PROSPERITY GOSPEL

Do you believe in the prosperity Gospel and why?

I don't know about prosperity gospel, but I believe that God blesses those who commit their lives to his service. I don't believe in name it and claim it, but I believe that when I take my needs to God, He will meet them. I don't believe that God gives us everything we want, but I know that He has blessed me with a lot of things that I wanted, and asked Him for.

One thing that I have learned over the years is that my wants don't always line up with what God wants me to have.

I think too many Christians have too many things and it distracts them from GOD and Christ. People will sit in front of their 40-70 inch screens for hours on end and not pick up their Bible or listen to anything Godly. Many say they have been blessed by GOD but it makes me wonder if it is GOD, especially when the things they have take them away from GOD. Makes no sense to me. Too many love the gifts, if they are from GOD, more than GOD Himself.

I also find it hard to believe that GOD blesses in the manner we believe he does because all the apostles suffered greatly. If these blessings are from GOD for committing our lives to His service why didn't they receive any of them. Do you see what I'm trying to say?

One of the problems with the Jews was always taking, with no real thanks or love for GOD for doing and giving them so much.

I see a lot of similarities between Jews of the past and Christians nowadays and it makes me sad.

It is another fake gospel. The true and full Gospel of Christ is becoming rarer and rarer because churches and radio and television preachers and evangelists are either (1) neglecting to present it (2) preaching *another gospel* or (3) substituting entertainment for Gospel preaching and Bible teaching.

The true Gospel does not guarantee prosperity, but it does guarantee afflictions and hardship to the faithful saints. As well as the hatred of unbelievers: And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. (Luke 21:16,17)

well said, Neh,
it's certainly not always going to be a bed-of-roses, but,
whether God gives me thorns or roses, my desire is to
be content there-in -
as it is written;
'Thy Will be Done'...

I live in the UK and basically Churches fall into 3 categories, which I believe are all in error . Calvinism , Arminism and the Prosperity/ Charismatic movement .
Most people fall into at least one of these ditches.

Prosperity gospel. Because Jesus led an easy, pain free, life of leisure.

No..

1 Timothy 6: KJV
4"He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, {5} Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. {6} But 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 raiment let us be therewith content."

Mostly what I have learned in life is: the less I stress about money, the better things seem to flow.
It says in Matthew not to worry because God cares for us, Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

And in Proverbs we learn that worrying over our riches will make things worse than they seem now, Proverbs 23:5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

I cannot serve two masters, Wealth and God, so I focus on God and let Him focus on my needs and wants, Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

So can a Christian be wealthy? Sure, but only if their focus is on God and not on their money. Wealth can cause us to lose focus on what's really important. It can seem more important to focus on what we have instead of focusing on what we can do for others.
But just my opinion.

Absolutely. If one believed all things them then they would they would know what those who don't believe the prosperity gospel lack, and that is the reason for the hope that is in them and the evidence of that not seen.

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 2 Cor 8:9

But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. John 5:34

You might be right but then again you might not be, but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

You know I would like others to take me at my word so when I hear "FAITH GROUPS/WORD OF FAITH" say "there is no such thing as "prosperity gospel". its not in the word of God.

Others use it to speak negatively against faith groups. Now tha being said yes I do believe as some Baptist all the way to Word of Faith believe in prosperity. Prosperity is in the word of God.

Its amazing how this gets so twisted. We have so many things in our lifes that are NOT of God. Shall we talk "BOOKS for one? So many things we do day in day out that has nothing what so ever to do with God and? Its ok!

Truth is you are not here to please man. You answer to HIM and to HIM alone. What you believe is what you will have. You Father is the ONLY TRUE GOD. He made the streets with a gold so fine so pure and you get to walk on it. You are a joint heir with Jesus Christ. Do you have any clue what that means? Do you know how many think Jesus was poor and didn't have a home ah. thats just awful huh. lol

So 12 people and. your so poor that you have someone in charge of money and then no one had a clue one was taking from it. Look how people treat someone they believe can help them heal them? They give everything. Amp that up because Jesus was not just some man and He healed everyone. I would have given them everything I had. As they did with the 12 after Christ rose and went up.

I do not believe in the prosperity gospel I have seen preached on TV. In my opinion, these people do severe harm to the people they are deceiving about the Gospel of Jesus.

That being said: I do believe that God will provide for his children because Jesus said he would. Jesus is not a liar. That does not mean I will get a Mercedes Benz, or a huge home in the Hamptons, private jet, or any such. It does mean God will provide for me, and, throughout my life he has done so. Is that prosperity? I do not know. It is a blessing from God, and I have prospered from his mercy, grace and provisions he has given me.

Home, car, food, clothing, family, friends, work......all of these God has provided me with. In times of good health, he has been there, and in times of ill health, he has been there to see me through, and, even provided healing.

It is true that Christians will face hardships and trials, and the hate of the world, but that does not mean Christians will never receive blessings from God.

The God of the mountain is still the God in the valley, the old song goes. He causes it to rain on the just and the unjust.....consider the lilies of the valley........if he sees a sparrow fall, will he not see us? Scripture teaches us that God loves and cares and provides for his children.

This I believe,

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus Philippians 4:19

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. Psalm 34:10

Every living thing that moveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. Genesis 9:3

Our God is good.

What was it that Paul wrote, "Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep" (2 Corinthians 11:25 )... Doesn't sound like prosperity to me... Most of the prophets and apostles were persecuted, afflicted, and killed.... Onward Christian soldier, its a battle. But of course there are blessings too.

I do not believe in the prosperity Gospel from a New Testament perspective and from personal experience.

I used to attend the Prosperity Churches and believed the prosperity gospel, but as the months and years continued, I did not become rich and neither did my fellow congregants.
But the pastor became richer and richer.

The pastors of these churches like to quote the Old Testament to justify this type of gospel. They say King Solomon was the richest man who ever lived and Abraham was rich in cattle and manservants and maidservants. And you are the head and not the tail etc.

This is true but…

When you look at the New Testament, God says He shall supply our needs and not our wants (Philippians 4:19).
Jesus said that the greatest is the servant (Matthew 23:11).
1 Timothy 6:9 says “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.”

And in order to “prove”, that the prosperity gospel is true, these churches will bring someone to give their testimony on how God blessed them and made them rich. But if you think about it, in most church congregations, you have poor people, the middle class, and the rich.
And most of the people who are rich became rich through hard work and most of them have a college degree or became rich because they started a business that became successful. So they did not magically become rich or God did not favor them above everyone.

And when you listen to these prosperity preachers, they say that you become prosperous by giving more money to them and the church.
Why don’t they tell their congregants to give more money to the poor or to orphans to be blessed?

My understanding is that the purpose of the prosperity gospel is to get the prosperity preachers rich to the detriment of their congregants.

I have left these churches and do not intend to ever come back!