Prosperity and tithing
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The prosperity message |
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A
peculiar and seductive message is being proclaimed by many preachers all over
the world: this message is called ‘prosperity message’. The best known proponents
of the ‘prosperity message’ are: Kenneth Hagin, late pastor of the Rhema
Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, founders of Kenneth
Copeland Ministries in Forth Worth, Texas; Bob and Marte Tilton, founding
pastors of the Word of Faith Church, Farmers Branch, Texas; John Osteen,
pastor of the Lakewood Church, Houston, Texas; Jerry Savelle, evangelist and
former associate of Kenneth Copeland; Charles and Frances Hunter, founders of
the City of Light, Kingwood, Texas; Charles Capps, a preacher who is headquartered in England, Arkansas; and Frederick Price, pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center in Los Angeles; Benny
Hinn, former pastor of Orlando Christian Center in Orlando, Florida; Creflo
Dollar, founder and senior pastor of World Changers Church International in
College Park, Georgia; John Avanzini, founder of International Faith Center
in Haltom City, TX; and Paul Crouch, founder of Trinity Broadcasting Network,
Santa Ana, CA. |
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This
message is called ‘prosperity message’ because those who proclaim it say very
clearly that it is God’s will for every believer to prosper and succeed in
every area of life. Frederick Price says: ‘It is God’s perfect will that
everyone prosper in every area of life’ (Frederick Price, High Finance: God’s Financial Plan,
Tulsa, Harrison House, 1984, page 12). To support this they quote the
following biblical passage: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all
things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2 – NKJV). This
means that a poor or sick believer is outside God’s will for his life. |
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Let
me explain to you now what the proponents of the prosperity message teach
about poverty and sickness, and how every believer can become wealthy and
healthy. |
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How
to be wealthy |
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Poverty
is a curse. Gloria Copeland says: ‘Poverty and lack are a part of the curse
of the Law …. The curse of the law definitely included financial reversal’
(Gloria Copeland, God’s will is
prosperity, Harrison House, Tulsa, 1978, page 45); and Jerry Savelle
says: ‘In God’s sight poverty is a curse ….” (Jerry Savelle, Godly Wisdom for prosperity, Tulsa,
Harrison House, 1980, page 86). However, since Christ died on the cross to
deliver us from the curse of the law, as it is written: “Christ has redeemed
us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written,
‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’) Galatians 3:13 - NKJV , He
delivered us from poverty as well, so that we might be rich like Abraham;
yes, like Abraham. For Paul says that Christ delivered us from the curse of
the law “that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ
Jesus” (Galatians |
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Possession
of the wealth provided through the Abrahamic Covenant is achieved by knowing,
obeying, and believing. |
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First
a Christian must know the promise before the promise can be claimed. Savelle
says: ‘If a person doesn’t know it is God’s will for him to prosper, it is
highly improbable that he will prosper’ (Jerry Savelle, ‘True Prosperity –
What is it?’ Christian Life, July
1983, page 47) A believer who is unaware that prosperity is his is like the
passenger on a cruise ship who ate only cheese and crackers because he did
not know that meals were included in the price of the ticket. |
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Second,
a Christian must be obedient. Savelle says: ‘If he doesn’t obey the laws of
God that produce prosperity, he will not be able to appropriate them …. Obedience
is the key to prosperity! If we are willing to obey God’s commands in every
area of our lives, we will prosper. If we don’t obey, we won’t prosper. It’s
that simple’ (Ibid., page 47-48), This means that he must pay tithe and give
offerings to God’s work. As Price puts it, ‘Tithing is God’s primary way of
materially and financially blessing His people’ (Frederick Price, , High Finance: God’s Financial Plan,
page 69). Savelle says: ‘Giving is very important for prosperity’ (Jerry
Savelle, Godly Wisdom for prosperity,
page 110). |
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Third
a Christian must exercise faith in God’s promises by asking for riches in
faith or rather by commanding riches to come to him: ‘Take authority over
them and command them to come to you in the Name of Jesus. Command the money
you need to come to you. The authority is yours. Have dominion and subdue the
earth and its vast resources’ (Gloria Copeland, God’s will is prosperity, page 49) This is done in obedience to
the following words of Jesus: “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to
you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’
and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will
be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever
things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will
have them” (Mark |
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At
this point you may ask, ‘How much wealthy will a Christian be if he does what
the proponents of this message teach?’ Well, it depends on the amount of
money you give for God’s work (of course each preacher wish and exhort people
to give money to him). Listen what Gloria Copeland has written: ‘You give $1
for the Gospel’s sake and $100 belongs to you; give $10 and receive $1.000;
give $1.000 and receive $100.000 … Give one house and receive one hundred houses
or one house worth one hundred times as much … In short, Mark 10:30 is a very
good deal.’ (Gloria Copeland, God’s
will is prosperity, page 48). You receive materially from God in
proportion to how much you sow or give (cf. Luke |
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This
is God’s formula for prosperity. Why should a Christian become rich? He
should become rich so that he might meet the needs of others, but also that
he might give Christ a successful image! On the other hand, a Christian is a
son of the King of kings, so why should one be offended at hearing that God
wants us to have luxurious homes, cars and clothes? Hear what Frederick Price
says: ‘If the Mafia can ride around in Lincoln Continental town cars, why
can’t the King’s Kids?’ (Faith, foolishness or presumption, page 34). Furthermore,
Jesus Himself was a rich man, so we should follow His steps. ‘That’s the
reason why I drive a Rolls Royce. I am following Jesus’ steps’ said Mr. Price
(‘Ever Increasing Faith’ program on TBN |
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Why
don’t all Christians prosper then? Because they aren’t operating in God’s
financial plan, they are not obeying God. Harold Hill summarises the
different reasons as follows: ‘Ignorance, unbelief, and disobedience … rob us
of the manifestation of the prosperity promises of God’ (Harold Hill, The money book for King’s kids, Old
Tappan, Fleming H. Revell Company, 1984, page 96). Therefore, if a Christian
is not rich materially that means that God has not blessed him as He wants to
because he doesn’t know nor believe the promises of God and as a consequence
he does not do the will of God! |
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How
to be healthy |
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Sickness,
according to Deuteronomy 28 is a curse of the law, however Christ has redeemed
us from the curse of the law and thus He has redeemed us from the curse of
sickness. Therefore Jesus died not only that we might be forgiven but also
that we might be healed. The provision of healing is found in the atoning
sacrifice of Jesus, as it is written: “By His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah
53:5 – NKJV. Cf. 1 Peter 2:24). In the light of this, it is never God’s will
for anyone to be sick. Here is what Kenneth Hagin has stated: ‘Don’t ever
tell anyone sickness is the will of God for us. It isn’t! Healing and health
are the will of God for mankind. If sickness were the will of God, heaven
would be filled with sickness and disease’ (Kenneth Hagin, Redeemed from Poverty, Sickness, and Death,
Tulsa, 1983, page 16), ‘...it is the plan of our Father God in His great love
and His great mercy that no believer should ever be sick, that every believer
should live his life full span down here on earth and that every believer
should finally just fall asleep in Jesus" (Hagin, Seven Things You Should Know About Divine Healing, p. 21).
Therefore God does not want any of His children to be sick or to die of
sickness. Why is it the plan of God that no believer should ever be sick?
Because God cannot be glorified in a sick body. Here is what Frederick Price
has stated: ‘ ... how can you glorify God in your body, when it doesn't
function right? How can you glorify God? How can He get glory when your body
doesn't even work? ... What makes you think the Holy Ghost wants to live
inside a body where He can't see out through the windows and He can't hear
with the ears? What makes you think the Holy Spirit wants to live inside of a
physical body where the limbs and the organs and the cells do not function
right? ... And what makes you think He wants to live in a temple where He
can't see out of the eyes, and He can't walk with the feet, and He can't move
with the hand? ... The only eyes that he has that are in the earth realm are
the eyes that are in the body. If He can't see out of them then God's gonna
be limited he's not going to be helped...” applause (Frederick K.C. Price,
“Is God Glorified Through Sickness?” |
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How
can he be healed? By His faith. Faith is defined as speaking or confessing
something with authority in the full expectation that what is spoken will
happen. Mark 11:23-24 confirms this definition of faith, for it is written:
“Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this
mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his
heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have
whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you
pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark |
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But
what if the words are spoken and faith is exercised and healing does not take
place? This problem is overcome by patience and persistence. The sick are
exhorted to persist in their confession and build up their faith to the level
necessary to obtain the promised healing. |
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Confutation |
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Though
Jesus Christ was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor |
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Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, said: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I
am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew |
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Let
me start by saying that when Christ, the Son of God, was born He was laid in
a manger, as it is written that Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son, and
wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was
no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7 - NKJV). A manger is a humble place,
and the King of the Jews was laid right in a manger when He was born. God
could have cleared a room in the inn for Joseph and Mary, but He did not, yet
the child whom Mary brought forth was the Son of the Highest. Afterward
Joseph and Mary moved into a house, in that the wise men from the East found
the Child Jesus into a house, as it is written: “And when they had come into
the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and
worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented
gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew |
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Jesus,
the Son of God, not only was born in a humble place, but also was born of
humble parents, for His Father caused Him to be born of poor parents, and not
of rich parents, who belonged to the house of David (God could have caused
His Son to be born of rich parents, but He didn’t because it was not
according to His will). That the parents of Jesus were poor is evident from
the following things written by Luke: “And when the days of her purification
according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to
Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the
Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And
to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord,
A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons” (Luke |
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Jesus
was poor in the days of His flesh, for it is written: “You know the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became
poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9 –
NKJV). Now I ask you, ‘Did Jesus own any luxurious houses on the earth?’ No,
He didn’t. The King of the Jews did not live in a royal palace, nor did He
wear expensive clothes or live in luxury, for He said that “those who wear
expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces” (Luke |
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The
King of Israel in the days of His flesh was not dressed in purple nor did He wear
a royal crown. He wore modest garments and a modest tunic which “was without
seam, woven from the top in one piece” (John |
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He
was the King of the Jews, however after He fed thousands of people with only
five loaves and two fish, when He “perceived that they were about to come and
take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by
Himself alone” (John |
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Jesus
entered Jerusalem not sitting on a white horse nor sitting on a royal litter
borne by His disciples, but sitting on a donkey, as it is written: “Then
Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: “Fear
not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s
colt” (John 12:14-15 - NKJV) |
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Jesus
not only proclaimed that He was humble in heart, but also showed His humility.
He never set His mind on high things, but He associated with the humble. I
say it again, He lived poor; yes brothers, it is so, for He did not have even
two-drachmas to pay the temple tax. For He said to Peter: “Go to the lake and
throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you
will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and
yours” (Matthew |
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Jesus
was poor and He could have become a very rich man if He had taught and healed
for money, but He, unlike these preachers who are misled and of corrupt
minds, did not think that godliness was a means to financial gain. For He
pursued “godliness with contentment” (1 Timothy 6:6 – NIV), leaving us an
example so that we should follow His steps. |
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Did
Jesus Christ, being poor, not have a great faith in God? Was Jesus Christ a
man of little faith, then, because He did not own anything on earth? Did He
not exercise faith in God’s promises perhaps? Was Jesus outside God’s will?
Certainly not, for He had a great faith in God and He showed His faith by
working a great many signs and wonders and powerful works in the name of His
Father, and by not asking for money, and also by laying down His life for us.
The Righteous One lived by faith, while these idle talkers and rebels show
their lack of faith because they ask for money as the beggars do; some of
them even weep when they ask for money; some others curse those who give no
money or a little money to their ministry. These people are merchants, who
sell their sermons; each one of them fixes the price of his sermons (the more
famous he is the bigger the price is). Where is this great faith in God they
claim to have, who live in unrestrained luxury and give themselves over to
the pleasures of life? They say that they trust in God, but actually they trust
in their crooked ways and in their riches that they have heaped up by
oppressing the saints with the passages of the Scripture which speak about
giving. They have robbed the sheep of the Lord, snatching their money out of
their hands through the most various pretexts; they have heaped up many
riches through fraud, and then they dare to say, ‘Look how God has blessed me!
