Man! There is an insane amount of information, blogs, preachers, naysayers out there on this issue within the church. Many times blog post cause division among God's people, which is not what God wants. How do I know God doesn't want this? John 17: 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
So let me ask.. Do you believe exactly or have the same opinion as your pastor does on every single issue? If so then you believe blindly, your apathetic to caring, or you are too scared to admit it. Everyone believes differently, everyone has an opinion, whether they are bold enough to share it remains to be seen. If you don't agree with everything that your pastors says [assuming you go to church] you have somewhere all the timeline of your life agreed to put your differences aside for the bigger picture of unity in the church, which is Matthew 28: 18-19. You may disagree, you may think I'm nuts while reading but I'm entitled to thoughts correct? We can disagree and that is ok, I don't expect that everyone who would read anything would agree 100% with the article itself, especially a blog where there is no proof but only opinions. We can all take a Bible verse and twist it to mean what we would like for it to mean can we not? We can all take a verse or passage and make it fit our version of the truth, and then call our version a fact right?
The Prosperity Gospel....
If you were asked do you believe in the prosperity gospel, "what would you say?" Do I believe? Yes and no. I know what your thinking [I'm not a mind reader] "oh no he's one of those who straddle the fence." If you know me at all you know that I'm very right or wrong, yes or no, black or white. I've actually been told its a fault of mine. God does promise in the Bible however that He will bless us, does he not? Lets walk through a few verses then come to a conclusion?
Psalm 37:4- Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Ok this verse is used by the extreme prosperity gospel proponents to say that if you will just delight yourself in God then He will give you that new car you've always wanted, that nice house on the hill, the money to pay the bills. Problem is do you hear the heart of God in this? Was Jesus ever concerned with materialistic goods? Jesus after starting His ministry was for all technical purposes: homeless. He even points this out.."Foxes have holes, birds have nest, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." I highly doubt that Jesus is interested in a $50,000 ride when He walked everywhere. I highly doubt that Jesus is worried about you getting a $300,000 house with a garage [house for your car] when there are people overseas that have cardboard boxes and He Himself was without.
So what could this verse really mean....
When you begin to delight yourself in the Lord, ok hang on lets just punt the second part of that verse, but only for a moment, how many people, Christians even, have ever actually achieved this. Delight in the Lord, not getting to know the Lord out of guilty, or duty, or out of fear like an absent teacher who gives a list of things to do and says "I'll be back." The verse says delight yourself, that means you enjoy it, you crave it, you have to have it otherwise your day won't be the same. Side note: Many preachers teach an extreme fear of the Lord, you know Hell, Fire, Brimstone... can you delight in someone you fear that much? This is a topic for a whole other blog, but God is love not fear, yes we should fear God but fear has taken on a severely distorted definition in the Southern American Church. Sorry, back to the point,lets talk about the desires of your heart now, so lets say you actually get to the point where you delight yourself in the Lord, what would begin to happen to you and your heart? Ezekiel 36:26 tells us, 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Your heart will begin to take on the same characteristics of God
Your heart would begin to look a lot like the heart of God. So what would God give you? This is the question is it not, we want to know what God would give us if we delight ourselves in Him. If our heart begins to look like His then we would get the desires of His heart, so we really need to know what are the desires of God's heart because this is what we would get. Where would we find the desires of God's heart, in God's word. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and focus in on Jesus, what were His desires, what did He come to do, who was He always around, who was He helping? Your desires would be to come to see people become life long disciples of Jesus, your desires would be to bring people into relationship with God, to help those who can't help themselves, to love those who are unlovable, to help the least of these, to bring miracles to peoples lives. These are the desires you would get because they represent the desires of God.
#1 thing people in America are looking for ...what is it?
