When the prosperity gospel does cause positive changes in a believer’s life, the prosperity teacher gets most of the credit, and when the believer does not experience prosperity, the blame is usually left upon that individual. For example, Robert Tilton offered several reasons why some believers did not experience blessings: “Individuals lacked faith, refused to follow his directions, and criticized Tilton’s ministry.” And when followers do not realize the material blessings prosperity preachers assert they should, preachers place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the people. Preachers tell followers they failed because they did not have enough faith, they did not sow enough seeds, their lives were too tainted by sin, or they did not follow all the steps the preachers said they should.
God hears every prayer. "The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry." (Psalm 34:15)
Sometimes the answer is yes...sometimes the answer is no... and sometimes the answer is wait. THERE IS VALUE IN WAITING. THERE ARE MANY LESSONS TO BE TAUGHT IN OUR PERIODS OF WAITING. THERE ARE SO MANY EXAMPLES IN THE BIBLE, OF THOSE WHO HAD TO WAIT, SOMETIMES FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME, BEFORE THEY SAW GOD'S PROMISES FULFILLED AND THEIR PRAYERS ANSWERED.
Does God promise me a suffering free life? No. But he does promise to be with me, step for step, as I walk through the Valley of Death (Ps. 23:4). Using the apostle Paul and his ministry in Rome as an example, that the path to biblical prosperity is often littered with unexpected problems and unforeseen circumstances. Paul prayed that he would have a prosperous journey to Rome. Did God answer his prayer? Yes. He did make it to Rome and had an amazing ministry there of preaching, teaching, discipleship, and writing. He just hadn't understood that getting to Rome would mean false accusations, arrest, incarceration, and chains. He couldn't have foreseen that it would involve hurricane-force winds at sea, shipwreck on an island, and the bite of a poisonous viper on the way.
The reality is that you can live a prosperous life in the will of God and still face fierce personal conflict and adversity. Prosperity is not about avoiding adversity, but moving forward in spite of them. Rather than trying to avoid the storms of life, we need to learn how to get through them, how to survive them, and how to learn the lessons that we can only learn in such times and such places.
Does God promise that we will be wealthy? No. But he does promise in Psalm 84:11 - "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless."
"Prosperity is having enough of God's provisions to complete his mission for your life" (Gregory L. Allen - http://www.gregoryallenministries.org/aboutus.htm). Assuming this is true, then it doesn't mean one necessarily needs a mansion or a fancy car. Having food, health, and a home is prosperity.
Citing studies, Kate Bowler (a professor at Duke Divinity School and author of the book "Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel") shows that 27 percent of all American Christians openly identify with the movement; that every Sunday, over two million people attend Prosperity-oriented mega-churches—43 percent of which boast multi-ethnic or multicultural congregations; and that 69 percent of all Christian believers are convinced that God ultimately, wants them to prosper. And 31 percent agreed that if you give your money to God, God will bless you with even more money.
"More and more people are desperate and grasping at straws and want something that will alleviate their pain or financial crisis," said Michael Palmer, dean of the divinity school at Regent University. One of the teaching's attractions is that the prosperity gospel doesn't dwell on traditional Christian themes of heaven and hell but on answering pressing concerns of the here and now, said Brian McLaren, a liberal evangelical author and pastor.
Everyone knows that knowledge is power, and an educated mind is difficult to manipulate and control. Prosperity-preaching pastors are using fear, guilt, and ignorance as a means to manipulate their members into giving more and more of their scarce income.
Principles of the Prosperity Gospel
1. God wants you to be physically healthy, materially wealthy, and emotionally happy all the time and he has empowered you to be so.
2. You can have health, wealth, and happiness by using the power by which God himself calls all things into being and that power is “faith”.
3. “Belief” or “faith” is a positive energy force that you can direct by the sheer power of your will in order to claim and receive what God wants you to have (see #1).
4. Through “faith-filled prayer” you lay claim to your faith dreams. Pray for health, wealth and/or happiness and then “believe” (see #3) you’ve already received what you’ve prayed for.
5. If you have enough “faith”, then “prayer” (see # 4) will be successful and you will get whatever you asked for because “the prayer of the faithful man availeth much” (James 5:16) and Jesus promised that “whatever you ask for” in his name he will give to you (John 14:13).
6. An essential characteristic of true “belief” is “living victoriously”. The one who lives victoriously will give far more money to the church than he can afford because he has “faith” that God will return his investment tenfold. For the same reason, he will purchase things he cannot afford “on faith” that God will “provide the increase”. And he will promise to do things he physically cannot do because, of course, God will heal all his infirmities.
7. If you’re not healthy, wealthy, and emotionally happy it’s because your “faith” is too weak. You have not laid claim to your inheritance. You must work harder at #‘s 3,4, and, especially, 6.