Do you see it? The Lord honors those who honor Him!’ and many other beautiful
but false words. And the simple believe their words, not knowing that these
preachers have stolen many desperate people of their money. These preachers
speak of their material things as if God gave them to them because of their
upright and godly conduct; they say they are like Abraham, but that’s not
true, for they are like Balaam. Abraham was called the friend of God, but
these people are not friends of God but rather they are enemies of God,
because they are friends of the world, as it is written: “Whoever therefore
wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4 –
NKJV). |
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As
we saw before, prosperity preachers assert that every Christian should become
rich, so that he may give Christ a successful image! So I ask you, ‘What
about Christ then, who lived poor? Shall we say that He did not give God a successful
image? Certainly not! For He stated, “I honor My Father” (John |
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However,
while the Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus was poor, some of the
prosperity teachers teach that Jesus lived in great prosperity (for instance,
Benny Hinn stated, ‘The Lord was not poor. You could not be poor and feed
twelve apostles and keep them alive!’): the reason is obvious, because by
thinking like this, the believer is then free to receive his or her rich
inheritance. Yes, because one of the reasons why some believers fail to
prosper (that is, to become rich) ‘is because their subconscious mind has
been conditioned into accepting the tradition that Jesus was poor; and it is
as a result of such negative conditioning that building faith for prosperity
sometimes fails’. And do you know what is the biblical proof that Jesus was
rich? The garment that He wore at His crucifixion, which – according to these
preachers – was a custom-made designer garment, the kind that kings and rich
merchants wore: that’s why the soldiers who crucified Jesus cast lots over
His garment!!! |
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Let
me refute briefly what they assert. First of all, His tunic was not expensive
because Jesus Himself stated that those who wear expensive clothes are in
palaces (cf. Luke |
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The
apostles were poor yet they made many rich |
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The
apostles also were poor, for Paul wrote to the Corinthians that he and his
fellow workers were poor yet they made many rich, they had nothing yet they possessed
all things (cf. 2 Corinthians 6:10). |
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They
were poor materially, but they made many rich spiritually; by them the Church
was edified, and by the writings of Paul, who was poor and had nothing, the
Church on the face of all the earth is still edified, made rich and
comforted. We can’t say the same thing about these so called preachers, who
destroy the vineyard of the Lord for they do not care about it, in that they
all look out for their own interests. Of course, they are rich materially but
they are poor spiritually, and through them the saints are not edified,
either by their words or by their arid yet much expensive books, which speak
above all of material prosperity, or rather of the way Christians can make
money. |
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So
the apostles of the Lord, though they were poor they made many rich. How did
they make the saints rich? What kind of precious things did they impart to
the saints? |
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Let
us take Paul as an example. He said to the Romans: “But I know that when I
come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of
Christ” (Romans |
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I
want to remind you, brethren, that when we speak of Paul, we speak of a man
of God who never sought his own nor the material things which belonged to the
saints, for he said to the Philippians: “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek
the fruit that abounds to your account” (Philippians 4:17 – NKJV). How many
people can say the same thing today? God only knows. Certainly only a few can
say the same words. Some preachers don’t seek at all the fruit that abounds
to the account of the believers; for they seek the material things which
belong to the believers: they are never content with what they have, the more
they have, the more they wish to have. Among these preachers are those who
preach the prosperity message, who show that they do not want to enrich the
saints, for they want to become rich with the material things that belong to
the saints. These preachers, instead of desiring the spiritual gifts, desire
the gold and the silver which belong to the saints; these preachers, instead
of building up the house of God, want to build their personal mansions and
their own empire on the earth. They do the opposite of what the apostles did;
on the other hand it can’t be otherwise, for these preachers concerning the
faith have suffered shipwreck. Go and see with your own eyes what kind of
life these preachers live, and you will realize that these preachers are not
interested in edifying the Church nor do they desire the spiritual gifts, for
they set their mind on earthly things and they are greedy for money. |
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The
apostle Peter also was poor yet he made many rich. Let us take as an example
what the Lord wrought through Peter at the gate of the temple which was
called Beautiful. It is written: “And a certain man lame from his mother's
womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is
called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who
seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter,
fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed
unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver
and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and
lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple,
walking, and leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:2-8). As you can see, Peter
did not have any gold or silver to give to that beggar, but he had some
spiritual gifts which he ministered to the others so that they might be
blessed. In the above mentioned case, the Lord gave a complete healing to
that lame through the apostle Peter. This incident leads us to reflect upon
the importance of the faith and of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is
certainly a good thing to give alms, for this is the will of God, however it
is also a good thing to desire the gifts of the Holy Spirit, so that the
Church may be edified and the sick may be healed by the power of God.
Instead, when one begins to set his mind on earthy things he ceases to desire
the gifts of the Spirit, and thus he does not want to edify the Church any
longer. Paul said to the Corinthians concerning the spiritual gifts: “Since
you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up
the church” (1 Corinthians |
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Brothers,
that’s what happens to all those who want to become rich. Therefore let us
take heed to ourselves lest we find ourselves in the same spiritual condition
of the angel of the Church of the Laodiceans. |
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However,
as in the case of Jesus, many prosperity preachers assert that the apostles
too were rich and lived in great prosperity. Fred Price, for instance, says,
‘The apostles were businessmen, they were rich men, and had plenty of money’.
Otherwise, how could they have travelled around for 3 years without
employment!!! This assertion – as I have already proved - is absolutely
contrary to the Scriptures, and it proves that these preachers are conceited
and understand nothing. The apostles were poor for they followed the
footsteps of Jesus, while they have become rich for they have followed the
footsteps of Balaam, who loved the wages of wickedness. Finally, I want to
inform Mr. Price that the apostles could travel around for 3 years without
employment for the simple reason that the women who followed Jesus supported
both Jesus and His apostles out of their own means (cf. Luke 8:3 – NIV). |
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We
have been enriched by Christ |
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Let
us look now at the things that make rich all those who have them. |
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First
of all it must be said that “Christ is all and in all” (Colossians |
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The spiritual gifts, the ministry gifts,
and the knowledge of the things of God |
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Paul
wrote to the Corinthians: “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace
of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in
every thing by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony
of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift ….” (1
Corinthians 1:4-7 – NKJV). We learn from these words that the gifts of the
Spirit, the ministry gifts and any spiritual knowledge of the things of God
are precious spiritual things, thus anyone who has them is rich. |
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Faith |
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James
says: “Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and
heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” (James 2:5 –
NKJV) God has chosen those who are poor in this present age to enrich them in
faith, therefore the faith we believers have received from God (as it is
written: “It is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8 – NKJV) is a precious thing,
which makes rich all those who have it. |
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Peter
also confirms that our faith is precious, for he says at the beginning of his
second epistle: “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those
who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have
received a faith as precious as ours” (2 Peter 1:1 – NIV). Brothers, you must
understand that not all have the faith you have obtained (as it is written:
“Not all have faith” 2 Thessalonians 3:2 – NKJV), and this faith is of great
value in the sight of God. Therefore do not throw it away, or you will throw
away the salvation of your soul and will condemn yourselves. |
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However,
know this, that there is also a false faith, which is of no value because it
is false. |
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From
the words of James we learn also that those who have believed (being heirs of
God and joint heirs with Christ) are heirs of the |
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God’s wisdom. |
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It
is written: “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains
understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and
her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things
you may desire cannot compare with her” (Proverbs |
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Solomon
was a very wise man for he had much wisdom, but he was a very rich man as
well. The riches he had were great indeed; suffice it to say that “the weight
of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of
gold, besides what the travelling merchants and traders brought. And all the
kings of |
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The Word of God is much more precious
than material riches, for it is written: “The Law of Your mouth is better
to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver” (Psalm 119:72 – NKJV), and:
“Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold”
(Psalm 119:127 – NKJV), and again: “The judgements of the Lord are true and
righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much
fine gold” (Psalm 19:9-10 - NKJV). You see, brothers, those who love gold and
silver are not satisfied with gold nor with silver, while those who love the
Word of God are satisfied with it, because it comforts them when they are
downcast, it strengthens them when they are weak, it rebukes them so that
they might not be filled with troubles, it guides them in every circumstance
of their life and it teaches them in all wisdom. Money is not able to do what
the Word of God does; therefore, even though it is useful to all of us, it
must not be considered more important than the Word of God. How rich are those
who let the Word of God dwell richly in their heart! But how poor are those
who don’t let the Word of Christ dwell in their heart! They love money more
than the Word of God, what a folly! Their wallet is full of money, but their
heart is completely devoid or almost devoid of the Word of Christ. They want
to keep their money diligently, but they don’t want to keep the Word of God
within them, for they no longer take their delight in it and they no longer
pay attention to it. They no longer meditate on the Holy Scriptures nor do
they study them; no, for they now study and meditate on the way they can
deceive their neighbour in order to become rich as quickly as possible. They
are running after luxury, or rather they are running after the wind, together
with those who have a stubborn heart like theirs; they are poor and
miserable, they show that they are and want to be poor and miserable. |
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A good reputation and esteem |
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It
is written: “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed
is better than silver or gold” (Proverbs 22:1 – NIV). Those who have a good reputation
and are esteemed by their neighbour are those who fear God and keep His
commandments; to them a good reputation and esteem are more important than
riches and money, and thus they prefer to have a little with the fear of God
and with a good reputation, rather than to have vast revenues without justice
and with a bad reputation. |
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I
want you to know that those who desire to be rich do not have a good
reputation nor are they esteemed, for they “fall into temptation and a snare,
and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and
perdition” (1 Timothy 6:9 – NKJV). That’s what happens to those who cease to
be content with what they have, and begin to love money. Therefore beware of
all these preachers, who are greedy for money and who do not care about a
good reputation and esteem at all, lest your heart turn aside to their ways
and thus you become corrupt like them. |
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These
preachers, through their vain words, do not speak well of the believers who
are poor, for they deceive people into believing that those believers who are
poor are men of little faith or people who don’t know God’s promises or who
don’t exercise faith in them. However I want to remind you that in the
epistle to the Hebrews are written the following words about the ancients: “They
were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword.
