GOSPEL TIMES MINISTRIES

Real Prosperity "For you know what our Lord Jesus Christ gives freely, that though He was rich, for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich,”( 2 Corinthians 8:9). ‘Prosperity theology finds its foundation in the interpretation of several passages of Scripture. One of these is in the Third Letter of John, where in the greeting John expresses hope that the readers "may prosper and be in good health that it is well with your soul". The current form of the prosperity gospel says that this is more than just a greeting or a blessing. It is a way out of poverty. This prosperity gospel has a great attraction to those in poverty. Especially those who see no hope for a change in their status, this seems to be away out of poverty. It appeals to middle and lower income people who have more to loose. It also appeals to individuals on social services and are not highly educated. Here’s how it is sold: God wants you to be rich (and/or healthy), but He can not bless you unless you first send or give money (also known as a “seed-faith offering”) to whichever televangelist, minister or leader who tells you about this proposition. You put your money in and a blessing pops out,’Bible.org. As scholar James R. Goff noted, God is “reduced to a kind of ‘cosmic bellhop’ attending to the needs and desires of his creation.” This is a wholly inadequate and unbiblical view of the relationship between God and man and the stewardship of wealth. ‘The immediate context of what Paul wrote in our text, however, is very clear. He was trying to get his fellow Christians to give money for the sake of other believers who were materially poor in the Jerusalem area. Paul was telling them to give what material wealth they could, so that those who were poor could be helped. The poor would be able to get the things they needed. Does this sound like he wants them to claim wealth for themselves? Paul was not saying "claim it", he was saying "give it", as an act of love. Be careful here, many prosperity preachers acknowledge the Bible's call to give freely, but turn it into a call to give to their ministry’ (which really means 'give it to me’, Apologetics Index. “So I took the word “prosper” apart in the Greek and found out it’s made up of two words—the first word means good or well and the second road. It’s a progressive word, so it’s like a journey. So, here’s John saying, basically,”Beloved, I want you to have a good journey through life as your soul has a good journey to heaven.” It was a greeting! It did not have any thing to do with money,” Jim Baker. Love is spiritual prosperity. In the two greatest commandments, Jesus encourages us to love God and love your neighbor. He said all the commandments are based upon this principle. He also taught his disciples, that if they desired to become great-then ,they should be the first to provide love and service to those in need. ‘In a prosperity gospel, I am what it's all about: my needs, my wants, my wealth, my success. I me mine. The only 'blame' I have is not from my behavior, but from the act of not withdrawing from the unlimited bank account that God has given me. Push the Gimme Button and expect it to come. The desperate and the gullible get suckered into it, especially with such limited-time offers such as the "hundred-fold blessing", the Ginsu Knife of the prosperity crowd, where you put your money down on a 100-to-one bet on God ‘(or the preacher), Spirit Home. But critics, from Bible-quoting theologians to groups devoted to preserving the separation of church and state, abound. At best, they say, such a theology is a simplistic and misguided way of living. At worst, they say, it is very dangerous. Michael Scott Horton, who teaches historical theology at the Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, Ca, calls the message a twisted interpretation of the Bible – a “wild and wacky theology. “Some of these people are charlatans,” Horton said. “Others are honestly dedicated to one of the most abhorrent errors in religious theology. “I often think of these folks as the religious equivalent to a combination of a National Enquirer ad and professional wrestling. Its part entertainment and very large part scam.” Sociologist William Martin of Rice University said that most people who follow TV religious leaders put so much trust in them that they want them to thrive. Martin is a professor of sociology at the university, specializing in theology. The preachers’ wealth is “confirmation of what they are preaching,” Martin said. …prosperity-tinged Pentecostalism is growing faster not just than other strands of Christianity, but than all religious groups, including Islam. Of Africa's 890 million people, 147 million are now "renewalists" (a term that includes both Pentecostals and charismatics), according to a 2006 Pew Forum on Religion and Public life study. They make up more than a fourth of Nigeria's population, more than a third of South Africa's, and a whopping 56 percent of Kenya's “TBN is a very successful and wealthy Christian broad casting company. This organization supports the doctrine called the "prosperity gospel," which promises worshipers that God will shower them with material blessings if they sacrifice to spread His word. This theme — that viewers will be rewarded, even enriched, for donating — pervades TBN programming. "When you give to God," Crouch said during a typical appeal for funds, "you're simply loaning to the Lord and He gives it right on back." Though it carries no advertising, the network generates more than $170 million a year in revenue, tax filings show. Viewer contributions account for two-thirds of that money. Lower-income, rural Americans in the South are among TBN's most faithful donors. The network says that 70% of its contributions are in amounts less than $50. Those small gifts underwrite a lifestyle that most of the ministry's supporters can only dream about,” Los Angeles Times September 19, 2004. ‘Most Christian leaders condemn the "prosperity gospel," the idea that God will reward the faithful with health and wealth. Yet observers say it is enjoying new popularity in this economically tenuous time, when many people are not prospering. What's come to be known as the prosperity gospel began as a staple of fire-and-brimstone