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!
I have very little tolerance for this movement, but just as I’m about to feel guilty about my lack of patience w/ them, I remember that the Apostle Paul had less tolerance than me…
I Tim 6
He said, be careful of men who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. (What was the book title? Oh yeah, “Godliness is Profitable”.)
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9But 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. 10For 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.
I believe the prosperity gospel has 4 big problems:
A wrong perception of God/believers/Jesus/Biblical faith
Many Christians like to believe that this movement is fundamentally OK, just off on some tangents, but they’ve at least got the basics down, at least they preach the gospel! I’ve heard people say things like that…but here’s some fundamentals that form a cracked foundation for the entire movement:
1. Wrong perception of God
The god of this movement is not the God of the Bible. For it teaches that the believer is at least equal w/ God, and God is relegated to playing the role of a heavenly genie, a cosmic Santa Claus, just a big bel-hop. Because of their misconception of God, it has led to a misconception of the believer.
2. Wrong perception of the believer
The disciples of this movement are taught unequivocally to act like little gods.
Kenneth Copeland said, “adam was created in the God class, he was not subordinate to God, even adam was walking as a God. What he said, went; what he did, counted; and when he bowed his knee to Satan, and put Satan above him, there wasn’t anything God could do about it because a God (adam) had placed Satan there. Adam remember, was created in the God class, and when he committed high treason, he fell below the God class.”
Acc’d to Copeland, when Jesus died on the cross, He won the right for believers to once again be born again into the God class. Now the reason that you are guaranteed healing and prosperity is because you deserve it, you are a little God.
“He said He’d meet my needs, acc’d to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” so far so good, right, he then continues to praise the Lord for meeting his needs, then continues… “and I say this w/ all respect, so I don’t upset you too bad” (look out, sounds like he knows he’s getting ready to come out w/ something unorthodox) “but I say it anyway, when I read the Bible where God says I Am, I just smile and say, Yes, I Am, Too!”
Ladies and Gentlemen, that is outright blasphemy. It is humanism, and I hope you cringed when you heard it! The Christian world did get upset by it, and in the face of all the criticism, Copeland went on TBN’s Praise the Lord hour to defend his position. Here’s the conversation that ensued…
Paul Crouch “God doesn’t even draw a distinction between Himself and us.”
Copeland “never, never…you never do that in a covenant relationship”
PC “do you know what else that settles tonite? This cry that this controversy, which has been spawned by the devil to try to bring dissention w/in the body of Christ, that we are Gods. I am a little God!” (so if you even question that, you’re trying to bring dissention, you’re spawned by the devil!)
Copeland “yes, yes,!”
Jan Crouch, “absolutely, He gave us His name”
PC “I have His name, I’m one of Him, I’m in covenant relations, I am a little God, critics be gone”
Copeland “you’re anything that He is!”
PC “yes”
Paul Crouch reaffirmed his little God theory when he said on national TV, “that new creation that comes at the new birth is created in His image…and somehow the Father opens up the Godhead to let me in, it is now Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and me!”
Benny Hinn affirms this theory, “are you ready for some real revelation knowledge? (notice, it’s not biblical knowledge, it’s revelation knowledge…all the more reason to preach against extra-biblical revelation, for what it does is takes immature christians who don’t know any better, and breaks down their defenses… “are you gonna argue w/ a man God talks to?”)
He continues, “He laid aside His divine form, so one day on earth I would be clothed w/ the divine form. Kenneth Hagin has a teaching, and a lot of people have problems w/ it. Kenneth Copeland has a teaching, and many christians poke holes in it. They say, you are gods, you are gods, and people say, Oh, I can’t be God, hold it, let’s add balance to this teaching. When Jesus was on earth, the Bible says that first He disrobed himself of the divine form (we’ll deal w/ that in a minute). He became a man, that we may become as He is.”
No wonder they teach that we are entitled to health and wealth, because we are Gods! They’ve bought into the original lie, listen to Gen. 3
4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods
Not only do they have a wrong perception of God, and thus, a wrong perception of the believer, but they have a wrong perception of
3. Jesus Christ
This movement says that Jesus gave up His deity when He came to earth. They twist and garble Phil. 2:7
7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
For 2000 years conservative Christianity has understood the teaching of that verse to be that Jesus laid aside His glory, not His deity. That He laid aside the privileges of His deity, not His deity altogether. Suddenly, this movement has reduced Jesus to nothing more than a spirit filled man.