They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted,
tormented – of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and
mountains, in dens and caves of the earth” (Hebrews |
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Good works |
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Paul
told Timothy to command those who were rich in this present age “to be rich
in good deeds” (1 Timothy 6:18 – NIV), therefore those who are zealous for
good works and abound in them are rich in the sight of God even if they are
poor in the sight of men. |
|
Know
this, that those who do not forget to entertain strangers and to share live
as wise, and they lay up for themselves treasures in heaven, and therefore
they are rich in the sight of God, even if they may be poor in the sight of
men. Paul made known to the Corinthians the grace of God bestowed on the
churches of |
|
Jesus,
the Faithful and True Witness, gave this testimony of the angel of the church
in |
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In
the light of the above mentioned passages of the Scriptures, then, there are
some poor among the saints who are rich in the sight of God, because they have
treasures in heaven; and since one lays up for himself treasures in heaven by
giving alms and doing every kind of good work, we must conclude that these poor
are rich in faith, because by putting the Word of God into practice they show
that they fully trust the Word of God. Do you think that a man of little
faith would sell what he has and give alms, as Jesus said: “Sell what you
have and give alms” (Luke 12:33 – NKJV)? Do you think that a believer who is
poor, who gives beyond his ability, has a little faith in God? Is it not
those rich who give out of their wealth those who show that they have a
little faith in God? Do your remember that poor widow who put into the
treasury just two mites? What did Jesus say about her? He said that she had
put in more than all the others. Why? For she out of her poverty put in all
that she had to live on, whereas the rich had put in offerings for God out of
their abundance. That poor widow demonstrated her faith in God and Her love toward
the Lord in that way. That poor woman was really rich in faith and in good
works! |
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But
those who do not want to share show that they do not have faith in the Word
of God. It is the covetous rich, and not the poor who give generously, who
show that they have no faith in God and that they are outside God’s will. |
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Therefore
it is not true at all that those who are poor have not a great faith in God;
I am sure that when we are in heaven we will see that many brethren who were
poor on the earth will be very rich, and some who were rich on the earth will
have less treasures than those who were poor. So we will rejoice greatly in
the Lord for God will manifest His very high righteousness before our eyes;
within a short time we will see this with our own eyes. |
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A gentle and quiet spirit |
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Peter
said to the wives: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such
as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it
should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet
spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Peter 3:3-4 – NIV). |
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A
woman whose heart is adorned with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and
quiet spirit is a rich woman, for she has something that is of great worth;
something which is more precious than golden jewelry and costly clothing. The
haughty women want to show that they are rich by wearing golden jewelry and
costly clothing; while the woman who fears Gods shows that she is rich in the
Lord by pursuing what is good for all and peace with all people. Therefore,
according to the Scripture, between a rich woman clothed with fine clothes
and adorned with very expensive golden jewelry, yet at the same time with a
crafty heart, contentious and angry, and a poor woman yet strong and virtuous,
who wears modest clothing and has a heart adorned with a gentle and quiet
spirit, the latter is the richest. |
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The reproach of Christ is very precious |
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These
words may seem strange and incredible, but actually they are supported by the
Bible. For the Scripture says: “By faith Moses, when he became of age,
refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer
affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt;
for he looked to the reward” (Hebrews 11:24-26 – NKJV). |
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As
you can see, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and
chose to be afflicted with the people of God, for he esteemed the reproach of
Christ greater riches than the treasures of |
|
However,
it must be said that today not all agree with Moses, for some esteem wealth
greater riches than the reproach of Christ. Those who have such a mind must
become fool that they may become wise and rich in God’s sight. |
|
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The trial of our faith |
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The
apostle Peter said: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively
hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible,
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are
kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in
the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need
be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your
faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be
tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the
appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3-7). |
|
Brothers,
the trail we face in Christ, through which our faith is tested, is much more
precious than gold which perishes, though it is refined by fire. Now I will
show you that riches are less precious than the trial of our faith, by
comparing what wealth produces with what our affliction produces. |
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Riches
do these things: they make many friends but they produce many troubles and
sorrows and worries to those who long for them and gain them; in addition,
they deceive those who trust in them and keep the Word of God from bearing
fruit in them, and eventually riches drown them in destruction and perdition.
This is the reason why Solomon said that “whoever loves wealth is never
satisfied with his income” (Ecclesiastes |
|
Have
you never read the Scripture which says: “He who oppresses the poor makes him
rich” (Proverbs |
|
One
of the peculiarities of those who preach the prosperity message is this: they
do not speak about afflictions and persecutions, as if they were things which
believers are not called to experience during their life. However, afflictions
and persecutions are experienced daily by all those who want to live godly in
Christ Jesus, therefore we cannot help speaking about them. If we did not
speak about the afflictions and persecutions which every believer is called
to endure for Christ’s sake, we would lead believers to believe that the life
of those who turn to the Lord is a life without afflictions. The reason why
these preachers (or rather, most of them) do not speak about these things is
that they think that a Christian should not suffer for righteousness’ sake (and
furthermore they know that people prefer to hear about wealth). However, what
kind of Christian is a Christian who does not suffer? How can these preachers
preach this heresy, when Jesus said: “In the world you will have tribulation
…. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John |
|
Beloved,
let no one of these idle talkers deceive you, for Jesus said: “And he that
taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me” (Matthew
10:38), and: “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that
he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Whereas these preachers
would like you to follow the Lord without you taking your cross and denying
yourselves. Know this, that unless one denies himself and takes his cross, he
cannot follow the Lord. For the Christian path is full of sufferings and
sacrifices. As for me, I have not found the footprints of Christ in a comfortable
path, where there are no necessities nor persecutions nor distresses, but in
a narrow path where one must endure a great struggle with sufferings and many
afflictions every day because of righteousness. This is the path in which I
began to walk, and in which I want to walk with my Lord till the end; the
comfortable paths without persecutions but with the pleasures of life have
nothing to do with the holy way; do not walk in them for they lead far from
the Lord and His commandments. |
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|
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Being
poor in this world is not a dishonour |
|
|
|
Let
us now come to one of the statements which is made very often by the
prosperity preachers, which is this: ‘God does not want any of His children
to be poor, but He wants all His children to be wealthy.’ |
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According
to the Scripture, there will always be poor in the midst of the people of God;
there were poor people among the saints of old, and there will be poor people
among the saints in this generation as well. Now why are there some poor
believers in the midst of God’s people? The reason is that not all believers
live in the same country and enjoy the same favourable conditions from a
climatic and economic and political standpoint. Let me explain this concept. The
Scripture says: “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong,
nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men
of skill; but time and chance happen to them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11 – NKJV).
This means that it is not sufficient to be swift to win a race, nor strong to
win a battle, nor wise to have bread, nor men of understanding to have
riches, nor men of skill to obtain favor, for all men depend on time and
circumstances. Let us see now through the Scriptures how the economic
situation of a country changes when circumstances change. |
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●
During the life of Jacob it came to pass that God “called for a famine in the
land; He destroyed all the provision of bread” (Psalm 105:16 – NKJV). God sent
that famine, which was very severe, upon all the earth because He had decided
to send Jacob and his household to |
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God
strikes the countries on the earth by not sending rain on them, and when this
happens abundance comes short and poverty starts, for the earth withers and
does not produce its fruit any longer, and the animals die of thirst. When
this happens, the believers who live in that country take the consequences
for they find themselves in need. |
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In
the days of the prophet Elijah, God did not send rain on the |
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●
After God delivered the children of |
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God
still punishes many countries and make them poor by sending foreign armies
against them which take hold of their material goods, their flocks and their
crops; when this happens the believers, who live in these countries, also
take the consequences for they see their material goods run short. When this
happens we can say that poverty comes by the will of God, and therefore the
believers who live in the country punished by God begin to be in need by the
will of God. Know this, that when God wants to teach us to suffer need (Paul
was taught by God “both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to
suffer need” Philippians |
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●
God can appoint a despot over a country to make the people of that country
poor; and in this case also the Church of God which is in that country would
take the consequences, and would find itself in need. |
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In
ancient times God appointed king Saul, son of Kis, over the children of |
|
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If a dictator becomes the ruler of a country and the saints begin to be
persecuted and put in prison, it will happen that many families will be
deprived of their breadwinners and thus they will find themselves in need.
This is what happens in many countries where Christians are persecuted: the
husbands who are put in prison for the Gospel’s sake are no longer able to
provide for those of their household and thus they begin to experience
poverty. We know that the persecutions against the saints take place because
God wants to purify them, for we know that when the saints are persecuted
they are humbled by God and in the midst of their distresses they begin to
demonstrate toward one another a sincere and fervent love, that love which
comes short during the years of great plenty and freedom because of
selfishness and haughtiness. Believers, when they are persecuted, begin to
experience all kinds of financial straits, but they begin also to help those
who are the most persecuted. If the governing authorities began to persecute
the saints by plundering their goods because of the Gospel, the believers who
have plenty of goods would begin to be in need by the will of God; however
they would accept all this joyfully (the Scripture says: “You … joyfully accepted
the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and enduring
possession for yourselves in heaven” Hebrews 10:34 – NKJV). |
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However,
while on the one hand these unfavourable circumstances produce poverty, on
the other hand they give those believers who have plenty of goods an
opportunity to do good to those believers who find themselves in need;
therefore, after all, these hostile circumstances work together for good to
those who love God. |
|
Is
it then normal or not that among God’s people there are some believers who
are poor? According to what the Scripture teaches, we should not be surprised
at the presence of some poor among the saints, rather I would like to say
that there must be some poor among the saints, for Jesus said to His
disciples: “The poor you have with you always …” (John 12:8 – NKJV), and in
the law it is written: “The poor will never cease from the land ….”
(Deuteronomy |
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Now
let us see whether it is true that God wants us to become rich for it is not
for the saints to be poor, as the prosperity preachers say. |
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First
of all, it must be said that if things were so, Jesus did not do the will of
God for He lived poor. Did Jesus, who was the Son of the King of kings,
dishonor God through His way of life? Certainly not! Otherwise He could not
have said to the Jews: “I honor My Father” (John |
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Furthermore
if we asserted that God wants us to become rich, that would mean that we ought
to desire to become rich for this is the will of God for us. However, that
would also mean that God wants us to fall into temptation. Why do I say that?
Because the Scripture says that “those who desire to be rich fall into
temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown
men in destruction and perdition” (1 Timothy 6:9 – NKJV). Therefore, since
God wants us to stand we must conclude that it is not His will for us to be
rich in this present age (why don’t these preachers say that it is the will
of God for us to be rich in the world to come?) |
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However,
there is something else which needs to be said: if it is God’s will for all
of us to be rich, then we have the right to ask God for plenty of riches,
being confident that He hears us, for John says: “Now this is the confidence
that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears
us” (1 John 5:14 – NKJV). But if things were so the Scripture would be set
aside which says: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that
you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3 – NKJV). As you can see, the
words of these preachers are nullified by the Scripture unequivocally. |
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Now
I want you to pay attention to the following words Paul wrote about the
saints of Thessalonica, so that you may realize that – unlike what is said by
the prosperity preachers - to be poor is not a scandal nor a disgrace for the
doctrine of God. Paul said to the Corinthians about the churches of |
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All
the sermons of the prosperity preachers are about prosperity, which is so
important for them that they harass their listeners with their sermons on
prosperity. Listen, do you think that the apostle Paul, whom God by His mercy
enabled to write so many commandments to the saints of all the churches of
Gentiles, whether rich or poor, would have omitted to speak of such an
important thing? In addition, if the extreme poverty of those believers had
been a disgrace to the Gospel, Paul would not have written to them: “For what
is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence
of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy” (1
Thessalonians |
|
How
can they say that they are followers of the Master, when they talk and live
in a manner which is clearly contrary to the way Jesus talked and lived in
the days of His flesh? They have no shame at all, they do not even know how
to blush, their glory is indeed in their shame. |
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|
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All
our ways depend on God |
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|
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Wisdom
says: “The race is not to the swift ….. nor riches to men of understanding ….
But time and chance happen to them all” (Ecclesiastes |
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Let
us see some of the ways in which a believer can become rich, even though he
does not desire to be rich. |
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A
believer can become rich by inheriting riches. It is written: “Houses and
riches are an inheritance from fathers” (Proverbs |
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A
believer – who is upright - can become rich when God Himself makes his work
prosper wonderfully, that is, in a supernatural way. The Scripture says: “Then
Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and
the LORD blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew
until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possessions
of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him”
(Genesis 26:12-14). As you can see, Isaac sowed and in the same year he reaped
a hundredfold. This means that God worked a miracle on behalf of Isaac, for
in order to reap a hundredfold you need a special intervention of God. God
was with Isaac, and even the Philistines, who envied him, saw that, for one
day they said to him: “We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you”
(Genesis 26:28 – NKJV). |
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In
the case of Jacob also it must be said that it was God who made him rich.
When Jacob left for Padan |
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Job
also was a very rich man but at the same time he was upright and just: let us
see how he came into possession of his wealth. The Scripture says: “There was
a man in the |
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Let
us now talk about the riches of Solomon, for they were given to him by God,
even though Solomon did not ask for them. The example of Solomon also shows
that because of God’s blessing, a man can become rich honestly. The Scripture
says: “In |
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In
ancient times there was a man who, even though he said he was more stupid
than any man and he did not have the understanding of a man, made a wise
request, and this request of his is recorded in the book of proverbs. That
man was called Agur the son of Jakeh, and his request is this: “Two things I
request of You (Deprive me not before I die); remove falsehood and lies far
from me; give me neither poverty nor riches – Feed me with the food allotted
to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or lest I be
poor and steal, and profane the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:7-9 – NKJV).
