Human beings have an interesting fascination with abundance and wealth. In many parts of our culture, success is measured by how many profits you make. Holiday seasons are polluted with the chants of consumerism, as sales and commercials tell us to get more stuff. Even this past February, the Lunar New Year was celebrated throughout the world. One of the commonly spoken Chinese greetings is Gong Xi Fa Cai, which literally translates as “Congratulations and Be Prosperous.” It is a wish for others to become more prosperous than the previous year.
One particular movement that took shape in the 20th century uses this same appeal to try to bring people to Christ. Their message is that there is a supernatural contract established in Scripture between God and Man, and that if one has faith in God and contributes to the faith, God will provide blessings of wealth and material well-being. This type of message is called the “Prosperity Gospel” or the “Health and Wealth Gospel.” The impact of this movement is phenomenal. Its teachings are quite popular among preachers in the Word of Faith movement—names like E. W. Kenyon, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Robert Tilton, Joel Osteen, and many others. (There are other problems with this movement, but that is a topic for another time.) This false message has spread to different parts of the Christian community and, though it started in the U.S., its popularity has spread overseas and is particularly popular in Third World countries…(Continue reading at TrueDeclination.com)
This article, “Prosperity Gospel is No Gospel”, that I wrote was published on April 2nd, 2014 on the Semper Reformanda Journal, which is an online publication created by True Declination Ministries that focuses on addressing issues in a biblical worldview to renew, defend, and advance the Global Church.
Tagged: article, Blessing, false gospel, Gospel, idolatry, Prosperity Gospel, Semper Reformanda Journal, tithing, True Declination Ministries
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