A few thoughts on "The Prosperity Gospel"
Taken from a short meditation I wrote in my
diary.
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I.
Discussion
The regular attacks on an
ill-defined prosperity gospel keep us from recognition and pursuit of of many
legitimate and relevant promises of God related to wealth, business, provision,
prosperity, and health.
What is
prosperity? Having enough. "The one who gathered much did not have too much and
the one who gathered little did not lack. ". Jesus told us to pray "give us this
day our daily bread.". Moses said that it is God who gives the power to get
wealth. That is we are to trust and depend on God in our work and we are to set
reasonable expectations of his provision.
What does it mean to have enough?
Certainly to manage our own affairs (household), but also to be generous. To be
generous we must be satisfied with less than our total income. That is,
prosperity is not defined merely by the accumulation of wealth, but also by the
place wealth holds in our thoughts.
"You cannot serve God and money." So
that tells us where the discipline of thought comes from. Pursue the knowledge
of God, devote your thoughts to him.
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II. How much is
enough?
17And
the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less.
18But
when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over,
and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he
could eat.-Exodus 16:17-18, ESV
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III. Prayer and
provision
11Give
us this day our daily bread,-Matthew 6:11, ESV
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IV. Power to get
wealth
17Beware
lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten
me this wealth.’
18You
shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get
wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is
this day.-Deuteronomy 8:17-18, ESV
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V. Blessed in
prosperity
11And
the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in
the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land
that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.
12The
Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your
land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend
to many nations, but you shall not borrow.-Deuteronomy 28:11-12,
ESV
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VI. Be faithful in
wealth
11If
then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to
you the true riches?-Luke 16:11, ESV
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VII. Warnings of
wealth
23And
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be
for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”-Mark 10:23,
ESV
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VIII. Two
masters?
24“No
one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
money.-Matthew 6:24, ESV
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IX. Prayer of
John
2Beloved,
I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your
soul prospers.-3 John 1:2, NASB
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Scripture taken from the NEW
AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), Copyright (C)
1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission.
Scripture
quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright
©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Posted: Sun - October 26, 2008 at 06:37 PM
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