Instead, today there are some men who think that they are intelligent, who
not only despise this request but also they would never dare to ask God for
the things Agur asked for, because according to them such a request is not
fitting for the King’s kids; judge for yourselves what I say. |
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To
sum up, a believer who is upright can become rich (therefore we do not
exclude this possibility) when God wills and if God allows him to be rich.
However this does not lead us to say to the believers: ‘God wants you to be
rich for this is His will for you, and if you are not rich you are outside
God’s will’ or ‘If you are not rich you have a little faith or you have not
asked God to become rich’. The point is that these preachers, through their empty
words, tend to make believers who are content with what they have feel miserable
people who do not have faith in God and do not do the will of God, and a
believer who hears these preachers runs the risk of ceasing to be content
with what he has and of starting to wish to become rich. |
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|
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What
is the use of our abundance |
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|
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There
are several passages of the Scripture which attest in various ways that God
blesses the righteous materially as well. We can’t prove the contrary; first
of all because the Scripture says so and the Scripture cannot be broken, and
secondly because we ourselves have experienced the truthfulness of the words
of God. |
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Jesus
said: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken
together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same
measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke |
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Paul,
after he said to the Philippians that he had received the offering that they
had sent to him through Epaphroditus, said to them: “And my God will meet all
your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians |
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Paul,
after he said to the Corinthians: “So let each one give as he purposes in his
heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2
Corinthians 9:7 – NKJV), said to them: “And God is able to make all grace
abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may
have an abundance for every good work …. Now may He who supplies seed to the
sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown …” (2
Corinthians 9:8,10 – NKJV). In this case also, the giving precedes the
receiving from God, for Paul commanded the saints to sow first, and then he
said to them that God would multiply their seed. It is evident that the
harvest (or reaping) will be plentiful if the sowing has been generous; but
it will be poor if the sowing has been poor, because we will be rewarded
according to what we have given. |
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This
law of giving with the material blessing God has promised to those who keep
this law, is also in the law of Moses, for God said: “Give generously to him
[the poor brother who is among us] and do so without a grudging heart, then
because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in
everything you put your hand to” (Deuteronomy 15:10 – NIV). As you can see,
these words ‘because of this’ show that God has promised to bless us
materially, multiplying our seed, if we beware of covetousness and give
generously and with a cheerful heart to the brothers who are in need. |
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In
the book of Proverbs also there is a promise of material blessing made by God
to him who shares in his material goods with others, for Solomon, after saying:
“Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your
increase” (Proverbs 3:9 – NKJV), says: “So your barns will be filled with
plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine” (Proverbs 3:10 – NKJV).
These words also confirm that the Lord blesses even materially those who
honor Him with their possessions. |
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When
God does multiply our seed and thus he allows us, who are members of His
household, to have plenty, He does so for a definite purpose; let us see what
this purpose is. |
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Paul,
after saying: ““So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not
grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians
9:7 – NKJV), says: “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that
you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for
every good work …. Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for
food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruit of
your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality
…” (2 Corinthians 9:8,10-11 – NKJV). This is the reason why the Lord makes
all grace abound toward us and multiplies our seed, that we, having all that
we need, may abound in every good work and meet the needs of the poor among
the saints, for Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “At the present time your
plenty will supply what they need” (2 Corinthians 8:14 – NIV). Have you got
plenty at the present time? If you answer is in the affirmative, then your
plenty will supply what you need as well as what the poor among the saints
need, and “you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may
do them good” (Mark 14:7 – NKJV), said Jesus. This must be done so that there
might be equality, as it is written: “Our desire is not that others might be
relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the
present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their
plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is
written: He that gathered much did not have too much, and he that gathered
little did not have too little” (2 Corinthians |
|
Brothers,
in this nation we have plenty of material things by the grace of God; we
don’t know till when this plenty will last, but we know that we must remember
the poor sharing in our material things with them, for this is good and
acceptable in the sight of God, as it is written: “With such sacrifices God
is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:16 – NKJV). Far be it from us to think that our
plenty will supply only our needs or that God richly provides us with
everything exclusively for our enjoyment. Let us watch, and let us not
imitate the children of Israel who, after God brought them out of the land of
Egypt by a mighty hand, after they experienced the goodness and the
faithfulness of God in the wilderness for forty years, and after they entered
the promised land, forgot God and cast the law of God behind their back
turning to the idols of the nations. They forgot God after they ate and were
full, and built beautiful houses and dwelt in them, and after their herds and
flocks multiplied, and all that they had was multiplied. The children of |
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We
must not imitate the inhabitants of |
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In
this country the abundance of everything, which exists today, could end
within a short time, for God changes circumstances, they are not always the
same. This is what we learn from what happened to |
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Have
you ever thought about the earthquakes? Do you know why the earth trembles?
The Scripture says that it trembles when God is angry. And why does God shake
the earth? Perhaps because He is not good or He is not just? Certainly not! But
He shakes the earth because He loves righteousness. Do you think that God has
closed His eyes? Know this, that the eyes of God are open and He sees the injustice
and the wickedness of men, and He abhors all the perversions and the
abominations committed by the inhabitants of this country (as well as by the inhabitants
of all the other countries). He does not tolerate their evil works nor does
He approve of them, but He abhors them and He punishes those who commit them
also by shaking the earth under their feet. And when the earth trembles, the
strongest men tremble, the swift of foot does not escape, the most courageous
men of might are greatly afraid, the haughty are humbled, and the allies of
the proud lie prostrate beneath Him; but at the same time God is exalted and
hallowed by His righteousness. In the past whole cities were destroyed by
earthquakes, the inhabitants of those cities were decimated, and their strength
and their prosperity were destroyed. Therefore let us fear God and, as we
have opportunity, let us do what we must do and what we can do toward the
poor among the saints. Remember what happened to that rich man who had
planned to pull down his barns and build greater in order to store all his
crops and his goods: God did not allow him to do what he had planned, for He
said to him: “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose
will those things be which you have provided?” (Luke |
|
Brothers,
consider how short is our life (Moses said that “we fly away” Psalm 90:10 –
NKJV), and consider also that during this short period of time God has
granted us to live on the earth, God commands us to supply the needs of the
saints. And consider also that God gives us even the means to help the poor
among the saints, and in His great mercy He gives us even the opportunity to
help them. |
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Now
let us see what the collection for the poor among the saints produces. Paul
wrote to the Corinthians: “For the administration of this service not only
supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings
unto God; Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for
your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal
distribution unto them, and unto all men; And by their prayer for you, which
long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you” (2 Corinthians
9:12-14). |
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Brothers,
when the poor among the saints receive our offerings they feel relieved because
their hearts are refreshed by the love we demonstrate toward them. In
addition to this, they give many thanks to God for our obedience to the
Gospel, and they pray for us, who long for us because of the exceeding grace
of God in us. As you can see, this grace of giving produces many good things. |
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God
is the One who supplies seed to us so that we might sow it, and bread for
food. So let us continue to sow righteousness; however let us not observe the
wind, for it is written: “He who observes the wind will not sow”
(Ecclesiastes 11:4 – NKJV), and when harvest comes we will rejoice and sing
for joy to God, for the word will be fulfilled which says: “Those who sow in
tears shall reap in joy” (Psalm 126:5 – NKJV). |
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Beloved,
be ready to do every good work, but be also content with what you have; let
no one deceive you with those vain words the prosperity teachers speak in
order to make you want to become rich and haughty. |
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To
those who are rich in this present age |
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Now
I speak to you who were called by God while you were rich: do not be haughty,
that is, do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble
and glory in your humiliation, because as a flower of the field you will pass
away. You must not think that you are more important than the poor, for this
thought, which is vain and harmful, is an abomination to God. Before God you
are just like the poor: He does not favor you over the poor for you too are
the work of His hands. He who made you made the poor too; He who enlightens
you enlightens the poor too. Furthermore, do not glory in your riches, but
glory in this, that you know the only true God and His Son Jesus Christ;
riches do not endure forever, while the knowledge of God endures for ever;
glory in the incorruptible and undefiled inheritance reserved in heaven for
you, and not in your riches which soon or later will be corrupted and will vanish
away like smoke. |
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Do
not trust in your riches lest you be deceived by them; today you have them,
but tomorrow you may find yourselves without them through some misfortune;
therefore do not set your eyes on what can vanish away so easily, but look at
the things which are not seen and trust in God. He is the Rock of ages and
will never vanish away; you can trust in Him for He does not deceive those
who trust in Him. Remember that riches cannot deliver you from your
distresses, while God can; this is the reason why you must not trust in your
riches, as it is written: “If riches increase, do not set your heart on them”
(Psalm 62:10 – NKJV), and: “He who trusts in his riches will fall” (Proverbs |
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Do
good, be rich in good works, ready to give and to share in your goods with
those who are in need, so that you may lay up a solid treasure for yourselves
in heaven, where thieves do not break in and steal, and where neither moth
nor rust destroys. Do not be like Nabal, who was a very rich man yet at the
same time a fool. He was not willing to help those who were in need, for the
Scripture says that when David sent ten young men to Nabal to ask him for
some of his goods, Nabal reviled them and refused to give them what they had
asked. However God did not leave him unpunished for his wicked conduct, as it
is written: “Then it happened, after about ten days, that the Lord struck
Nabal, and he died” (1 Samuel 25:38 – NKJV). |
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Be
like Barzillai the Gileadite, who was very wealthy, who, after David fled
together with his men from Jerusalem for fear of being killed by Absalom, while
he was at Mahanaim, brought plenty of food for king David and the people who
were with him to eat (cf. 2 Samuel 17:27-29). |
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Imitate
Job, who was a very rich man who shared in his goods with those who were in
need, and for this reason he could say in the midst of his sufferings to
uphold his integrity: “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me” (Job 29:14
– NKJV). |
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Many
are rich, but not toward God |
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Let
us see now who are those who are not rich toward God even though they are
rich in this present age. |
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Jesus
said: “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not
in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable
unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth
plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because
I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will
pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits
and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up
for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto
him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose
shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up
treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke |
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As
you can see, this rich man, when he saw that his ground produced a good crop,
thought of storing all his grain and his goods in new barns, so that he might
enjoy them in the following years (he thought he would live for many years on
the earth); he did not care about the poor, he did not remember the poor at
all, for he wanted to keep all the goods for his enjoyment. He was rich, but
he did not have wisdom nor did he fear God, for God called him ‘fool’ because
he thought only of laying up treasure for himself. Now Jesus said that he who
lays up treasure for himself is not rich toward God. Of course, he is rich in
the sight of this world, but not in the sight of God. Therefore, he who is
rich in this present age, for God called him while he was rich, and thinks of
laying up treasure for himself, he is a foolish man in the sight of God
because he rejects Wisdom which says: “Cast your bread upon the waters, for
you will find it after many days. Give a serving to seven, and also to eight,
for you do not know what evil will be on the earth” (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 –
NKJV), and the word which says: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on
earth …. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew |
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Here
is the witness which Jesus witnessed of the angel of the church of the
Laodiceans: “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would
thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold
nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich,
and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou
art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:15-17).