Dr. C. Thomas Anderson, author of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire... God's Way?", says the Body of Christ has learned to tithe and give offerings and to expect God to meet our every need, yet we normally only have enough for the day or for short periods of time. "We must learn how to make money enough for the future as well as today. God is not going to drop abundance out of heaven, and we can’t pray for someone to just give us money. We need to learn the attributes, qualities and skills to become wealthy. Every wealthy person has a grasp of: basic accounting, understands how investments work, has an understanding that the market is emotionally driven and a basic understanding of US tax laws. It is a lot of work; there is no such thing as gaining wealth without some effort."
The only time Jesus calls us a good and faithful servant is when we are in the multiplying stage for the sake of the kingdom and we are making money work for us. Dr. Anderson says the money to accomplish our destiny is always available because the wealth of the wicked is stored up for the just, and it is just about time we get to it.
But, imagine for a moment that I made you an offer, promising to pay you $500 if you would agree to buy your spouse a gift worth at least $100. Now imagine the moment when you give your spouse that unexpected gift. You would be showered with appreciation because of your kindness and thoughtfulness. But then imagine what would happen if your spouse discovered your true motive. Imagine how he or she would feel upon learning that you didn't buy the gift because of your love for him or her, but because of the promise of making a profit for yourself! That is how God must feel when His supposed people can be motivated to give only by means of a promise of getting more in return to spend on themselves. And incidentally, He does not bless those who give from a selfish motive:
If I give all my possessions to feed the poor...but do not have love, it profits me nothing (1 Cor. 13:3).
There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered (Prov. 11:24-25).
You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures (Jas. 4:3).
Giving to get, however, is the main theme of most prosperity preachers. And, if you're familiar with their methods, you know they flaunt their wealth as proof that their teaching works.
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First of all, let us make it absolutely clear: It’s not a sin to have a large income and be financially prosperous in this world. There were saints whose lives are recorded for us in the Bible who were financially prosperous and who the Lord delighted in, and the Lord was even the cause of their financial prosperity. Their hearts didn’t depart from the Lord on behalf of their prosperity, but rather, they used it generously to glorify His name, to demonstrate His love and to serve His purposes.
"There's no question that almost every Christian leader - reformed, Pentecostal, however you want to call it - sees the prosperity gospel as a blight on the face of Christianity," said Timothy C. Morgan, deputy managing editor at Christianity Today, an evangelical magazine. "Yet it's so seductive."
The theology taps into the country's self-help culture, said William C. Martin, a professor emeritus of religion and public policy at Rice University in Houston. "One of the goals of America is for you to become prosperous," he said. "For the church to put a blessing on that and say, 'God wants you to be rich,' is quite appealing."
Prevaricating spirits may enter a church and take the form and function of God-given spiritual entities. A rent (tear) must exist in the spiritual covering of any church in order for counterfeit spirits to masquerade and imitate the authentic.
Two such illegitimate spirits, which most often operate in tandem, are a self-seeking spirit of prophecy and a self-aggrandizing spirit of prosperity. In such an atmosphere we have a prophetic-type prompting and a profit-driven motive working hand-in-hand, often under the rubric of "for the purpose of spiritual-edification". Let it be quickly added here that the Gift of Prophecy [1 Cor. 12:10] and the Office of the Prophet [Eph. 4:11] are both operating in the Church in this era, with the latter being much less prevalent now compared to what is to come in the every last hours of the Church Age.
The proliferation of various 'Prophecy Conferences', 'Prosperity Seminars' and Prophetic/Prosperity-centered TV ministrations bears witness to the alarming increase in these 'self-seeking' ministry-type promotions. Freelance prophetic ministries are abounding everywhere, are promoted in a variety of contemporary Christian publications and sponsored by some independent christian internet sites. "Parlor Prophecy" is just what the name implies: entertainment-centered religious shenanigans meant to amuse, and if possible, cause wonderment and awe. But, if you were able to learn the real reason for this ministry you would more than likely find that it is for profit, not prophesy. In other words, their only doing it for the money, not because they really have a spiritual gift to share.
The prosperity preachers are telling us to give to their ministries and that in return we will be extraordinarily blessed by God, but when a man in the Bible tried to give money to the Apostle Peter in return for the blessing of the Holy Ghost, the Apostle rebuked and condemned him (Acts 8:18-23). And Elisha wouldn’t even accept an offering from a man healed under his ministry, and furthermore, when his servant went and collected the offering afterwards without Elisha’s consent, Elisha rebuked him and the Lord cursed him and his descendants forever (2 Kings 5).
The only time in scripture where Jesus got furious was when men used God's temple to make money (Luke 19:45-46). It happened in Jesus’ day and it’s happening in our day. This is exactly what hundreds of prosperity preachers are doing today. These men and women stand up in their golden pulpits in designer clothing begging for money and making promises of healing and monetary return in the name of Christ. But they preach and live exactly the opposite of the way that Jesus preached and lived.
Prosperity preachers tend to live lavish lifestyles with fancy cars, large houses, expensive clothes. Jesus did not do this. He did not even carry a penny on him (Matt 22:19). He had no place to live. “Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’” (Luke 9:58). You can imagine the types of clothes He walked around in. Scripture says about our Lord that there was nothing in his physical appearance to attract people to Him. “He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him,” Isa 53:2.