According to a Barna survey the #1 thing Americans are looking for is happiness. Aren't we all on some sort of metaphorical hunt for happiness? The Bible tells us where to find this at. Psalm 144:15 Happy are the people whose God is the Lord! Is this not a promise? Does this sound like prospering to you? Which is better to be rich or to be happy? What does the bible say? Proverbs 3:13-15 13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Happiness is linked to finding wisdom and understanding. Understanding and wisdom it says are better than the merchandise of silver, better than the gain of fine gold, better than rubies. Question is ...where do we get wisdom? From God, from delighting ourselves in His word. God wants us to be happy, read the Bible all over and its in there, is happiness not better than the money that the other prosperity gospel teaches?
What else would you consider to be a prosperous life...
11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore
Joy, would you consider being joyous a prosperous gift from God. At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. There is usually a condition to the prosperous nature of God, "In your presence." Some will take this to mean that once we get to heaven but ... I'll talk about that in a min.
Deuteronomy 31:6 says"
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Would you call it a prosperous life if you found a Father, a friend who would never leave you or forsake you. Who would never turn His back on you? Why...because He did that to His other Son so He could be in relationship with you. Tell me a friend that is closer than a brother isn't better than all the nice things you could buy. God promises a prosperous life we just have to change our definition of what prospering is.
Psalm 34:9 says
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
How can you tell me that God doesn't want a prosperous life for His children....There will be no want for those that fear God. Why ...because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. You want a good marriage? How bout a great home where there is unity?
How about kids that love and respect God? What about peace of mind in the middle of a storm?
What would make you really prosperous?
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Would you not consider the elimination from stress a thing to be gained? Are we living in stressed out times or what? Every conversation I hear today is about the corruption of the world, the government, the social society in general. How we going to pay the bills? What would the freedom of no worries be to you? God promises it above, it takes faith, but its there.
I know most of you thought I forgot....
The critics have been reading up until this point thinking, the Bible doesn't teach prosperity. The Bible teaches affliction, Christians must suffer, they will be persecuted, you know if you're a real Christian. I agree, but could it be possible that in the midst of persecution that you still consider yourself blessed? Could it be that when the storm has arrived that you still consider that God has prospered you? Let me tell you what I mean with a couple of examples from scripture. Mary the mother of Jesus is told she will have a child, but yet she was virgin. This turned her life upside down, her fiance was going to quietly denounce their marriage, the town wondered how she became pregnant [because no angel showed up to let everyone know what happened] , she had to give up her plans, her future... is this not the earliest picture of what coming to Christ is like? But what did Mary do, she rejoiced, she was faithful, she was blessed by God. She however didn't get a whole bunch of money, nice new things, new camel to ride, etc.
Paul and Silas...
Acts 16:25- But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
Paul and Silas had been beaten and put into prison but still considered themselves to be blessed. If you had to ask them, "Has God prospered you? What do you think they would say? You don't get beaten and locked in prison and still have the joy to pray and sing to God if God hasn't given you a prosperous heart.
Peter and John arrested....
Acts Chapter 4 Peter and John are arrested, but just before that he preaches the gospel in Solomon's portico and 5,000 people are saved. Is this prosperous? How many preachers would love for the Holy Spirit to move so powerfully through their words that 5,000 people get saved. During their questioning Peter is so adamant that he tells the gospel to the people persecuting them. Is this kind of boldness not from God? Is it not a prosperous gift from God? Are you typically bold about the gospel? How many Christians do I know that I have prayed for this kind of boldness? He will give you the desires of your heart if you delight yourself in Him.
God works all things together for good...
We all know this verse and if you don't here it is....
Romans 8:28- 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
So essentially we can take this to mean that even in the bad, or at least what we think is bad, we ca expect God to work good for ....who? Those who love him. Is this a blessing, would you call this God prospering you, to know that God works all things, good, bad, mundane, loneliness, sickness, heartbreak, persecution, tribulation, affliction for good to those who love Him.
Why does God prosper/ bless us?