Now we don’t know the witness which the people of the world witnessed of the
angel of the church of the Laodiceans; however we know for certain that it
was not the same witness which Jesus witnessed of him, for we know that
people judge according to appearance for they look at things according to the
outward appearance, while the Faithful Witness who is in heaven does not
judge anyone according to appearance for He knows the secrets of the hearts
of all men and all their works. Jesus knew the works of the angel of the
church of the Laodiceans, and He said to him that he was wretched, miserable,
poor, blind, and naked, even though he said that he was rich and he had need of
nothing. As you can see, the Lord did not flatter that angel, but He rebuked
him sharply. For he, after he believed, forgot that he had been cleansed from
his old sins, he desired to be rich and he managed to be rich, but by
neglecting the great salvation he had received, for he was not diligent to
add to his faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to
self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly
kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. The Lord saw this and sent him a
letter which contained a reprehension, in which the Lord admonished him and
exhorted him to repent. What shall we say? Do we live not in a time in which
we see with our eyes the same things the Lord saw in |
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Let
me explain some passages of the Scripture quoted by the prosperity preachers
to support their message |
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It
was bound to happen that those who began to preach the prosperity message would
take some passages of the Scripture to support their doctrine. Let me now
explain some of these passages. |
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Jesus said: “And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or
sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's
sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life” (Matthew
19:29); “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or
parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,
Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to
come life everlasting” (Luke 18:29-30). Inasmuch as by these words Christ
promised to those who forsake houses or lands for His name’s sake that they
will receive on the earth many houses and lands, the prosperity preachers assert
that these words of Jesus show that he who forsakes houses and lands for the
Gospel’s sake must necessarily become a rich man, that is, a man who owns
many houses and lands. Certainly, at first glance it seems that the Lord
promised to those who forsake houses and lands for His name’s sake that they
will own many houses and lands. However, if we examine carefully the promise
made by the Lord, we realize that this is not the true meaning of the promise
made by Christ. Why? Because these preachers wilfully forget that the Lord
said that those who have left brothers will receive many times more; those
who have left wife will receive many times more; those who have left children
will receive many times more; those who have left sisters will receive many
times more; those who left parents will receive many times more. Therefore,
just as we can’t say that he who has left his wife to go to a far country to
preach the Gospel will have one hundred wives who will bear him one hundred
children, for this would mean that the Lord is in favour of adultery, so we
can’t say that he who has left his own house for Christ’s sake will receive
one hundred houses, that is, he will own one hundred houses. The words of
Jesus mean that he who has left his own house or his land for the Lord’s sake
will find many believers who will place their own houses and their own lands
at his disposal. If these words of Jesus meant what the prosperity teachers
affirm, they would encourage us to lay up treasures for ourselves on the
earth rather than in heaven, while the Lord has commanded us not to lay up
treasures for ourselves on earth. Furthermore, how can one say that this is
the meaning of those words of Jesus when Jesus a short time before said to
the young ruler: “Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven” (Mark 10:21 – NKJV)? Notice that the
Lord did not say to him: ‘Go your way, sell your houses and your lands and
give to the poor, and then you will receive a hundredfold on the earth’. For
if that young man had heard such an answer he would not have gone away
sorrowful; because he would have been sure that he would get his own
possessions back and he would become richer. However, the point is that Jesus
told him to sell his possessions to have a treasure in heaven, and that man
did not like His words for he realized that he would become poor and he would
not get his own possessions back. At this point, I want to say that we must
not give alms thinking that by so doing we will become richer on the earth,
nor should we give alms because we want the Lord to give us the same amount
of money we give to the poor together with some other money. This is not a
right way of thinking, for we must give for the sake of our neighbour, for we
are moved with compassion toward our neighbour. Furthermore, who said that we
surely will be rewarded on the earth, when there are some brothers who gave
and after a short time died, not having received their reward on earth? Jesus
said that by selling our possessions and giving to the poor we lay up
treasures for ourselves in heaven; He did not say that we lay up new
treasures for ourselves on the earth. I confirm this concept by these other
words spoken by Jesus: “When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy
friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest
they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest
a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be
blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at
the resurrection of the just” (Luke |
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Furthermore,
brethren, do not forget that the Lord has promised also persecutions to those
who have left houses, lands, brothers and sisters, parents, wife, and
children for His name’s sake, for in Mark it is written: “With persecutions”
(Mark 10:30 – NKJV). It goes without saying that these idle talkers are
careful not to speak of the persecutions promised by the Lord, for they,
unlike the apostle Paul, do not take pleasure in persecutions: they want to
live and to make people live a ‘successful’ life! |
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Paul said to the saints of |
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Those
who preach the prosperity message quote these words of Paul to show that Paul
also lived like a King’s son, for he also abounded. You’d better beware of
this peculiar interpretation given by these foxes to the above mentioned
words of Paul, lest you fall into a trap. Of course, Paul abounded on some
occasions; that’s what he himself stated; however, this does not mean that he
lived a scandalous life as these preachers do or that he preached the
prosperity message. Know this, that when Paul said that he abounded he did
not mean that he set his mind on high things or that he was rich. These
preachers forget that Paul had learned to be content in whatever state he
was. This means that he was content not only when he abounded but also when
he suffered need. And this is something that these preachers have not learned
or don’t want to learn, for according to their own words they are never
content with what they have (for they want to have more and more material
goods), to be poor is a shame for a Christian, and their happiness depends on
the abundance of the earthly things they possess. Brothers, I say it again,
the above mentioned words of Paul do not mean that Paul lived as a prince,
for he himself said to the Corinthians: “As poor, yet making many rich; as
having nothing, and yet possessing all things” (2 Corinthians 6:10 – NKJV).
Now I want you to pay attention to the following thing: when Paul wrote to
the Philippians he was in prison because of the Gospel; therefore when he
said to the Philippians: “Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having
received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you ….” (Philippians |
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“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having
all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2
Corinthians 9:8 – NKJV). I consider it superfluous to say that these words do
not mean that God has promised to make us rich and to make us live as kings
on the earth. These words are addressed to those who sow with a cheerful
heart; for God says that He will supply and multiply the seed they have sown
so that they may abound in every good work. |
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“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor
trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all
things to enjoy” (1 Timothy |
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God
“giveth us richly all things to enjoy” means that God does show His kindness
toward us by giving us rain from heaven and crops in their seasons and
providing us with plenty of food; it does not mean that God wants us to be
rich, nor does it mean that we have the right to buy luxurious houses with
the money God has given us or the right to give ourselves over to the pleasures
of life. |
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“Beloved I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as
your soul prospers” (3 John 2 – NKJV). |
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This
is the passage about prosperity which the prosperity preachers like the most
and on which they preach the most. They never speak of Diotrephes and his
evil conduct (verse 9-10), and of the love the beloved Gaius showed toward
the brethren, even though they were strangers to him; but they often and
willingly quote the above mentioned words of John, for according to them they
confirm that God wants Christians to be rich and live like king’s kids
wherever they are and in any age they live. However, “I pray that you may
prosper in all things” means that John wished that Gaius might lack nothing
and God might richly provide him with all the things he needed according to
His glorious riches, so that Gaius might abound more and more in every good
work. |
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I
want you to notice that in the same epistle the elder said to Gaius these
words also: “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good” (3 John
11 - NKJV). I say to you this so that you may understand that the elder not
only wanted Gaius to prosper in all things (thus economically as well) but
also wanted Gaius to imitate what was good and not what was evil. That means
that Gaius, as he prospered in all things, had to cling to what was good
(that is, to continue to do good works) and to abhor what was evil, that is,
the pride of life, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes. What I
have noticed, instead, is that these preachers want God to make them prosper
economically but they do not want to imitate what is good but what is evil,
for they – being intemperate and dissolute - delight in wearing costly
clothing, in living in luxury and in amusing themselves. |
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God said in the law: “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken
diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his
commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set
thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall
come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the
LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in
the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy
ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks
of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. ….. The LORD shall
command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou
settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD
thy God giveth thee. …. And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in
the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of
thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain
unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and
thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow” (Deuteronomy
28:1-5,8, 11-12) |
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Now
God promised that He would bless materially His people if they kept His
commandments. Therefore if the Israelites feared God and observed all His
commandments they would be blessed by God. I would like you to pay much
attention to the following words: “If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the
voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I
command thee this day” (Deuteronomy 28:1), for ‘all his commandments’ mean
that the Israelites, in order to be blessed by God, not only had to flee
idolatry and pursue righteousness and mercy and faith in God, but also had to
keep the sabbath day, the new moon celebration, the feasts at the time
appointed by God, the dietary laws, circumcision, the law of tithe, the law which
forbade them to marry people who belonged to the other nations, and the laws
concerning the burnt offering, the sin offering and the fellowship offering. |
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The
prosperity preachers quote the above mentioned words of the law to show that
God has promised us that He will bless us economically. Now since we cannot
do nothing against the truth, we do not dare to set aside these words of the
law. However, I would like to remind you of the following things. |
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1)
These promises are part of the Old Covenant and not of the New Covenant. The
New Covenant is a better Covenant, “which was established on better promises”
(Hebrews 8:6 – NKJV). Therefore let us start saying that the blessings
promised to the believers under the New Covenant are more excellent than
those of the Old Covenant. Suffice it to consider this promise made by the
Lord Jesus: “Most assuredly I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall
never see death” (John 8:51 – NKJV), that is, the second death; and the
following words of God: “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will
remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12 - NKJV; cf. Jeremiah 31:34), in order to
realize that the Second Covenant is superior to the First Covenant. |
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2)
God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in
Christ” (Ephesians 1:3 – NKJV), for He has adopted us as sons so that we
should be holy and blameless before Him. We as children of God have plenty of
joy and peace for in Christ we have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. |
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3)
We believe that if we keep the commandments of God, God will bless us
materially (as well as spiritually) in this world by giving us richly all the
things we need. However, when we teach the Word of God we do not put much
emphasis on the material blessings (such as money, food, houses, and lands)
God gives us, for we know that they are temporary and not eternal blessings.
Paul says: “Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will
destroy both it and them” (1 Corinthians |
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3)
Inasmuch as we are under grace and not under the law, we must be careful when
we quote these words of the law because among the commandments which the
Israelites had to observe in order to be blessed materially by God were also
those commandments we must not observe lest we be entangled again with the
yoke of bondage (that is, the bondage of the law – the Sabbath day, the new
moon celebration, the religious festivals, tithe, circumcision, and other
precepts of the law). |
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4)
Among the blessings there is also the following one: “You shall lend to many
nations, but you shall not borrow” (Deuteronomy 28:12 – NKJV). How is it then
that these prosperity preachers (or rather many of them) are deeply in debt
for they have borrowed a lot of money from banks? They often say that they
have borrowed a lot of money for God’s work, and then they impudently say
that it was God who told them to borrow that money! They contradict themselves,
because according to the law, those who are blessed by God do not need to
borrow any amount of money from anyone! |
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5)
God promised He would curse His people if they did not observe His
commandments. These idle talkers never speak of these curses, as if the Lord
promised that He would only bless His people. Here is what God said: “But it
shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy
God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command
thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.
Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy
body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of
thy sheep. Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be
when thou goest out. The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and
rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be
destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy
doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me. The LORD shall make the pestilence
cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou
goest to possess it. The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a
fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the
sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until
thou perish. And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the
earth that is under thee shall be iron. The LORD shall make the rain of thy
land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be
destroyed….. The LORD will smite thee with the botch of |
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As
you can see, the curses that God promised He would send on the Israelites if
they cast His commandments behind their back are many and various. However I
remind you that among the commandments the Israelites had to observe in order
not to be cursed by God, were the commandments concerning the Sabbath day,
the new moon celebration, the religious festivals, circumcision, tithe, sin
offerings, burnt offerings, and food, which we must not observe lest we be
entangled again with the yoke of bondage. In addition to this, I remind you
that we were all under the curse of the law before we turned to the Lord for
we did not observe all the commandments of the law, as it is written: “Cursed
is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book
of the law, to do them” (Galatians 3:10 – NKJV; cf. Deuteronomy 27:26), but
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for
us” (Galatians 3:13 – NKJV), and through Him the blessing of Abraham has come
upon us, who are Gentiles. |
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We
believe that under grace one must speak of the above mentioned curses as
well, so that believers might realize that God not only promised He will
bless those who fear and observe His commandments, but also that He will
punish severely those who, after having known Him, cease to fear Him and to
observe His commandments. I know that to hear of the divine blessings is more
pleasant than to hear of the divine curses and I know also that some want to
hear exclusively of pleasant things, but I will not flatter you; I will tell
you how things really are. First of all let me say that when the Israelites
forsook God, God struck them with famine, with the plague, with the sword, to
destroy them and pluck them from off the good land He had given them. He made
them extremely poor; He compelled them to eat even their children; He dried
up their throat, their skin and their flesh. He sent against them merciless
foreign armies which destroyed their cities, their lands, their houses, and carried
them captive to other nations. Yes, brothers, that’s what happened –
according to the Scripture - to the Jews who rebelled against God. And today,
as for us who have believed in Christ, what will happen to us if we cease to
observe the commandments of God as the Israelites did? Certainly God will not
continue to bless us, for Jesus said: “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is
cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them
into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:6 - NKJV). This is confirmed by
the following words written in the epistle to the Hebrews: “For the earth
which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs
meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that
which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose
end is to be burned” (Hebrews 6:4-8). As you can see, if a believer ceases to
observe God’s commandments will not be able to bear good fruit for he will
bear only thorns and briers and thus he will be cursed, and eventually he
will be cast into the everlasting fire to be tormented forever! Yes, it is
true that we are now blessed children, but it is also true that if we deny
the Lord who bought us we will become accursed children. In his second epistle,
the apostle Peter says the following things about the false teachers who are among
God’s people: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as
there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable
heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves
swift destruction … Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from
sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous
practices; cursed children” (2 Peter 2:1,14). As you can see, these people
also knew the Lord but afterward they forsook Him and became accursed
children. This confirms that if we deny and forsake the Lord the curses of
God will come upon us one after another. If the Israelites did not go
unpunished when they forsook the first covenant, much more shall we not go
unpunished if we forsake the second covenant. |
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6)
As far as health is concerned, God promised that He would bless Israel, for
He said: “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God,
and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his
commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases
upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that
healeth thee” (Exodus 15:26). However, as you can see, God promised to the
Israelites that He would not bring on them any of the diseases He had brought
on the Egyptians, on condition that they kept the commandments of God. What
happened to the Israelites when they forsook God? God brought on them all
kinds of diseases, for He had said to them: “If thou wilt not observe to do
all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest
fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; Then the LORD will
make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues,
and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.
Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of |
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Brothers,
we want to declare to you the whole counsel of God; we keep back nothing that
you must know! We do not flatter the rebels by promising them prosperity,
blessing and health. We proclaim also the terrible divine punishments which
will come upon us if we live according to the flesh. |
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7)
It goes without saying that these idle talkers do not speak of the judgements
of God which will come upon those who rebel against God; they only speak of
God’s blessings to flatter them. And we must admit that by their smooth words
and flattering speech they have managed to deceive many simple believers who
attend their meetings. These believers, being devoid of discernment and not
knowing the Scriptures, have turned to them to drink their water, but their
water cannot quench their thirst at all for the water that the prosperity
preachers offer is salty; their words are not words full of grace, seasoned
with salt, which impart grace to the hearers, but are words polluted by
deceptions which they have camouflaged with smooth words. Beware of them! |
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7)
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for
us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the
blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ ….. And
if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the
promise” (Galatians |
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Now,
according to the prosperity preachers, these words of Paul mean that since
the believers in Christ Jesus are one in Christ Jesus and thus they are
Abraham’s seed, God is obligated – because of His covenant with Abraham – to
bless them financially as He blessed Abraham. However, things are not so.
Why? Because the blessing of Abraham of which Paul speaks to the Galatians is
a spiritual blessing, that is, the justification which we who are Gentiles
have obtained by faith. For just a short time before Paul said: “Even as
Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye
therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through
faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all
nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful
Abraham” (Galatians 3:6-9). Please notice these words “they which be of faith
are blessed with faithful Abraham”, for they make it clear that the blessing
of Abraham of which we have become partakers in Christ is a spiritual
blessing. Paul is saying that Abraham believed God and it was accounted to
him for righteousness, that is to say, God imputed righteousness apart from
works to him because of his faith. And since David describes the blessedness
of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works, saying:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are
covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin” (Romans
4:7-8 – NKJV), we say that Abraham was blessed by God. However God promised
Abraham that this blessing would reach all nations (that is, the Gentiles)
through his seed, as it is written: “In your seed all the nations of the
earth shall be blessed” (Genesis |
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Why
these preachers teach this doctrine |
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Why
do these preachers teach this doctrine? What advantage is it to them? The
answer to these questions is found in the following words which Paul wrote to
Titus: “For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers,
especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who
subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake
of dishonest gain” (Titus 1:10-11 – NKJV). This is then what prompts these
preachers to teach this doctrine, which many like to hear and which attracts
those who desire to be rich and live in luxury on the earth: the sake of
dishonest gain. What must be said about these people is that they speak so
much of faith and prosperity, and then when they are invited to preach they
do not accept the invitation unless he who invites them promises them that he
will give them the amount of money they want or all the offerings which will
be collected during the meeting. However, do not expect these preachers to
tell you these things for they will never tell you them: but you will get to
know about them afterward. The point is this: since during the meetings held
by these preachers the offering-basket is passed out at least once, and
according to the ‘contract’ all the offerings or half of them must be given
to these preachers, they are very interested in teaching this doctrine, for
they know that the ‘weightier’ are the basket-offerings the ‘weightier’ they
will return to their houses. They insistently urge believers to give
generously for the Lord’s work for they know that a good part of that money
will eventually go into their pockets. They affirm that great blessings will
come upon those who give generously (some of them even say how much one must
give in order to receive these great blessings!) These preachers are
swindlers, they are vultures which are ready to take off when they see a prey
which is weak or near to death. According to them, the passing out of the offering-basket
in their meetings does not offend anyone. They have the effrontery to say
that if the sisters who attend their meetings cover their head with a veil
they run the risk of offending the unbelieving people who are present, but
they are not ashamed to pass out their long voracious hand among the people
who are seated in their meetings. But they don’t care at all if by so doing
they offend souls for their aim is to become rich. These people follow the
way of Balaam, for they have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit,
but they manage to appear servants of the Lord to many for they manage to put
together several passages of the Scripture and to speak of the Gospel with
persuasive words of human wisdom. They do not edify you for they mix the
sacred with the profane, truth with error; however they devour you if you
fall into their hands. |
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Beloved,
until the end I will keep urging you to beware of these rebels and to
withdraw from them for the sake of righteousness and truth, I will keep
proclaiming in your hearing, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet, for the
enemy has introduced the enemies of the cross among you so that you may be
led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.’ |
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The
love of money is a root of all kinds of evil and the pride of life is not of
the Father but is of the world |
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Paul
said to Timothy: “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we
brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who
desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and
harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of
money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the
faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows”
(1 Timothy 6:6-10 – NKJV). |
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Brothers,
we brought nothing in this world; I believe this is one of those things on
which we should reflect more often. One day Job said: “Naked I came from my
mother’s womb ….” (Job |
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Now
we are tested by God continually; we know that we must be content with what
we have, as it is written: “Be content with what you have” (Hebrews 13:5 –
NIV), however we are tempted not to be content with what we have, for we see
around us many people who are never content with what they have. Men want to
come into possession – at all costs - of as much money as possible and as
many material things as possible. In seeing so many people unsatisfied with
what they have, we are tempted not to be content with the state in which we
are. What should we do then? We must submit to God and resist the devil lest
we fall into temptation. |
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Paul
said that godliness with contentment is great gain, which means that he who
pursues godliness being content with what he has gains much. I would like to
point out to you that the apostle Paul called the death of a believer gain,
for he said to the Philippians: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is
gain” (Philippians |
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However,
we know that next to the highway in which we walk there is a crooked way, in
which those who are not content with what they have walk. Anyone can walk in
that way, for it is indeed to hand. If you walk in that way you will become
rich. Is it worth walking in that way? No, it isn’t, because that way leads
to destruction and perdition. In other words, those who decide to walk in it
will lose their soul. Consider where are at the moment those who walked in
that way and died (they are in Hades tormented by fire, together with that “rich
man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day”
Luke 16:19 – NKJV; and they continually weep and gnash their teeth), and you
will realize that it is not worth desiring to be rich in this world. |
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Jesus
said to the rich: “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your
consolation” (Luke |
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Now
let us speak of money. Why do many people love money? I will answer this
question through the Scripture. Now we know that on the earth we need to have
some money in order to buy what we need. We can’t help using money and we
can’t say that we do not need it. However, we must keep our life free from
the love of money for the sake of our soul. It is clear that the more money
one has, the more material goods he can buy, for “money answers everything”
(Ecclesiastes |
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Paul
said that the love of money is “a root of all kinds of evil”. Consider what
he said, so that you may understand what is the root of many evil things
which are committed on the earth. If we examine many evil deeds and many
injustices which are committed on the earth, we can’t help seeing that their
root is the love of money. Consider then how harmful is the love of money!
Why does the love of money drive people to do evil things? For he who begins
to love money ceases to share in his material goods with those who are in
need, for he only thinks of heaping up as much money as possible, and he does
not want to give some of his money to those who are in need. To him, to give
some of his money to the poor is counterproductive for he thinks that to give
alms is a waste of money: to him it is counterproductive also to lend money
free of interest, for this goes against his own interest. In addition to
this, he begins to work out how to make as much money as possible, and you
must understand that all the ways followed by a covetous man keep him from
doing the will of God. For he does not have time to pray, to read the Word of
God, to gather together with the brethren, to do good works, to visit orphans
and widows in their trouble. He can’t spend time doing the will of God, for
he must spend time working beyond all limits or working out how to extort
money from his neighbour. In other words, the Word of God can’t bear fruit
any longer in those believers who start loving money, for it is written: “The
worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it [the word],
making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22 – NIV). John says: “This is the love of
God, that we keep His commandments” (1 John 5:3 – NKJV), but he says also:
“If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John
2:15 – NKJV); therefore these words of his confirm the words of Christ for
they show that if a believer starts loving money he ceases keeping the
commandments of God. And if he ceases to keep the commandments of God how can
the love of God dwell in his heart? How can he himself abide in God? This is
the reason why we are told not to love money; the Scripture does not forbid
us to use money but to love money, which is different. God has raised us up
with Christ and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ,
therefore we must not set out mind on things on the earth, but on things
which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, so we must
not seek to be rich, for anyone who wants to be rich shows that he wants to
lay up for himself treasures on earth. If we consider that on earth rust and
moth destroy, thieves break in and steal, and the earth and the works that
are in it will be burned up, it is not worth desiring to be rich in this
world. Wisdom says: “Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own
understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches
certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven”
(Proverbs 23:4-5 – NKJV). |
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As
you can see, the Scripture commands us in various ways not to desire to be
rich, therefore we’d better listen to God rather than to the prosperity
preachers, who urge believers to desire to be rich and unfortunately many
believers have been deceived by their words. |
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Now
let me tell you another thing. The prosperity preachers say that we, as is
fitting for king’s kids, must live in the best houses, wear the best
clothing, drive the best cars, therefore we must have the most expensive
things on the earth. This means that we must set our mind on high things and
must not associate with the humble, which is contrary to the Word of God,
which clearly says: “Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with
the humble” (Romans 12:16 – NKJV). Therefore, these preachers do not consent
to the sound doctrine, but they give heed to profane babblings. Know this,
that if we lived the kind of life these preachers want us to live we would
cease to be meek and humble, and we would become haughty like these preachers.
