;

The false teaching that obedient Christian don’t struggle financially, or materially.

Many of God servant was poor compared to worldly measuring standers.

The Apostle Peter and John have no money to give the cripple beggar at the temple door.

Acts 3:3-16 American Standard Version (ASV)

3 who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked to receive an alms. 4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him, with John, said, Look on us. 5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but what I have, that give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.

The false teaching that obedient Christian don’t struggle and suffer trials and tribulation.

The bible talks about suffering trials and tribulation as a servant of God.

1 Peter 4: 12-15 American Standard Version (ASV)

12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you: 13 but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy. 14 If ye are reproached [h]for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you. 15 For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men’s matters: 16 but if a man suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name.

When I think about a correct portrait of what a truly faithful Christian life looks like, I ponder all the trials and tribulation apostle Paul endured, to accomplish the ministry God had to call him to carry out to glorify God.

The suffering of Paul recorded in 2 Corinthians 11:20-30 American Standard Version (ASV)

20 For ye bear with a man, if he bringeth you into bondage, if he devoureth you, if he taketh you captive, if he exalteth himself, if he smiteth you on the face. 21 I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet whereinsoever any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also. 22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep; 26 in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my [a]countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 [b]Besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not? 30 If I must need glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weakness.

I think prosperity preaching and teaching is cancer on Christianity, it takes an effort to draw people to the Christian by giving them false hopes.

Then when people discover their faith is based on lies, then they reject God and His gift of salvation.

I myself have in the last couple of year have suffered multiple illnesses, Migraine headaches, arthritis’s, Lyme Disease, high cloistral, sleep apnea, heart disease.

I have always struggled with poverty. No money in the bank, nothing in reserve for retirement.

So I am not writing this article as one who is not acquainted with trials and struggles.

But I continue to be reminded by the parable of the sower and the seed, what is the correct portrait of the contrast between a casual belief and a true enduring saving faith in the gospel message.

Jesus expands the parable of the sower and the seed.

Mathew 13: 16- 23

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not. 18 Hear then ye the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the evil one, and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the wayside. 20 And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it; 21 yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth. 22 And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the ©world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

My friends, I was motivated to write this article, Because Billy Graham Had passed away, he had spent his life sacrificing his family, his own comforts, his life to go throughout the world preaching the gospel.

He like any other human became diseased, suffered discomfort as his body fell apart with old age, he passed away at the cold hand of death.

Billy Graham body was buried in the earth but his soul ( that is everything that made up the person of Billy ) has continued live on, meaning the mortal has put on the immortal. He has moved out of a sin-fallen world, into a new kingdom where evil will never rear its head again.

He has entered a new creation where the realm of God and humanity are no longer separated by the wall of sin. He has entered an enteral existence without the presence of trials and tribulations.

Billy has received his reward for the great thing that was accomplished by his ministry through the Lord Jesus the Christ.

So friend if you are a follower of Christ, study God’s word prayerfully so that you are not fooled by clever false teachings.

Attend a bible teaching church on a regular basis to have fellowship, to worship, receive Godly instruction, serve, to support people of likeminded.

Most of all keep your eyes focused on God, not on your trials and tribulation.

Continuing to ask God to direct you in the Calling He has placed in your life. Rely on His Holy Spirit and the word of god to equip you to be able to overcome the challenging obstacles that you will face to accomplish your mission.

Written by Stephen J. Vattimo
3/21/2018