preaching in early 20th-century revival meetings. It surged in popularity with television preachers in the 1980s, until scandals revealed that some preachers used money donated for ministry to support their own lavish lifestyles. Now observers say the prosperity gospel is spreading among churches large and small, denominational and independent, as well as through the ministries of televangelists such as Creflo Dollar, Joyce Meyer, Paul Couch and Kenneth Copeland. These pastors, critics say, encourage their followers to "sow a seed" of faith by spending money - often in the form of a donation to their ministries - in order to reap prosperity in the future. ‘Many Christian leaders have long condemned prosperity gospel as aberrant theology, but most did so quietly. No more. In the past year, African-American pastors met at a national conference to discuss a problem they see spreading in their denominations. Mega pastor Rick Warren declared the prosperity gospel is wrong, and he challenged evangelical Christians to focus less on themselves and more on the poor and needy. Critics have even questioned the ministries of such nationally prominent mega pastors as T.D. Jakes – whose Potter’s House does extensive outreach to the poor -- and Joel Osteen -- pastor of Lakewood Church, the largest mega church in the country -- saying their brand of divinely assisted self-improvement is just a vamped-up version of the prosperity gospel,’ Christianity Today. But when prosperity still does not come, and for nearly all it won't, eventually they walk away in bitterness, believing that Christianity is a con job. This undermines the true Christian witness .Christianity, the way it was taught by Jesus, is not and economics system. But the impact of prosperity gospel preachers is undeniable, is found everywhere, and is highly visible. It's also damaging, as the number of people who are embittered keeps rising. The followers, of prosperity preachers, give from their modest incomes, only to see these preachers and their ministries prosper. There is a difference between the prosperity preachers and the prophetic minister. Most of the prosperity preachers have not had seminary training. Professional pastors, such as- Martin Luther King, Calvin Butts, Otis Moss, Jr., James Forbes, and Vashti McKenzie preach the whole counsel of God. These individuals graduated from qualities schools with graduate degrees in divinity and earned doctorates in ministry from accredited programs. They have an understanding of the humanities, philosophy, Bible History, and are even teachers on the college level. They are qualified to explain Biblical concepts as they were intended by the original writers. They can also explain how these principles apply today. The pulpit has been the basic institution for the cultural education of the Black Ccommunity for years. It has also been the force behind civil rights, social justice and community concerns for Blacks Americans. In a real sense, the minister educates the community. Our children are influenced by our pastors. The greatest role model is Martin Luther King, Jr. The prosperity gospel offers false hope and a short cut to success. In the real world, there are no short cuts. This prosperity approach undermines the true Christian doctrine and old fashion work ethics. It is hard to get a blessing when you need a high school diploma. Your money could be better spent on more education. We need to stick with the principles that have made the Black Community successful. Success is not an easy process; it requires discipline. Here are some recommendations: Adults can be trained in trades to earn more Develop and support Black Businesses Educate our children Fight racism in your community Make sure our pastors are educated Mentor young people in the community Pastors must combat the prosperity doctrine Read and be informed Register to vote Work with progressive community leaders. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that a sermon should appeal to the heart, imagination, and the intellect .His sermons appealed to all educational levels. In his message, he included a variety of disciplines: economics, history, science, philosophy, literature, and much more. Most people felt inspired, educated, and they also felt the need to research or read further into those concepts mentioned in his message. His messages forced us to read and study more. This is a good thing for children and adults. This is a good thing for society. One of the major problems with the prosperity preacher is that they do not have a command of the humanities and the correct knowledge of the Bible. These ministries do not model knowledge of educational theory nor do they promote education as the primary tool of success. Education is the major tool, for an ethic group ,to improve in society... not false hope. Your odds at getting a big financial blessing, by giving a prosperity preacher your money, is probably worse than playing the lottery. Jesus taught love for your brother. He also said that the greatest person in the kingdom of God is the least among us. The greatest among us should be the servants of the poor. There is not a Biblical example where Jesus or his disciples took money from the poor so they could live rich and plush life styles. In closing, the worse problem prosperity gospel is creating for Christianity and the world is its syncretism or topological approach to scripture interpretation. This approach has been condemned for years. These ministers will take a scriptural verse and interpret it according to what it means to them. Even though, it could sound logical; it is not sound. Rules of higher criticism require ministers to interpret scripture in the context of the history, sociology, and culture of the time. Your job is to understand what the original writer intended in the text. Most scripture compares a pastor to a good shepherd who takes care of his flock. This is pretty much the example Jesus established himself. However, the prosperity ministers have reversed the concept. They are trying to accumulate wealth by taking money from the flock .They would like for the poor flock in many cases… to provide for all their needs.They are fleecing the flock. Esco Yancey,Jr.,Ed.D.(ACSI).© 2008 GOSPEL TIMES MINISTRIES