12 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
Why did God bless Abram, was it to make him happy, was it to make him have the desires of his heart? God blessed Abram to be blessing to others. God is always wanting to take one blessing and pass that blessing onto others. If God has blessed you He has done so to bless others. God may have blessed you financially of which you will bless others, He may have blessed you with the gift of encouragement, of which you will build people up. God always wants to give to those who have less, within Jesus was the power to save but He did not store it up only for Himself, He gave us salvation by grace through faith. Disciples of Christ are blessed namely so they can give it away. The very heart of love is giving, doing the highest good for others.
Came that you may have life....
Why did Jesus come....
Well there are many reasons. He came to testify that to the world that its deeds are evil. but also in John 10:10 he says "10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
Some take this to mean that one day, you know.... when we all get to heaven, the first part of the verse means that absolutely, but how could Jesus be referring to life more abundantly when speaking of heaven? He's not comparing our life now to the life we might have one day, but to what He came to bring us on earth. What did He come to bring? Love, joy, peace, gentleness, self control... these sounds familiar.... are these not the fruits of the Spirit, notice I didn't say they were fruits of your name here. The fruit you bear will be of the Spirit, this is a gift, remember, one sows, one waters, and God gives the increase. God giving us love is that not prosperous. What about joy, peace, gentleness, self control, patience, are these not good things? Would you consider yourself prosperous if you had these? God didn't come for us to have life more abundantly financially.
What happens to those who desire riches...
1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings" of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain" we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 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. 10 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.
Look at the end of verse 5 this kind of person assumes he can use his "false godliness as gain. What are we told to do with people like this? Withdraw ourselves. What are we to be satisfied with? Food and clothing, well that pretty much covers anyone reading this, however this message would be highly unpopular among most churches. What happens to those who desire riches? They fall into a snare, and into many and foolish and harmful lust. Have you ever noticed how unfavorably the Bible speaks about the rich? Does God have some sort of vendetta against them, is God interested in some sort of class warfare, you know, sticking up for the little man, defending those who can't defend themselves. No, God wants all to be saved and come to salvation, why then.....God knows that money has a way of knitting a person heart to this world, even a small taste of it leaves you desiring more. Your craving eventually leads you away from God because you must sell everything out to achieve it, to get more of it, don't you. You have to take time away from Him to earn it, you have to, many times loosen your morals to get it, neglect raising your children in a Godly way.
The big idea....
God wants your heart....He knows that money, which tends to more than anything else knit your heart to this world instead of Him. Money or material things seem to be at the heart of the prosperity gospel that is preached in America. Can you honestly say that all God wants for you is for you to suffer? If so, how much have you suffered on account of the Lord, odds are if you are living in America then probably not much. God wants to give His children good gifts. Matthew 7:11- If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! God will give good gifts, sometimes He will give materially, He will keep your barns full [refridgerator today], but He knows that joy, happiness, comfort, relationship will cause you to love Him much more. This principle holds true even in earthly principles, ask a child once they are older, what did you love most about your parents, 10 times out of 10 the answer will be the time we spent together, how they sacrificed for me, how they were always there for me. The human heart is an idol factory, we tend to take things, although being good things at times, we place too much weight or emphasis on them. They become God things in our lives, money has the worst and quickest effect according to the Bible. Luke 14:26 says “If any man come to Me and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. Does God want us to hate our family, no obviously not because one of the ten commandments is to honor your father and mother. How can you hate and honor someone at the same time? Jesus knew that we could tend to make things we enjoy in this life into idols. So does God prosper His people, sure He does, any preacher in America living a middle class life [sometimes above] can tell you He doesn't, but just ask them "So how are you doing so well then?" Aren't all good things a gift from God, did we earn anything we have, our abilities are they not given by God? God gives, the very heart of love is giving.... "For God so loved the world that He gave....however He doesn't give for selfish gain, wrong motives, or just because you claim a word of faith over it! The Christian life is not all prosperity or all suffering, when you are suffering God will give you the attitude of joy, gratitude, thankfulness that causes you to see what He has done is worth the persecution you may be experiencing.