What shall we do then? Shall we conduct ourselves like these men whose minds
have been led astray from their sincere and pure devotion to Christ and they
now walk according to the stubbornness of their heart? Certainly not. We have
in Jesus the perfect example of faith; His words as well as the words of the
apostles are our infallible guide, and thus we must not give heed to the
smooth and deceitful words of these people nor follow their bad example. These
preachers are spoiling the vineyard of the Lord, for those churches who have
accepted their false teaching desire to be very rich, not spiritually but materially
rich. They seek after prestige in the midst of our modern society; as if
believers were called to please this wicked world rather than God. The
believers who have given heed to these idle talkers have become corrupt; some
of them have become lukewarm, others have become cold, no one of them wants
to humble himself, for all of them somehow exalt themselves. They want to
attract the world’s attention, and I have to admit that they have succeeded
in attracting the attention of the people of this world for they are
eccentric and haughty. The light which was in them is now darkness, so they
are no longer able to shine as lights in this world of darkness |
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Those
who preach the prosperity message have succeeded in attracting the world’s
attention for they commit all kinds of evil things and thus the world is
interested in their scandals and the newspapers report them. The life
conducted by those who preach the ‘gospel of prosperity’ is a life full of
evil things which induce people to blaspheme the doctrine of God. And then they
say that they want to live as king’s kids! But if they really wanted to live
as children of the King of kings, they would see that they live as the Son of
the King of kings lived in the days of His flesh. Jesus is the firstborn
among many brethren, and we as children of God must see that we imitate
Jesus. Therefore, if the One who was with His Father in glory, before the
foundation of the world, decided to humble Himself and to live a humble life
in the days of His flesh, who are these people who are of the earth like us,
and who urge us to conduct a haughty life? They are certainly conceited
people. |
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Many
have become rich dishonestly and not because God has blessed the work of
their hands |
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The
Holy Scripture teaches that some people have become rich dishonestly, that
is, stealing and cheating their neighbour. |
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God
said through the prophet Jeremiah: “For among My people are found wicked men;
they lie in wait as one who sets snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As
a cage is full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they
have become great and grown rich. They have grown fat, they are sleek; yes,
they surpass the deeds of the wicked ….” (Jeremiah 5:26-28 – NKJV). Beloved,
these words are topical, and, as you can see, according to them, among the
people of God are some unscrupulous people, who don’t fear God, who have
become great and rich cheating and robbing their neighbour. Yes, they wear
soft garments, they are sleek, the have beautiful houses, but all the things
they have were obtained by fraud. However, these persons deceive people into
believing that the abundance of the things which they possess is a peculiar
blessing of God which has come upon them, saying: ‘Surely we have become
rich, we have found wealth for ourselves, in all our labors they shall find
in us no iniquity that is sin.’ However, God knows their works and witnesses
the following witness of them: ‘They multiply lies and violence. They are
cunning Cananites! Deceitful scales are in their hands, they love to
oppress.’ |
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James,
the Lord’s brother, wrote the following words to the dishonest rich who were
among the brethren: “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries
that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are
motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a
witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped
treasure together for [in] the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers
who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth:
and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord
of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have
nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed
the just; and he doth not resist you” (James 5:1-6). From these words we
learn that the face of the Lord is against those who heap up riches and become
rich by keeping back by fraud the wages of their laborers. This is confirmed
by Paul who, after saying that it is God’s will that we should be holy, that
we should avoid sexual immorality, that each of us should know how to possess
his own body in sanctification and honor, and that no one should defraud his
brother in any matter, says: “Because the Lord is the avenger of all such” (1
Thessalonians 4:6 – NKJV). As you can see, the Lord punishes all those who
fail to pay their workers their wages or do not give them what is just and
fair. |
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But
the dishonest people become rich not only by keeping back by fraud the wages
of their workers (breaking thus the commandment which says: “Do not take
advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother
Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns” Deuteronomy 24:14 – NIV),
but also by not paying taxes, that is, by evading taxes (breaking thus the
commandment which says: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Mark
12:17 – NKJV). |
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Why
does the way of the wicked prosper? |
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The
wicked, who are among God’s people, also enjoy good health and prosper
materially. The following passages of the Scripture confirm it. |
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Asaph said: “But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh
slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the
wicked. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other
men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them
as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart
could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they
speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue
walketh through the earth. Therefore his people return hither: and waters of
a full cup are wrung out to them. …. Behold, these are the ungodly, who
prosper in the world; they increase in riches” (Psalm 73:2-10, 12) |
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Job said: “Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in
power? Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their
offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the
rod of God upon them. Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow
calveth, and casteth not her calf. They send forth their little ones like a
flock, and their children dance” (Job 21:7-11). |
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Jeremiah said to God: “Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee:
yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the
wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously? Thou
hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring
forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins”
(Jeremiah 12:1-2) |
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David said: “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself
because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth
wicked devices to pass” (Psalm 37:7). |
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As
you can see, in the above mentioned Scriptures which refer to the wicked, we
find the word ‘prosperity’ and the verb ‘to prosper’. Brethren, pay much
attention to these details for they show once more that the fact that one
prospers financially does not necessarily mean that he increases his
possessions for God blesses the work of his hands because of his upright
conduct! That’s what we say to those preachers who speaks so much of
financial prosperity! |
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Beloved,
we also see in this generation what was seen by Asaph, Job, Jeremiah and
David, for we also see that among God’s people are some wicked people who
prosper. When I say ‘wicked people’ I refer to people who claim that they are
believers and who honor God with their lips, but their heart is far from God
and trained in covetous practices. They are well-known, they speak of the
Gospel, they are esteemed and praised by many, they prosper for they
continually increase their possessions, they are healthy, but their character
is this: |
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They
are haughty and proud; when you hear them speak it seems that they know all
things and they can do all things. They think they are gods and not human
beings; they mouth great swelling words through which they deceive the hearts
of many simple believers. They want to be treated as kings, for instead of putting
on humility they have put on pride; instead of putting on meekness they have
put on haughtiness. |
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They
are violent, for they resort to physical violence against those who thwart
them; they are men who oppress God’s people in any way to achieve their
dishonest aims. |
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They
are greedy for money, for they are unscrupulous businessmen who give
themselves over to the commerce of the things of God, who resort to falsehood,
craftiness and fraud, in order to make money. |
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They
feel at their ease with thieves and adulterers and with anyone who walks
after the flesh; they use bad and filthy language, they curse those who
rebuke them. When someone rebukes them they cast the reprehension behind
their back. |
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Yes,
brothers, this is the conduct of these ungodly people, who prosper before our
eyes. And then it is they who speak so much of prosperity! They never speak
of justice, of temperance, of humility, of holiness, but they always speak of
prosperity! |
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What
shall we say then? Shall we say that these people please God and the blessing
of God is upon them? Certainly not, for we believe that these people, even
though they bring their wicked schemes to pass and thus they manage to
prosper, are enemies of God, for it is written: “The carnal mind is enmity
against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So
then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7-8 – NKJV).
Jeremiah was right when he said about them that God is “near in their mouth
but far from their mind” (Jeremiah 12:2 – NKJV)! |
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Beloved,
may God grant us to be zealous for the fear of the Lord till the end without
envying these wicked people who prosper and preach prosperity to many
Churches here in |
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To
you who have become friends of the world |
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Listen
to me, you who have become friends of the world and enemies of God, for you
have given heed to the so called prosperity message: which is a very
seductive message. |
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You
heart is lifted up, for you do not associate with the humble things any
longer, but you set your mind on high things. You take pleasure in those
things which you should not lust for; you wear soft garments, designer
clothes, which are very expensive; through your clothing you show off such a
haughtiness that even some people of the world don’t show off. You refuse to
be humble and to be dressed modestly, for the prosperity message has entered
your heart. You now dislike those who teach that we must be humble; now you
also talk about riches and financial prosperity as these unscrupulous idle
talkers do. Your words do not edify, they are arid, for they are devoid of
salt and of the grace of God. Notwithstanding this you continue to affirm
that God has blessed you. How can you say such lies, when you are so
lukewarm, so indifferent to spiritual things, so devoid of the Word of
Christ, so miserable that I feel pity for you? You have been deceived by
smooth words and flattering speeches, for now you are overworking in order to
become rich and to be able to say: ‘God wants us to be rich and not poor!’
Tell me this, ‘What do you mean by ‘poor people’? Perhaps people who are
content with what they have, who do not desire to be rich, and who lack
nothing?’ If you think so, I tell you that you have lost discernment, you are
no longer able to distinguish good from evil. Paul said: “And having food and
clothing, with these we shall be content” (1 Timothy 6:8 – NKJV), while
according to your words it seems that one must be rich and haughty in order
to be content. We perceive that you have become miserable for when we talk
with you we have no fellowship with you. You do not know the Scriptures: you
know the books of these vultures, but you do not know the book of the Lord.
You are wise in your own eyes and your arguments are not fitting for saints.
You have assimilated so well this new doctrine that now according to you he
who preaches modesty, purity and humility is a sort of apostate, someone who
has departed from the faith and seeks to keep God’s people from receiving the
Lord’s blessing! Arise from the dead and Christ will give you light, and you
will realize that you have given heed to lies and not to the truth of the
Gospel. |
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Now
you adorn yourselves with gold, for you say: ‘What harm is there in wearing a
thin gold chain round one’s neck, a gold watch, a gold ring with a diamond on
it, and a bracelet?’ I answer you, ‘You can’t see the harm which is in it for
you have been blinded by darkness. Go your way, throw away your gold and
return to the Lord from whom you have gone far, and the Almighty will be your
gold.’ |
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You
show off you haughtiness also through other things. When one enters your wonderful
houses he thinks that he has entered the palace of a prince; when one sees
your costly cars parked outside the place of worship he thinks that he is
near a club which is attended by millionaires and billionaires. We see
horrible things with our own eyes. And who are those who live in these wonderful
houses? Who are those who drive these cars? It is you, who, after you
believed, have given place to the deceitfulness of riches, to the pleasures
of life and to the desires for other things, and thus the Word of Christ has
become unfruitful. It can’t bear fruit, for you have ceased keeping the
commandments of God. You will not prosper, for you have cast the commandments
of the Lord behind your back. It’s time for you to humble yourselves in the
sight of the Lord laying aside your haughtiness; weep and mourn as one mourns
for his only son, bow down your head like a bulrush in the sight of God,
confess to him the haughtiness of your heart and God will have mercy on you;
then He will exalt you and you will become really rich. |
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If
you refuse to listen to the Lord, you will bear your disobedience, for Wisdom
says: “If you scoff, you will bear it alone” (Proverbs |
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Many
live as enemies of the cross of Christ |
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The
apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians: “Join with others in following my
example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern
we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with
tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is
destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.
Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we
eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power
that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our
lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians
3:17-21 – NIV). |
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Paul
knew that among God’s people there were many who lived as enemies of the
cross of Christ, who obviously did not conduct themselves in a manner worthy
of the Gospel, and thus he exhorted the saints to follow his example and to
take note of those who lived according to the pattern he and his fellow
workers had given them and not of those who lived as enemies of the cross of
Christ. He did not shun to speak of those people, for he spoke of their character
and their destiny. I would like you to notice that Paul often spoke to the
saints of those people who lived as enemies of the cross of Christ so that
they might beware of them, and that when he wrote to the Philippians about
the enemies of the cross he wept. Instead, among many Churches today, some
believers do not know that there are many who claim to be Christians who live
as enemies of the cross of Christ; others know the enemies of the cross for
they see that they are bad trees which bear bad fruit, yet they keep silent,
for they think that by speaking of them the Church is not edified. Brothers,
as for me I will not keep silent, but “I will cry like a woman in labor” (Isaiah
42:14 – NKJV). For you must beware of these men, and you must not follow
their example, because they are evildoers, who skilfully hide themselves
behind the banner of the Gospel, of which they say they are ministers but
this is not true for they serve their stomach and not the Gospel. |
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We
as disciples of Christ must be imitators of Christ and of those who have
denied themselves, taken up their cross and followed the steps of Christ. And
among those who have denied themselves and carried their cross are the
apostles Paul, Peter, Silvanus, Timothy, John and James. It is true that they
are no longer in this world, however we have their writings, which show us
the way they conducted themselves. |
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Let
me comment now on the above mentioned words of Paul. |
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“Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ” |
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In
order that you may understand what it means to live as enemies of the cross
of Christ, I need to speak to you of the cross of Christ. Now we, who are
believing people, boast in the cross of Jesus Christ, for by it (the cross)
the world has been crucified to us, and we to the world, as Paul said to the
Galatians: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world”
(Galatians 6:14 – NIV). When I say that the world has been crucified to us, I
mean that we who are in Christ “have crucified the flesh with its passions
and desires” (Galatians |
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“Their destiny is destruction” |
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Those
who live as enemies of the cross of Christ walk in a way which leads to
destruction. Why? Because those who love the world love their life, and we
know that “he who loves his life will lose it” (John |
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“Their god is their stomach” |
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Now
the enemies of the cross of Christ do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but
their belly, and in order to serve their belly they cause offenses and contradict
the teachings of the Word of God. Why do they contradict the Word of truth?