It is rightly said that "He who possesses the most is he who is content with little," but since these false teachers are not concerned with the spiritual well-being of their congregation as much as their material well-being, you will not hear them talk of contentment. Prosperity preachers usually promise blessings if you give to their ministry (emphasizing the word “their”). Try to find one instance in scripture where our Lord asked for money. You cannot do it! Jesus never asked for money… not even one time.
Basically, prosperity preachers tell people to go get a stick (e.g., a tithe), give 10 percent to God the piñata, and shazam! He explodes and blessings rain down.
Still, the prosperity gospel continues to draw crowds, particularly lower- and middle-income people who, critics say, have the greatest motivation and the most to lose. The prosperity message is spreading to black churches, attracting elderly people with disposable incomes, and reaching huge churches in Africa and other developing parts of the world.
Scripture does not support individual en masse prophetic utterances nor does it justify 'Prophets' soliciting or being paid for the release of their God-given gift. If it is there for you, it will be pro bono (without cost to you) and there will be no "quid pro quo" (meaning, if you honor the prophet with a profit he will bring you your prophetic utterance).
"Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her." (Prov. 8:10-11)
Jesus said there was good news for the poor...You are loved, you are worthy, and,regardless of your circumstance, you are valued.
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Seed-Faith
Everything in life starts with a seed—including the things we receive by faith. In Genesis 8:22, God says, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest . . . shall not cease.” The eternal law of seedtime and harvest, planting and reaping, giving and receiving will not change as long as the earth remains. Jesus compared faith to a seed being planted to get a result: “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).
When we put our faith in God’s hands like a seed we plant, we are giving God something to work with, and He will send the miracle we need. No matter how small our faith seems to be, it will meet needs and solve problems that appear as impossible to move as mountains. This is because each act of faith is a seed planted and will be multiplied many times.
The Seed-Faith principle that we find in the Bible contains three keys:
- Recognize that God is our Source.
Philippians 4:19 says, “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” God will supply all our needs according to His riches, His love for us, His power to help us, and His wisdom to guide us. He may use many different instruments—a job, gifts, doctors, friends, family—to meet our need. But He alone is the Source, and He alone cannot fail. - Give first, so that it may be given unto us.
Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and it shall be given unto you.” We must first plant a seed of faith so that God can multiply it back to meet our need. Jesus is talking about giving in the deepest sense of the word—the giving of ourselves to God. This includes anything we can give—love, time, patience, forgiveness, finances, prayer, whatever we have. Our giving reflects our trust in God and our thankfulness. It links us to God’s inexhaustible resources for our every need. There is no way we can give to God without receiving something back from Him, multiplied! - Expect a miracle.
Mark 11:24 says, “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” The moment we ask God for something—the moment we do our part and plant our seed of faith—we should believe God that the answer is on its way. It is important to expect our miracle so we can recognize it and reach forth to take it when it comes. And it’s also important to remember that God controls the time and method He will use to give back to us. We must keep trusting God and expecting our miracle, no matter how long it takes to reach us.
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"We need to realize that when God tells us to believe that we receive what we pray for, it is because what we are praying for is already in existence in the spirit world. Our believing we receive what we pray for causes that thing to come out of the spirit world into this physical world. I like to refer to this as the duality of existence. Everything exists in two forms -- first of all in spirit form, then in physical manifestation form. It is faith that makes the transfer from the spirit world into the physical world. Your healing is there, your new home is there, your new car is there, peace is there, and deliverance for your children is there. But you have to reach out into that spirit world and claim your Covenant by saying, "In the name of Jesus, I believe that I receive it." Maintain that confession, keep standing by faith on God's Word, and the thing you are believing for will come to pass in your life." (Dr. Frederic K. Price, "Have Confidence In God," Weekly Message June 27-July 1, 2005. His website)
Many people do not understand if you're going to receive something from the Lord you have to be prepared to invest something! So many times people want things out of life without any kind of investment! You can't in the natural, in a stock market you can't get a return on a stock where you have not bought shares. If there's no investment you have no right to wait at the mailbox for a return where you have not made any investment."
(T. D. Jakes, "Bible Answer Man Show," Hank Hanegraaff, Audio-Clip, September 21, 2004)
Friend, I don’t want you to miss out on one of the most powerful principles to release God’s power into your life — the principle of First Fruits. This principle is why this month Randy and I bring a week’s paycheck and say “God we believe you for financial abundance!” What we do with the first fruit establishes the rest. God claims the first fruits of everything. And when you release your first fruits offering, it positions you for the harvest, and releases God to do the blessing. When you sow the seed of your first fruits . . . you will reap God’s power and favor in your life. You have the power to release His blessings today by dedicating your first fruits to Him. Change the course of your entire year, perhaps your life today. (Paula White, Benny Hinn Telethon, LeSea Network, January, 2004)
Oral Roberts was one of the biggest prosperity preachers in history, and popularized the phrase, “I’m not your source, God is your source.” In other words, Don’t ask me for help because I am not going to help you. But if you send me an offering so I can stay on TV, God will feed you. Send me an offering and God will clothe you. I used to send him money and actually heard him say on TV that he will not feed you and he will not pay your electric bill, but if you send him an offering that God will feed you, and God will pay your electric bill. He even said people should send money to him even if it was their last dollar!
