The Gospel according to prosperity

Several people have commented, questioned or posted about the prosperity preachers in the past while. I've avoided even commenting on most. To my daughter's post I simply said that my belief about that would take more time than a facebook comment.

First let me reason about being openly critical of preachers. In the book of Jude, it says that Michael the archangel wouldn't even rail on Satan but said “The Lord rebuke you.” “But don't we have a responsibility to uphold and defend the truth?” you ask. Yes we do. Defend the truth. Don't condemn the preacher. If they are wrong, the Lord will rebuke them. If you can fix others, do it to your best ability, but in doing it, remember they serve God not you.

I do believe that many scriptures speak of physical blessing and prosperity for those who love and honor God. Some people need to spiritualize that. I don't. The same Paul that said he had learned to be content in every situation and that he knew how to be in want and how to abound, also said I earnestly desire that you would prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers. He said that God was able to make us abound in all things for every good work.
In the list of heroes of faith are amazing stories of blessing and intervention by God. They are stories of blessed fidelity.  And yet the last 4 verses of Hebrews 11 are about people who were not what we consider prosperous. They were destitute, persecuted, killed and yet the writer insists the world was not worthy of them. 

Jesus pulled money out of a fish's mouth because Peter was self-conscious about taxes. He had the disciples save the leftovers when he fed 5000 and when he fed 4000. Let me say here that neither Paul nor Jesus was condoning the carnal western concept of prosperity. Build a bigger barn and fill it for retirement was not Jesus' plan.

When Paul said he desired that they would prosper, he wasn't talking about an expensive car and a big house in the best part of town or about the right to eat in the posh restaurants and wear the high dollar clothing. I'm not condemning people who do those things, I'm just saying that the mind set that considers those things prosperity as a right to the children of God is clueless. Enjoy what you have been given or acquired but realize these are not the stuff of eternity. In my mind, money is not a measure of prosperity. But in the western world most people equate the two.

What about the poor people in India and Africa who follow Christ and have no access to finery or money? If you make minimum wage in the US you are more wealthy than about 90% of the people in this world. If you live on minimum welfare, you're still monetarily wealthier than most of the people on earth. That does not make us prosperous.

Many people are persecuted because they believe in Christ; they barely subsist. There are children in Africa dying of aids. They live in a dark part of the world controlled by ancient evil, yet they are the people of Hebrews 11 as well. We have a true story movie about 2 kids who traveled over 100 miles dragging a homemade coffin with the body of their mother, who died of aids, inside. They passed many perils and yet were spared and reached their destination unharmed. There with relatives who barely had enough, they grew and were educated and learned about the grace of God. As minor as it may seem, they prospered! I know not all stories end that nice. We live in a fallen world.

What is prosperity about? Is it about a vacation home or a nicer vehicle or finery and gluttony? It is not. I am not judging people who have 'stuff.' I have friends who have 'stuff' and adopt families to provide various needs. I believe their prosperity is about the ability to help and bless much more than their well suited cabin and very nice vehicles. I don't think God is offended by their clothing or their cruises. I think he is blessed by their willingness to get their hands and their money in the mix. And he prospers them with earthly wealth as well.

God has blessed us greatly. He doesn't bless us because we do for others, he blesses us so that we can do for others. I cannot judge why God does or doesn't bless people with as much as he has blessed us. I know that he is merciful and incredibly loving to all he has made. 
How God's love shakes down, I do not know. True prosperity is 'good news.' I believe in a prosperity gospel. It is not so that you can buy more stuff -that's part of the earth side of us. As Paul said, “God is able to make us abound in all things that we may abound in all good works.” That's the prosperity gospel. God created us from the earth. Until our change, we will be earthlings with earth appetites and earth understanding. I know he knows that. But once the gospel enters, we are to be heaven minded.

And that's the opinion of the woman in the Woodall Cave of Wonders.