So let me ask.. Do you believe exactly or have the same opinion as your pastor does on every single issue? If so then you believe blindly, your apathetic to caring, or you are too scared to admit it. Everyone believes differently, everyone has an opinion, whether they are bold enough to share it remains to be seen. If you don't agree with everything that your pastors says [assuming you go to church] you have somewhere all the timeline of your life agreed to put your differences aside for the bigger picture of unity in the church, which is Matthew 28: 18-19. You may disagree, you may think I'm nuts while reading but I'm entitled to thoughts correct? We can disagree and that is ok, I don't expect that everyone who would read anything would agree 100% with the article itself, especially a blog where there is no proof but only opinions. We can all take a Bible verse and twist it to mean what we would like for it to mean can we not? We can all take a verse or passage and make it fit our version of the truth, and then call our version a fact right?
The Prosperity Gospel....
If you were asked do you believe in the prosperity gospel, "what would you say?" Do I believe? Yes and no. I know what your thinking [I'm not a mind reader] "oh no he's one of those who straddle the fence." If you know me at all you know that I'm very right or wrong, yes or no, black or white. I've actually been told its a fault of mine. God does promise in the Bible however that He will bless us, does he not? Lets walk through a few verses then come to a conclusion?
Psalm 37:4- Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Ok this verse is used by the extreme prosperity gospel proponents to say that if you will just delight yourself in God then He will give you that new car you've always wanted, that nice house on the hill, the money to pay the bills. Problem is do you hear the heart of God in this? Was Jesus ever concerned with materialistic goods? Jesus after starting His ministry was for all technical purposes: homeless. He even points this out.."Foxes have holes, birds have nest, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." I highly doubt that Jesus is interested in a $50,000 ride when He walked everywhere. I highly doubt that Jesus is worried about you getting a $300,000 house with a garage [house for your car] when there are people overseas that have cardboard boxes and He Himself was without.
So what could this verse really mean....
When you begin to delight yourself in the Lord, ok hang on lets just punt the second part of that verse, but only for a moment, how many people, Christians even, have ever actually achieved this. Delight in the Lord, not getting to know the Lord out of guilty, or duty, or out of fear like an absent teacher who gives a list of things to do and says "I'll be back." The verse says delight yourself, that means you enjoy it, you crave it, you have to have it otherwise your day won't be the same. Side note: Many preachers teach an extreme fear of the Lord, you know Hell, Fire, Brimstone... can you delight in someone you fear that much? This is a topic for a whole other blog, but God is love not fear, yes we should fear God but fear has taken on a severely distorted definition in the Southern American Church. Sorry, back to the point,lets talk about the desires of your heart now, so lets say you actually get to the point where you delight yourself in the Lord, what would begin to happen to you and your heart? Ezekiel 36:26 tells us, 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Your heart will begin to take on the same characteristics of God
Your heart would begin to look a lot like the heart of God. So what would God give you? This is the question is it not, we want to know what God would give us if we delight ourselves in Him. If our heart begins to look like His then we would get the desires of His heart, so we really need to know what are the desires of God's heart because this is what we would get. Where would we find the desires of God's heart, in God's word. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and focus in on Jesus, what were His desires, what did He come to do, who was He always around, who was He helping? Your desires would be to come to see people become life long disciples of Jesus, your desires would be to bring people into relationship with God, to help those who can't help themselves, to love those who are unlovable, to help the least of these, to bring miracles to peoples lives. These are the desires you would get because they represent the desires of God.
#1 thing people in America are looking for ...what is it?