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"He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself, or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty." (Proverbs 22:16)
In 2007, the Senate began an investigation of six prosperous televangelists and their ministries. The investigation, which targeted the ministries of Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Paula White, Creflo Dollar and Bishop Eddie Long, took over three years to conduct. The Associated Press notes that the report raised questions surrounding “personal use of church-owned airplanes, luxury homes and credit cards by pastors and their families.” Upon completion of the investigation, however, there were “no definitive findings of wrongdoing” and those pastors who refused to cooperate with the investigation did not receive any penalties.
All the while, they themselves live off of obscene six- or even seven-figure salaries, outlandish bonuses, mansion-sized “housing allowances,” and other such grotesque “perks” such as private jets.
Richard Stearns, president of World Vision, received $384,772 in annual compensation, and Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse, received $368,115. Also weighing in high on Forbe's list was Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries at $299,512 and Pat Robertson of CBN at $306,293. There was Dennis Rydberg, head of Young Life at $272,127, Billy Graham at $451,707, Wes Stafford of Compassion International at $202,679, Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship at $218,614 and James Robison of Life Outreach International at $195,500 (see www.forbes.com/lists/2005/14/Revenue_1.html). Other websites, using 990 forms as their source, reveal that Peter Popoff of Peter Popoff Ministries made $425,019 and R.C. Sproul of Ligonier Ministries made $221,576. (See for yourself at: www.charitynavigator.org and www.guidestar.org.)
Forbes' list doesn't include such well-known prosperity preachers as Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, and Creflo Dollar, whose salaries are essentially hidden from public view because their organizations obtained I.R.S. designations as churches (which is certainly questionable for all of them but Creflo Dollar). That means they don't have to reveal publicly their financial data each year as do all other non-profit organizations. But their lavish lifestyles are well documented. Some of them even boast of their extravagant lifestyles in order to prove how well their theology works. (Dallas News report on Copelands $20 million jet) (CBS News on Benny Hinn)
Joyce Meyer, for example, lives like a queen. The St. Louis Dispatch reported, "Minutes of ministry board meetings show that for 2002 and 2003, the board approved compensation packages of up to $900,000 for Joyce Meyer and up to $450,000 for her husband." More recently, she and her board cut her salary to a humble $250,000, but she formed a private for-profit company from which she now receives royalties from her many books, royalties that were previously received by her ministry (see: www.ministrywatch.org/mw2.1/F_SumRpt.asp?EIN=431382734). Her ministry's financial report that is posted on her website informs readers that besides her salary, her board also grants her use of the "ministry-provided parsonage" (www.joycemeyer.org/projects/financial/FA_pg42.html). It fails, however, to mention that the "ministry parsonage" is 10,000 square feet, has an 8-car garage, and is worth two million dollars (for a photo, click here). And this is not a two-million dollar home in Southern California, but in Fenton, Missouri. Meyer also personally owns a $500,000 vacation home on Lake of the Ozarks with a $105,000 boat parked at her dock.
John Hagee, television preacher and pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio---perhaps milder in his preaching about wealth than other prosperity preachers but certainly not so in practice---was paid a total of $1.3 million from his ministry (GETV) and Cornerstone Church in 2003. Again, this is from GETV's own 990 form. According to a June, 2003 article in the San Antonio Express-News, "Hagee and his wife are listed in the Bexar County Appraisal District database as owners of their six-bedroom, 5,275-square-foot house in one of San Antonio's most exclusive gated communities, The Dominion" (to read the San Antonio Express-News article, click here).
Those scammed are as guilty as these scammers. For if those who are being scammed knew their bible, which is the individual responsibility of everyone, they would be able to discern these spirits as being not of God. But instead the scammed keep sending the scammers more and more filthy lucre, until now it is a multi-million dollar business. The doctrines of these false teachers are designed to stimulate people with enthusiasm. The more emotion, the more dollars. Make 'em feel good, tell 'em how great they are and how all they need to do is learn the "secrets" of God's prosperity. The only problem is their secret is sending them more cash, "sowing more seeds", the money kind that is.
“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me;give me neither poverty nor riches,but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:7-9)
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What Is Prosperity? Prosper = To be successful, to thrive, to be rich. This is the commonly accepted meaning of the term. But the Hebrew words translated prosper, prosperity, prosperous in the Bible mean far more than financial riches. They mean, success, well being, joy, health and progress in all that you undertake.
Hebrew: Halak = To go on, to progress. Tsaleach = (To cause) to go on prosperously.
Ezra 5:8 "Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands."
