Has God Promised Health And Wealth To Christians? Series

HAS GOD PROMISED HEALTH AND WEALTH TO CHRISTIANS?

Questions People Ask

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We’ve dealt w/ some difficult subjects the last several messages. Though they’re controversial, they are areas in which we must take our stand. I am trying to deal w/ these issues in a scholarly manner, and from a heart of love.

Although we never want to offend anyone if at all possible, if we do offend someone, we want them to be offended by our position, not our disposition. “Don’t kill the messenger!” I’m just delivering the mail.

Once again, tonite, I will mention names, some of which you surely know. I do this not as a personal attack against them, because I’m sure they are some good, and sincere people. Rather, I do it to protect our church from false doctrine…a task which is very difficult to do w/out using direct quotes from sermons and books of those we will mention.

Name some cults for me: (mormon/jw’s/moonies/etc.) Ever heard of the Cargo cult? This scarcely known cult thrives among the Aboriginal island peoples of the south pacific. Listen as I explain to you one of the most unusual legacies of WWII:

During WWII, the peoples of the south pacific islands were first exposed to modern civilization thru the allied forces which landed there. The american military would often use these islands as temporary landing strips. White men, bearing precious cargo would often land, just long enough to unload the cargo, and then leave as quickly as they came. These huge cargo planes would swoop down, leave their payload, and then take off again. For the first time, the natives were exposed to such things as cigarette lighters which could produce fire instantly, machines which could push back an entire forest in a matter of hours, making room for a landing strip, Jeeps that could travel at speeds they never imagined, modern weaponry, radios, refrigerators, power tools…these natives were so fascinated w/ this cargo, that they concluded the men who brought the cargo must be gods!

When the war was over, and the armies left, these tribesmen built shrines to their “cargo gods”. Incredible! Their shrines were perfect replicas of cargo planes and hangars, all made of bamboo!

There are still members of the cargo cult in existence today, in some of the more remote of those islands. Today’s cargo cult has personified all americans into one god, and they call their god “Tom Navy”. And every day they pray to Tom Navy, to send more cargo. They esp. like ball point pens, lighters, cameras, and nuts and bolts.

Modern day missionaries have been sent to the cargo cults, and at first they received a warm welcome…and they were viewed as somewhat of a 2nd coming, of the cargo gods. But when they realized that these missionaries were coming w/ another gospel, and not more cargo, they utterly rejected them. The missionaries will tell you that it is nigh unto impossible to break thru the materialism and the greed, which is the very basis of their religion.

There is another group of people in America today, preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus Christ, but I believe they are just as superstitious and materialistic as the cargo cults of the south pacific. They preach the health and wealth prosperity gospel, instead of “deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Jesus.”

I am not saying that all their leaders are unregenerate, and I’m not categorically calling the entire word/faith movement, as it is called, a cult. I’m sure there are many good and sincere folk involved in this movement, who have simply been led astray by false theology. Unfortunately, many of them used to sit in churches like this one. Churches which helped bring them to Christ. Yes, the majority of the people who end up in the word/faith movement are proselyted from churches like this one. That’s all the more reason to preach a little prevention!

Remember now, every religion that has ever been started by a man, worshipped a god whose function was to “deliver the cargo.” They are religions in which God exists to serve man, rather than the other way around, as the Bible teaches.

Here’s a list of titles of books their leaders have written:

How to write your own ticket w/ God

Godliness is profitable/God’s creative power will work for you/Releasing the ability of God/God’s formula for success for you!

They could all be titled: “How to get God to deliver the cargo”.

In this religion, people use God. My Bible says God uses people.

This movement produces greed, mat’lism and covetousness in the hearts of many of God’s people. Regretably, many of their leaders live in the laps of luxury at the expense of their followers, and I have heard them justify it themselves saying, I preach prosperity…I have to practice it!