According to a Barna survey the #1 thing Americans are looking for is happiness. Aren't we all on some sort of metaphorical hunt for happiness? The Bible tells us where to find this at. Psalm 144:15 Happy are the people whose God is the Lord! Is this not a promise? Does this sound like prospering to you? Which is better to be rich or to be happy? What does the bible say? Proverbs 3:13-15 13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Happiness is linked to finding wisdom and understanding. Understanding and wisdom it says are better than the merchandise of silver, better than the gain of fine gold, better than rubies. Question is ...where do we get wisdom? From God, from delighting ourselves in His word. God wants us to be happy, read the Bible all over and its in there, is happiness not better than the money that the other prosperity gospel teaches?
What else would you consider to be a prosperous life...
11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore
Joy, would you consider being joyous a prosperous gift from God. At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. There is usually a condition to the prosperous nature of God, "In your presence." Some will take this to mean that once we get to heaven but ... I'll talk about that in a min.
Deuteronomy 31:6 says"
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Would you call it a prosperous life if you found a Father, a friend who would never leave you or forsake you. Who would never turn His back on you? Why...because He did that to His other Son so He could be in relationship with you. Tell me a friend that is closer than a brother isn't better than all the nice things you could buy. God promises a prosperous life we just have to change our definition of what prospering is.
Psalm 34:9 says
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
How can you tell me that God doesn't want a prosperous life for His children....There will be no want for those that fear God. Why ...because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. You want a good marriage? How bout a great home where there is unity?
How about kids that love and respect God? What about peace of mind in the middle of a storm?
What would make you really prosperous?
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Would you not consider the elimination from stress a thing to be gained? Are we living in stressed out times or what? Every conversation I hear today is about the corruption of the world, the government, the social society in general. How we going to pay the bills? What would the freedom of no worries be to you? God promises it above, it takes faith, but its there.
I know most of you thought I forgot....
The critics have been reading up until this point thinking, the Bible doesn't teach prosperity. The Bible teaches affliction, Christians must suffer, they will be persecuted, you know if you're a real Christian. I agree, but could it be possible that in the midst of persecution that you still consider yourself blessed? Could it be that when the storm has arrived that you still consider that God has prospered you? Let me tell you what I mean with a couple of examples from scripture. Mary the mother of Jesus is told she will have a child, but yet she was virgin. This turned her life upside down, her fiance was going to quietly denounce their marriage, the town wondered how she became pregnant [because no angel showed up to let everyone know what happened] , she had to give up her plans, her future... is this not the earliest picture of what coming to Christ is like? But what did Mary do, she rejoiced, she was faithful, she was blessed by God. She however didn't get a whole bunch of money, nice new things, new camel to ride, etc.
Paul and Silas...
Acts 16:25- But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
Paul and Silas had been beaten and put into prison but still considered themselves to be blessed. If you had to ask them, "Has God prospered you? What do you think they would say? You don't get beaten and locked in prison and still have the joy to pray and sing to God if God hasn't given you a prosperous heart.
Peter and John arrested....
Acts Chapter 4 Peter and John are arrested, but just before that he preaches the gospel in Solomon's portico and 5,000 people are saved. Is this prosperous? How many preachers would love for the Holy Spirit to move so powerfully through their words that 5,000 people get saved. During their questioning Peter is so adamant that he tells the gospel to the people persecuting them. Is this kind of boldness not from God? Is it not a prosperous gift from God? Are you typically bold about the gospel? How many Christians do I know that I have prayed for this kind of boldness? He will give you the desires of your heart if you delight yourself in Him.
God works all things together for good...
We all know this verse and if you don't here it is....
Romans 8:28- 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
So essentially we can take this to mean that even in the bad, or at least what we think is bad, we ca expect God to work good for ....who? Those who love him. Is this a blessing, would you call this God prospering you, to know that God works all things, good, bad, mundane, loneliness, sickness, heartbreak, persecution, tribulation, affliction for good to those who love Him.
Why does God prosper/ bless us?