Sakal = To cause to 'act wisely' as in:
Deut. 29:9 "Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do." Did you know that you don't have to wait to get to heaven to enjoy prosperity? Yes, it's true. 3 John 1:2 shows that God wants you to be prosperous right this very minute... "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well."
But what is prosperity? Prosperity is more than just wealth. It's a lifestyle that includes divine health, peace, joy, protection, provision and happiness. The term shalom is used throughout the Bible and means nothing missing, nothing broken. It is complete wholeness for your spirit, soul and body. This is true Biblical prosperity.
I'm sure everyone would agree that it wouldn't be a very enjoyable life if you were a multimillionaire but were dying of a terminal illness. That's why Biblical prosperity is more than just financial abundance. It's a way of life that reflects the hand of God on everything around you. The "fruit" or result of having the hand of God on your life will be wealth, divine health, peace, joy, etc. We often refer to those fruits as blessings.
God's Blessing is an empowerment and anointing that will cause success in every area of your life. It's an equipping and an enabling. We were originally expected to function under God's Blessing at all times. However, the Blessing was blocked when the curse was released in the Garden. The good news is that God loved us so much that He wove an intricate plan through Jesus' death, burial and resurrection that brings us back into a place of no more limits. A life that functions under the Blessing.
The purpose of the Blessing on our lives is that we are supposed to be a blessing to others. The Blessing will bring unbelievable restoration, progress, favor and change in status. Proverbs 10:22 tells us that the Blessing of the Lord makes rich and He adds no sorrow with it. The Amplified Bible goes on to say that toiling does not increase as a result. This means that working harder or working more hours isn't what makes you rich. It's God's Blessing on your life that makes you rich. You see God never expected us to have to work for our provisions. The Garden had all of the provisions that were ever needed. Our labor is supposed to be in learning and standing on Gods Word and resting on the assurance that He will provide all that we need. (Hebrews 4:3-11) And, because all of our needs are met, we can focus on the assignment that God gives us.
The problem is that once Adam and Eve lost relationship with God, they lost their source of provision. Now they had to work and toil for what they needed. Not only did that require great effort, it also took them away from completing their God given assignment. Anyone who has not committed his or her life to Jesus still has to function under this same system of toil. But, those who are in Christ can now function under God's system. His way of doing things is that we have faith in Him and He provides for our needs. His way of doing things is that of sowing and reaping. His way of doing things is believing and receiving.
Unfortunately, many Christians are still functioning under the old system. They are so focused on working to make money to meet their needs, they don't have time (or energy left) to stand on God's Word and rest in Him. Their focus is on provision and not on their assignment. When we take our eyes off of God as our source and try to do it on our own, we are going to struggle and fail. This failure and frustration leads people to work harder and harder, again trying to do it on their own. They fall deeper and deeper into debt and fall farther and farther away from God who is the only One who can rescue them.
As Christians we need to step out from under the world's system and learn how to function in God's system. Please note that it isn't a get rich quick scheme. It's going to take dedication, commitment, patience and a lot of work. You are going to need to spend time getting to know who God is and what He has done for you. You are going to need to learn what God's promises are and why you have a legal right to them. You are going to need to spend time studying and meditating on God's Word so that you build your faith and get revelation knowledge. You are going to need to spend time talking with God to get His direction and wisdom. You are going to need to start confessing with your mouth what God says about you and your situation. You are going to need to start sowing seeds so that you can see a harvest. You are going to need to spend time praising and thanking God that He has provided a way for you even when it looks like there is no way.
I'm sure this sounds like a lot of work. However, the benefits far outweigh anything the world's system can offer. In the world you get back basically whatever you put in. You swap your time for money. There's no getting ahead. In God's system, you sow and He multiplies it back to you many times over. You walk away with more than what you started with. That means more love, more joy, more peace, more happiness, more contentment, more time, more health, more money, more of every good thing. Because that's why Jesus came to earth. He came to give us the keys to the good life. Not just any life but a life that is so abundant that it overflows! (John 10:10)
If you aren't currently enjoying this type of life, make a commitment to start doing all of the steps listed above. Below are verses and supporting notes that will also help in your faith building journey.