K. Copeland wrote in “Believer’s Voice of Victory” magazine: “Why didn’t Jesus openly proclaim Himself as God during His 33 years on earth? For one single reason: He didn’t come to earth as God, He came as a man”
Remember, this movement preys upon the ignorant. These folks are not well-versed in the Bible at all...they shout Amen! to everything they hear preached, even that quote that Jesus didn’t claim to be God.
Have they never read the gospels?
Jn. 8:56-58
56Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Copeland continued, “most Christians mistakenly believe that Jesus was able to work wonders and perform miracles and live above sin, because He had some divine powers that we don’t have…thus they never really aspire to live like He lived. They don’t realize that when Jesus came to earth, He voluntarily gave up that advantage…living His life not as God, but as a man. He had no innate, supernatural powers, no ability to perform miracles, until He was anointed by the Holy Spirit, as recorded in LK. 3:22. He ministered as a man filled w/ the Holy Spirit.”
You see what he’s trying to do? Put you and Jesus on the same level…thus you’re entitled to whatever you want, esp. if you’ll give him a percentage!
Folks, the Bible clearly teaches that when Jesus walked this earth, he was 100% God/100% Man, as much God, as if He’d not been man, as much man, as if He’d not been God. That’s the miracle of the incarnation.
They not only say Jesus was just a spirit-filled man, they also teach that He was literally dragged into Hell for 3 days following His death on the cross. (explain)
What was Jesus’ next to last statement on the cross (it is finished)
Where did Jesus tell the repentant thief He’d see him later that day (paradise)
Then they teach that while in Hell, Jesus had to be born again.
K. Copeland, “Jesus was the first man to ever be born from sin to righteousness…He was the pattern of a new race of men to come, glory to God, and you know what He did, the very first thing that this man did was to be re-born in hell. Jesus was the first person to ever be born again.”
Hagin, “why did He have to be born again, because His spirit was estranged from God.”
They not only elevate man to be God, but they even drag Christ down to being just a man, evidently a sin laden man, who had to be born again. And ignorant people continue to heap to themselves teachers, who will say what they want to hear!
Wrong perception of God/themselves/Jesus, and finally
4. Wrong perception of Biblical faith (how a person is saved)
They promote superstition, not faith. Their faith is not submissive trust in the promises of God. By their own definintion, their faith is a law…much like the law of gravity. (Word/faith movement) The very name implies faith is more a matter of what we say, not what we trust in. It reduces faith to mere superstition. “Believe it in your heart, say it w/ your mouth.”
“you can have what you say” That’s why it’s called name it and claim it, or blab it and grab it. You can have what you want…health, wealth.
My Bible says that faith comes by the Word of God, not my words. True Biblical faith is faith in God and in HIS Word, not faith in myself, and my words.
Now, in order to bolster this mindset, they ridicule those who would pray acc’d to God’s will, saying it’s just a cop out, in case it doesn’t happen.
Fred Price said, “Jesus said, acc’d to your faith be it unto you, not acc’d to God’s will” he’s poking fun of us.
Hagin said praying acc’d to God’s will is not taught in the Bible, “it is unscriptural to pray, if it’s God’s will”
I Jn. 5
14And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
James 4:13-16
13Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
In closing, what has this movement produced?
False doctrine, w/ sinners who are Gods, and God a man, who had to be born again, and faith into superstition, and trust in MY words, more than in God’s Word. It puts us on plane w/ God, and tells us not to pray to God asking for anything, but rather telling Him how it’s gonna be.
It promotes outlandish methods of proving your faith, so God will then fly in the cargo.
Richard Roberts, “sow a seed on your mastercard, visa, or american express…and then expect God to open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing.” Go into debt on faith…and expect God to bless your presumption…I mean, faith!
Out of one side of their mouths the get-rich preachers say that the purpose of their ministry is to help people get out of debt, and help people prosper so they can give large sums of money to the spreading of the gospel. But out of the other side of their mouths they teach that we can have whatever material possessions we want, such as a luxury home or a Rolls Royce.
Oral Roberts once mailed out bags of holy water from the river of life fountain at his university. To demonstrate how to use the holy water, he poured out a bag of it onto his wallet on TV.
Robert Tilton said, “being poor is a sin, when God promises prosperity…new house, new car, that’s chicken feed. That’s nothing compared to what God wants to do for you.”
This movement has produced materialism, like the cargo cults, an attitude of “what’s in it for me?” “what can God do for me today”
Lk. 12:15
15And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Let’s have a balance.
Prov. 30:7-9
7Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: 8Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: 9Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
God’s richest blessings could never fit into a wallet, or a safe deposit box. I feel like the richest man in the world!