12 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
Why did God bless Abram, was it to make him happy, was it to make him have the desires of his heart? God blessed Abram to be blessing to others. God is always wanting to take one blessing and pass that blessing onto others. If God has blessed you He has done so to bless others. God may have blessed you financially of which you will bless others, He may have blessed you with the gift of encouragement, of which you will build people up. God always wants to give to those who have less, within Jesus was the power to save but He did not store it up only for Himself, He gave us salvation by grace through faith. Disciples of Christ are blessed namely so they can give it away. The very heart of love is giving, doing the highest good for others.
Came that you may have life....
Why did Jesus come....
Well there are many reasons. He came to testify that to the world that its deeds are evil. but also in John 10:10 he says "10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
Some take this to mean that one day, you know.... when we all get to heaven, the first part of the verse means that absolutely, but how could Jesus be referring to life more abundantly when speaking of heaven? He's not comparing our life now to the life we might have one day, but to what He came to bring us on earth. What did He come to bring? Love, joy, peace, gentleness, self control... these sounds familiar.... are these not the fruits of the Spirit, notice I didn't say they were fruits of your name here. The fruit you bear will be of the Spirit, this is a gift, remember, one sows, one waters, and God gives the increase. God giving us love is that not prosperous. What about joy, peace, gentleness, self control, patience, are these not good things? Would you consider yourself prosperous if you had these? God didn't come for us to have life more abundantly financially.
What happens to those who desire riches...
1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings" of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain" we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 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. 10 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.
Look at the end of verse 5 this kind of person assumes he can use his "false godliness as gain. What are we told to do with people like this? Withdraw ourselves. What are we to be satisfied with? Food and clothing, well that pretty much covers anyone reading this, however this message would be highly unpopular among most churches. What happens to those who desire riches? They fall into a snare, and into many and foolish and harmful lust. Have you ever noticed how unfavorably the Bible speaks about the rich? Does God have some sort of vendetta against them, is God interested in some sort of class warfare, you know, sticking up for the little man, defending those who can't defend themselves. No, God wants all to be saved and come to salvation, why then.....God knows that money has a way of knitting a person heart to this world, even a small taste of it leaves you desiring more. Your craving eventually leads you away from God because you must sell everything out to achieve it, to get more of it, don't you. You have to take time away from Him to earn it, you have to, many times loosen your morals to get it, neglect raising your children in a Godly way.
The big idea....
God wants your heart....He knows that money, which tends to more than anything else knit your heart to this world instead of Him. Money or material things seem to be at the heart of the prosperity gospel that is preached in America. Can you honestly say that all God wants for you is for you to suffer? If so, how much have you suffered on account of the Lord, odds are if you are living in America then probably not much. God wants to give His children good gifts. Matthew 7:11- If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! God will give good gifts, sometimes He will give materially, He will keep your barns full [refridgerator today], but He knows that joy, happiness, comfort, relationship will cause you to love Him much more. This principle holds true even in earthly principles, ask a child once they are older, what did you love most about your parents, 10 times out of 10 the answer will be the time we spent together, how they sacrificed for me, how they were always there for me. The human heart is an idol factory, we tend to take things, although being good things at times, we place too much weight or emphasis on them. They become God things in our lives, money has the worst and quickest effect according to the Bible. Luke 14:26 says “If any man come to Me and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. Does God want us to hate our family, no obviously not because one of the ten commandments is to honor your father and mother. How can you hate and honor someone at the same time? Jesus knew that we could tend to make things we enjoy in this life into idols. So does God prosper His people, sure He does, any preacher in America living a middle class life [sometimes above] can tell you He doesn't, but just ask them "So how are you doing so well then?" Aren't all good things a gift from God, did we earn anything we have, our abilities are they not given by God? God gives, the very heart of love is giving.... "For God so loved the world that He gave....however He doesn't give for selfish gain, wrong motives, or just because you claim a word of faith over it! The Christian life is not all prosperity or all suffering, when you are suffering God will give you the attitude of joy, gratitude, thankfulness that causes you to see what He has done is worth the persecution you may be experiencing.