Psalm 23:1, Psalm 112:1-3, Proverbs 3:10, Proverbs 10:4, Proverbs 10:22, Isaiah 48:17, Isaiah 62:7, Malachi 3:10-11, John 10:10, Romans 3:16, Romans 5:16-17, Romans 8:15-17, II Corinthians 8:9, II Corinthians 9:6-11, Galatians 3:1-29, Galatians 4:1-6, Galatians 6:7-8, Ephesians 1:12-21, Ephesians 2:10, Hebrews 4:3-11, I Peter 5:7
Bible Quotes
“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock, and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.” (Deuteronomy 28:1-11 NIV)
“Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.” (Proverbs 13:21)
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." (Psalm 1:1-3)
"Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." (Psalm 37:5)
"Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever." (Psalm 112:3)
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine." (Proverbs 3:5-10)
"Length of days is in her (wisdom's) right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor." (Proverbs 3:16)
"By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honor, and life." (Proverbs 22:4)
"And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God." (Ecclesiastes 3:13)
"Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God." (Ecclesiastes 5:19) "
"..ye have not, because ye ask not" (James 4:2b)
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)
"The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:16-18)
"But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that gives thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore unto thy fathers, as it is this day." (Deuteronomy 8:18)
"If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures." (Job 36:11)
"Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teaches thee to profit, which leads thee by the way that thou should go." (Isaiah 48:17)
Bible Evidence For Prosperity
* Jesus Christ "became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9)
* God has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. (Psalm 35:27)
* "The blessing of the Lord makes one rich." (Proverbs 10:22)
* God is not selfish or stingy but "gives us richly all things to enjoy." (1 Timothy 6:17)
* "The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." (Psalm 33:5)
"The earth He has given to the children of men." (Psalm 115:16)
* Christians are joint heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17)
With Him God also freely gave us all things. (Romans 8:32)
* We will reign (as kings) in life through Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)
The rich rules over the poor (Proverbs 22:7) so it can not be God's will for His people to be poor.
* God "gives (us) power to get wealth." (Deuteronomy 8:18)
* "For all the promises of God in (Christ) are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." (2 (Corinthians 1:20)
* God teaches us to profit. (Isaiah 48:17)
* God gave us instructions on how to be prosperous and have good success. (Joshua 1:8 & Psalm 1:1-3)
* God desires that we prosper. (3 John 1:2)
* You should have "all sufficiency in all things" so you can "have an abundance for every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8)
* Christians have been called to freedom. (Galatians 5:13)
Whom the Son of God sets free is free indeed. (John 8:36)
Jesus said "how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things." (Matthew 7:11)
* We are to ask the Father and receive that our joy may be full. (John 16:24)
* God loves a cheerful giver and most people need more than just what is necessary to really be one. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Peace means "prosperity in every way" in both the Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New Testament.
"The chastisement for our peace was upon (Jesus Christ)." (Isaiah 53:5)
* "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law" which includes poverty and lack. (Galatians 3:13)
* The blessing of Abraham is supposed to come upon those who are in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:14)
"The Lord blessed Abraham in all things." (Genesis 24:1)
"(Abraham) was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold." (Genesis 13:2)
* "God shows no partiality" (Acts 10:34) and He made several people in the Bible wealthy.
* God says wisdom is the principal thing and commands us to get it. (Proverbs 4:7)
Jesus has been made unto us wisdom. (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Riches and honor come with wisdom. (Proverbs 3:16 & 8:18)
* Instructions are given that you may lack nothing. (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; James 1:4)
* God "has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness." (2 Peter 1:3)
* Jesus told us to pray that God's "will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10)
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“The Prosperity Prayer”
Dear God --
I surrender my financial affairs and concerns about money to your Divine care and love.
I ask that you remove my worries, anxieties and fears about money, and replace them instead with faith.
I know and trust that my debts will be paid and money will flow into my life.
I have only to look to nature to see proof of the abundance you provide.
I release all negative thoughts about money, and know that prosperity is my true state.
I commit to being grateful for all that I now have in my life.
With your help I will learn to manage my finances wisely and seek Christian guidance where needed.
And finally, I ask you to help me understand my purpose in life and to act on that purpose with courage and strength. I know that prosperity will come, in part, by doing work I love. Please help me use my skills and knowledge to be of service to you in the world.
Thank you, God.
Amen
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John Wesley : On Riches (http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=category&cid=54&page=1)
"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 19:24.
I apprehend, by a rich man here is meant, not only a man that has immense treasures, one that has heaped up gold as dust, and silver as the sand of the sea; but anyone that possesses more than the necessaries and conveniences of life. One that has food and raiment sufficient for himself and his family, and something left over, is rich. By the kingdom of God, or of heaven, (exactly equivalent terms,) I believe is meant, not the kingdom of glory, (although that will, without question, follow,) but the kingdom of heaven, that is, true religion, upon earth. The meaning then of our Lord's assertion is this,--that it is absolutely impossible, unless by that power to which all things are possible, that a rich man should be a Christian; to have the mind that was in Christ, and to walk as Christ walked: Such are the hindrances to holiness, as well as the temptations to sin, which surround him on every side.
The rich are equally surrounded with temptations from the "desire of the eyes;" that is, the seeking happiness in gratifying the imagination, the pleasures of which the eyes chiefly minister. The objects that give pleasure to the imagination are beautiful, or new. Indeed, all rich men have a taste for grand objects; new and beautiful things, especially for new; the desire of novelty being as natural to men as the desire of meat and drink.
Now, how numerous are the temptations to this kind of idolatry, which naturally springs from riches! How strongly and continually are they solicited to seek happiness in beautiful houses, in elegant furniture, in curious pictures, in delightful gardens! perhaps in that trifle of all trifles,--rich apparel! Now, although it is certain all these have their use, and therefore may be innocently pursued, yet the seeking happiness in any of them, instead of God, is manifest idolatry; and therefore, were it only on this account, that riches furnish him with the means of indulging all these desires, it might well be asked, "Is not the life of a rich man, above all others, a temptation upon earth?"