Because the Word of God opposes the fleshly lusts and worldly lusts, that is,
the things which these people love. Paul exhorted us to beware of these
people, saying: “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and
offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For
those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly,
and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans
16:17-18 – NKJV). Some believers have not yet realized that one cannot seek
his own (that is, money, fame, the honor that comes from men) in the work of
the Lord and at the same time serve the Lord faithfully and with a clear
conscience; for they think that those who preach and seek their own serve
Christ, but if things were so, Jesus was wrong for He said: “No servant can
serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or
else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God
and mammon” (Luke |
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“Their glory is in their shame” |
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Those
who serve their stomach distinguish from those who serve our Lord Jesus
Christ for they boast of things which are their shame. Instead of being
ashamed of their evil works, they boast of doing them. In hearing them, we
realize that they boast of shameful things. |
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“Their mind is on earthly things” |
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The
Word clearly says: “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the
earth” (Colossians 3:2 – NKJV), but these people refuse to obey the
commandment of the Lord, for they seek at any cost to become rich and famous
in the sight of the world. |
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These
people set their mind on earthy things, and such an attitude is contrary to
the attitude of a true believer, who desires to depart and be with Christ in
the heavenly places. From the things these people say and from their way of
life we clearly learn that they do not desire to depart from their body and
go to be with the Lord, for they take pleasure in living in luxury and in the
midst of their riches. |
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But
as for us, our citizenship is in heaven; we want to go to that place where
Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, where God establishes peace, and
where one rests from his labors. Whereas the enemies of the cross of Christ
look at the things which are seen, we look at the things which are not seen,
which are eternal and kept in heaven for us. We now feel attracted by heaven,
and not by the earth; by the heavenly things, and not by earthly things which
are like a breath; that’s why we are no longer attracted by the things of
this world, that’s why we do not desire to become rich and famous, or to wear
costly clothing or to live in luxury or to have pleasant palaces. I ask you,
‘If we desired the same things as the people of the world desire, what would
be the difference between us and them?’ Brothers, we must show in deed and in
truth that we feel like strangers and pilgrims in this world. If we say that
we are on the way to heaven we must also show that we want to go to heaven
and we can show this by not conforming to the pattern of this evil world.
However, if we also conform to the course of this world, we will cease to
enlighten darkness, and thus darkness will not be able to see that we are a
nation which walks in the light of the Christ of God. |
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We
have taken up our cross, and with that cross we want to continue to walk
together with our Lord; surely there will be many sacrifices and tribulations
for us who want to live as friends of the cross of Christ; however while we are
looking for the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ it is worth enduring them,
for at the end of the race we will obtain the crown of life, which the Lord
has promised to those who love Him. |
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To
God be the glory now and forever. Amen. |
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The
principle of ‘sowing and reaping’ |
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As
I showed before, the principle of ‘sowing and reaping’ or ‘giving and
receiving’ is in the Bible. We can do nothing against the truth, so we can’t
deny that if we give it will be given to us, and that with the same measure
we use it will be measured back to us. |
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However,
it must be said that God commands us to give because He wants us to share in
our material goods with those who are in need or deserves to be helped so
that His name may be glorified in us, and not because He wants us to become
rich. Therefore we must give prompted by the love of God toward those who are
in need and not by the love of money. In other words, we must give part of
our money to the poor or to the ministers of the Gospel not because we want
to become rich or richer, but because we want to love them in deed and in
truth. If we give because we want to become rich or because we want to
receive, we are wrong for as we saw before we must be content with what we
have. So brothers share in your material things with those who are in need or
with those who instruct you in the Word, but do this prompted exclusively by
the love of God. |
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I
would like to tell you another thing. When you give some money to a minister
of the Gospel or to the poor, this does not necessarily mean that God will
reward you giving you some other money. In other words, if you give 100 € to
God’s work that does not mean that God within a short time will cause someone
to give you 200 € or 300 € or more, for nowhere in the Bible we are said that
what we reap is exactly according to the kind of what we sow. I give you an
example taken from the Bible. Jesus said to His disciples: “And whoever gives
one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple,
assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42
– NKJV). As you can see, Jesus did not say that he who gives a cup of cold
water in the name of a disciple, will receive ten cups of cold water or one
hundred cups of cold water. He just said that he will by no means lose his
reward. Likewise, when we give some money to God’s work, we must not expect
God to reward us with more money (for God is not bound to give you more
money). Nevertheless I do not exclude that God may reward us giving us more
money. I recall an accident which happened to me many years ago: at that time
I was about twenty years old. One Sunday, before leaving my house for the
place of worship, I promised God that during the worship service I would give
to His work a certain sum of money (it was not much but I decided to give it
with a cheerful heart). Nobody knew of my decision. That night, when the
worship service was ended, an elderly brother gave me an envelope. I took the
envelope and put it into my pocket. After a short time, while I was with my
brother, I opened that envelope, and I found in it a sum of money which was
bigger than that I had given to the Lord a short time before. However, this
experience of mine has not led me to teach that this is exactly what will
happen to you if you give some money to God’s work, for many other times God
has rewarded me in other ways. Therefore, when you give a certain sum of
money for God’s work don’t expect to receive a bigger sum of money; when you
give a pair of shoes, do not expect to receive two or three pair of shoes,
and so on. What I mean is this, God will surely reward you, but He will
reward you according to His will and not according to your will. God is not
your servant, but your Master,’ remember this always. Do you remember the
Shunamite woman? She was concerned for the prophet Elisha, for she said to
her husband: “Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a
table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes
to us” (2 Kings |
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To
ask and receive |
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Now
let me tell you something about the principle of ‘asking and receiving’. God
commands us to ask, for Jesus said: “Ask” (Matthew 7:7 – NKJV). However, in
order that we may receive from God what we have asked, we must fulfil the
following conditions: |
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We
must ask in faith, as it is written: “Whatever things you ask when you pray,
believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark |
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We
must ask for things which are according to the will of God for us, as it is
written: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask
anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us,
whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of
Him” (1 John |
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We
must keep the commandments of God, as it is written: “And whatever we ask we
receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that
are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22 – NKJV). Therefore, if we refuse to
keep the commandments of God, God will not answer our prayer. Wisdom says:
“One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an
abomination” (Proverbs 28:9 – NKJV), and the Psalmist says: “If I regard
iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18 – NKJV). |
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In
the light of the teaching of the Scripture, therefore, in order that our
prayer may be answered it is not enough to ask in faith. Therefore we will
receive from God the petitions we have asked of Him, if we ask in faith, if
they are according to the will of God for us, and if we keep God’s
commandments. If only one of these conditions is not fulfilled, we will not
receive what we have asked. For instance, if you live soberly, righteously
and godly, and ask in faith, but what you ask is not according to the will of
God for you, your prayer will not be answered. No matter how many times you
may confess that thing in prayer, God will not give you that thing. You are
not a god who can speak into existence whatever he wants by his words, but
you are a human being made of dust and ashes whose ways depend on God. It is
God who has full control over your life, and not you. Let no one deceive you
with empty words. |
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Tithing |
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As
we saw before, the prosperity preachers teach that tithing is very important
for prosperity. This is the reason why they urge believers to tithe (that is,
they command believers to bring them each month one-tenth of their income). To
support this they quote the following words spoken by the prophet Malachi: “Even
from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have
not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of
hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have
robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring
ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house,
and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you
the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be
room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and
he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast
her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all
nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the
LORD of hosts” (Malachi 3:7-12). Let me tell you, therefore, something about
tithing. |
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Tithing
is one of the commandments of the law of Moses we are no longer bound to
keep. In other words, it is no longer mandatory under grace, for it is not
part of the law of Christ. Christ did not command His disciples to give Him a
tenth of all their income in order to support His ministry. It is true that
Jesus Christ spoke of tithing, for He said to the scribes and the Pharisees:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and
anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law;
justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving
the others undone” (Matthew 23:23 – NKJV); however, I would like to point out
to you that if we quote these words to support the validity of tithing under
the New Covenant, we should regard also the Sabbath day and the dietary laws
and many others, as commandments to be kept under the New Covenant. Why do I
say this? Because – as you can clearly see – Jesus said: “These [the weightier
matters of the law; justice and mercy and faith] you ought to have done,
without leaving the others undone” (Matthew |
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I
have written an exhaustive article which refutes the imposition of tithing
under the New Covenant; read it. |
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Health
and sickness |
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It
is wrong to affirm that it is never God’s will for any of His children to be
sick, for according to the Holy Scriptures sometimes God allows Satan to
strike some of His children with sickness, as in the case of Job who was
struck by Satan with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of
his head (cf. Job 2.7). The reason why God allows Satan to strike some of His
children with sickness is to test them as He tested Job. |
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Some
other times it is God Himself who strikes some of His children with sickness,
for they have rebelled against His Word. Many of the saints of |
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Some
other times, sickness is just the means God has decided to use in order to
make His children die and make them pass from this world to heaven. In this
case, therefore, the children of God become sick with the illness of which
they will die like the prophet Elisha, of whom the Scripture says: “Elisha
had become sick with the illness of which he would die” (2 Kings 13:14 –
NKJV). |
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As
far as healing is concerned, it must be said that sometimes it is not God’s
will for some of His children to be healed for He has decided to make them
die of sickness. As we saw before, the Scripture says that the prophet Elisha
become sick with the illness of which he would die, Therefore, no wonder that
today many Christians die of sickness. Some other times God does not want to
heal His children in order to keep them from becoming conceited because of
some great revelations they have received from God, as in the case of Paul
(cf. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9; Galatians 4:13-15). Some other times we do not
know why they are not healed by God, even though they have faith in God and
have pleaded with Him to heal them. Timothy was a man of God, who was sick,
for Paul said to him: “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for
your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities” (1 Timothy |
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Faith
is not a force following unalterable laws |
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Faith
is not a force following unalterable laws. In other words, it is not true
that we always get and have in our life what we believe for and say. Know
this, that you can have all faith, so that you could remove mountains, but if
you plead with God to do something which is not according to His will, you
will by no means obtain what you have asked of Him. Let me give you three
biblical examples. |
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Moses
was a very humble man of God, he worked many signs and wonders by the power
of God both in |
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Paul
was an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was a man full of faith and the
Holy Spirit, many people were healed through the laying on of his hands or
even without the laying on of his hands, yet when he pleaded with God to take
the messenger of Satan (whom God had given him to torment him) away from him,
God did not take him away from Paul. Here is what he said to the Corinthians:
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the
revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of
Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I
besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me,
My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power
of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). |
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Jesus
was the Son of God, He was full of faith and the Holy Spirit, He worked many
signs and wonders, He healed a great many sick people, yet when He pleaded
with God to take that cup away from Him God did not answer His prayer for it
was God’s will for Jesus to die on the cross. Here is what Jesus said to His
Father: “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away
from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will” (Mark |
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Therefore,
let no one deceive you with empty words. |