What temptation, likewise, must every rich man have to seek happiness in "the pride of life!" I do not conceive the Apostle to mean thereby pomp, or state, or equipage; so much as "the honor that cometh of men," whether it be deserved or not. A rich man is sure to meet with this: It is a snare he cannot escape. The whole city of London uses the words rich and good as equivalent terms. "Yes," say they, "he is a good man; he is worth a hundred thousand pounds." And indeed everywhere, "if thou doest well unto thyself," if thou increasest in goods, "men will speak well of thee." Who can bear this general applause without being puffed up,-- without being insensibly induced to think of himself "more highly than he ought to think?"
And not only praise, whether deserved or undeserved, but every thing about him tends to inspire and increase pride. His noble house, his elegant furniture, his well-chosen pictures, his fine horses, his equipage, his very dress, yea, even "the embroidery plastered on his tail,"--all these will be matter of commendation to some or other of his guests, and so have an almost irresistible tendency to make him think himself a better man than those who have not these advantages.
Riches are equally a hindrance to the loving our neighbor as ourselves; that is, to the loving all mankind as Christ loved us. A rich man may indeed love them that are of his own party, or his own opinion. He may love them that love him: "Do not even Heathens," baptized or unbaptized, "the same?" But he cannot have pure, disinterested good-will to every child of man.
Who then can be saved?"--if it be so difficult for rich men to be saved, who have so many and so great advantages, who are frees from the cares of this world, and a thousand difficulties to which the poor are continually exposed?
"And he said unto them all,"--the whole multitude, not unto his Apostles only,--"If any man will come after me,"--[will be a real Christian],--"let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23.) O how hard a saying is this to those that are "at ease in the midst of their possessions!" Yet the Scripture cannot be broken. Therefore, unless a man do "deny himself" every pleasure which does not prepare him for taking pleasure in God, "and take up his cross daily,"--obey every command of God, however grievous to flesh and blood,--he cannot be a disciple of Christ; he cannot "enter into the kingdom of God."
How many rich men are there among the Methodists today (observe, there was not one when they were first joined together) who actually do "deny themselves and take up their cross daily?" Who resolutely abstain from every pleasure, either of sense or imagination, unless they know by experience that it prepares them for taking pleasure in God? Who of you that are now rich, deny yourselves just as you did when you were poor? Who as willingly endure labor or pain now, as you did when you were not worth five pounds? Come to particulars. Do you fast now as often as you did then? Do you rise as early in the morning? Do you endure cold or heat, wind or rain, as cheerfully as ever? See one reason among many, why so few increase in goods, without decreasing in grace! Because they no longer deny themselves and take up their daily cross. They no longer, alas, endure hardship as good soldiers of Jesus Christ!
"If any man love the world," says the Apostle, "the love of the Father is not in him." But how is it possible for a man not to love the world who is surrounded with all its allurements?"
"Go now, ye rich men! Weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you;" that must come upon you in a few days, unless prevented by a deep and entire change! "The canker of your gold and silver" will be "a testimony against you," and will "eat your flesh as fire!" O how pitiable is your condition! "
Many of you have known me long, well nigh from your infancy: You have frequently helped me, when I stood in need. May I not say, you loved me? But now the time of our parting is at hand: My feet are just stumbling upon the dark mountains. I would leave one word with you before I go hence; and you may remember it when I am no more seen.
O let your heart be whole with God! Seek your happiness in him and him alone. Beware that you cleave not to the dust! "This earth is not your place." See that you use this world as not abusing it; use the world, and enjoy God. Sit as loose to all things here below, as if you were a poor beggar. Be a good steward of the manifold gifts of God; that when you are called to give an account of your stewardship, he may say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!"
PROSPERITY PREACHERS VS. THE WORD OF GOD
"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." (Luke 12:15)
The message of the Bible stands in direct contrast to what these prosperity preachers are saying…
The prosperity preachers are telling us to get more for ourselves, but Jesus told us to get rid of what we already have (Luke 12:33). Who’s right –them or the Lord Jesus?
The prosperity preachers are telling us that God wants us to be rich, but the Apostle Paul said that those who desire to be rich fall into many temptations and snares and foolish hurtful desires which drown men in destruction (1 Timothy 6:9). Who’s right –The prosperity preachers or the Apostle Paul?
The prosperity preachers are telling us not to be content with what we have but to command God to give us more, but the Bible commands us to be content with what we have (Hebrews 13:5). Who’s right –Them or the Word of God?
The prosperity preachers are telling us that God wants us to have the best that this world has to offer, but the Apostle John told us that if we live like the world and love the things of the world then we’re not even saved (1 John 2:15). Who’s right? Are we to believe them or the Apostle John?
The prosperity preachers are standing up in front of worldwide audiences and boasting about how much silver and gold they have, but the Apostle Peter had to say to a poor beggar that he didn’t even have any money to give him (Acts 3:6). Surely Peter wasn’t lying. He actually had no money! Who’s right –the prosperity preachers or the Apostle Peter?
The prosperity preachers have stood in the midst of the Church and used the things of God to accumulate mass monetary gain for themselves, but when Jesus entered the house of God, He did the opposite, He made a whip and cleared out those who were in it to make money (Mark 11:15). Has the Lord changed His mind? –Never! He’s the same yesterday, today and forever!
The prosperity preachers are telling us that God wants us to be rich, increased with goods, and have need of nothing, but the Lord Jesus said that those who are such make Him want to vomit (Revelation 3:16-17).
The prosperity preachers are telling us to serve them and to give to their ministry, but the Lord Jesus came to serve us and gave all that He had (Mark 10:45).
The prosperity preachers are telling us to give to their ministries and that in return we will be extraordinarily blessed by God, but when a man in the Bible tried to give money to the Apostle Peter in return for the blessing of the Holy Ghost, the Apostle rebuked and condemned him (Acts 8:18-23).
The prosperity preachers are telling us that they deserve to be rich because of their great anointing and that we must give to them, but the man of God Elisha wouldn’t even accept an offering from a man healed under his ministry, and furthermore, when his servant went and collected the offering afterwards without Elisha’s consent, Elisha rebuked him and the Lord cursed him and his descendants forever (2 Kings 5).
The prosperity preachers are telling us that the world should love us because of our prosperity and desire to be like us as a result, but the Lord Jesus pronounced dreadful sorrows on those who are spoken well of by the world (Luke 6:26).
The prosperity preachers are telling us that Jesus came to give us life more abundantly and that this means that we are to have an abundance of the material things that we possess, but the Lord Jesus said that this abundant life is Eternal Life and that life doesn’t consist of the material things which a man possesses (John 10:10, Luke 12:15). Should we believe these prominent wealthy preachers, or the meek and lowly Lord Jesus?
The prosperity preachers are telling us to use God to get money, that God wants us to have more money, but Jesus said that we cannot serve both God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24). The Lord said that we will either love God and hate Mammon, or else be devoted to God and despise Mammon, but that there could be no neutrality, and no aspiring after both. So should we believe them as they serve God and money at the same time (as proven by their extravagant and luxurious lifestyles), or should we believe Jesus who despised the world’s good in order to please His Father in all things?
The prosperity preachers tell us that Abraham was rich and because of this, we should be rich too. They tell us, according to Galatians 3:14, that we are to receive the “blessing of Abraham”, and therefore, since Abraham was blessed and rich, we should be too. Yet, the Scripture makes it clear that the “blessing of Abraham” isn’t earthly riches: it’s eternal life! “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” The blessing of Abraham is the promise of the Holy Spirit by which we’re adopted into God’s family and are saved. It is a blatant twist of Scripture to take this and turn it into a promise of earthly prosperity and riches.
Furthermore, Abraham was prosperous in this earth. That is obvious. But this doesn’t mean that every Christian should be. God had a plan to make a huge, great nation out of Abraham, and it was necessary for him to have abundance in order to fulfill the promise of God to make a great nation out of him, a nation through which the Messiah, Christ Jesus would come to save mankind from sin. Obviously God isn’t planning on making a huge and great earthly nation out of every Christian, so it isn’t necessary to give such material abundance to them. And even furthermore, it has to be remembered that Abraham didn’t even want to aim after earthly riches since he was seeking nothing of this earth, but was “looking for a city whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10). Abraham proved that he was willing to forsake everything of this world to gain God’s approval. He despised not only Mammon for the sake of his love for God, but his own son Isaac as well, as proved by the fact that he offered him upon the altar (Genesis 22). Abraham was a holy man of God that sought God’s approval no matter the cost, and despised anything this world has to offer for the sake of inheriting the eternal city of God in the age to come.
The prosperity preachers tell us that Solomon was rich and prosperous, so therefore we should be too. –But this is completely erroneous, because Solomon was in clear disobedience to the Law of God which commanded that the king of Israel not multiply much silver and gold for himself (Deuteronomy 17:15-20). Solomon disobeyed that to such an extent that in his palace, silver was regarded as mere chump change in comparison (2 Chronicles 9:20). Solomon also took many wives for himself, over 900 in fact, which was also in clear transgression of the command of God. His heart was turned away from the Lord and he even built pagan shrines to false gods in Israel (Nehemiah 13:26, 1 Kings 11:1-8). Solomon became a backslider and for a season he was in rebellion against the Lord, seeking happiness in things of this world rather than in God –this is exactly what the book of Ecclesiastes tells us. So why on earth would we want to set up Solomon as an example for the Church to follow? Dare we aspire after earthly things like he did and have our hearts turn from the Living God? Thank God that Solomon learned his lesson and came around in the end and forsook his pursuit of earthly pleasures and riches and learned to be obedient in the fear of God (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). May we learn the same thing from his example and not from falling into the same error ourselves!