Saturday 23 February 2008

Distortion of the truth

Prosperity and abundance are biblical words and yet in todays church they have such negative connotations, why do you think this is?

4 comments:

Ur Man CD said...

Possibly the negative connotations comes with the association of a materially rich life full of all the stuff that fulfils the American Dream or the Corporate Aspiration of having the car, house and mod-cons and then once you have it you get even better stuff because apparently that's how God blesses.

This puts pressure on those already marginalised in society and presents a gospel more akin to consumer covetousness than sacrificial serving of others, particularly those marginalised.

Plus the parody image of the preacher in the great suit with more gold than Fort Knox on his fingers, big house and car is hard for people to equate with the ministry of Jesus who although financially backed never gave the impression he was among the affluential elite of his society.

Those mixed messages and unhelpful emphasis on the scriptures that appear to support a materially rich 'prosperity gospel' are perhaps some reasons for the negative connotation.

Anonymous said...

I agree partly with the other gentleman. Prosperity and abundance seem to be buzz words. They mean to some people the money to be able to live a work free life. But God punished us to tll the soil. I am not a great theologian. Not unless God gives me insipiration.

I hope you provide a new blog so I can understand what the prosperity message you teach is actually about. We need food and shelter. But most of all Love. As God is love.

Why was solomn rich? Not because of his gold but because of God's blessing. God protected him and gave himwisdom.

All things can fade away but God. God and his word will last forever.

James

Raspberry Grace said...

I think it is because they have been so badly abused.

I find myself many times switching off when finances/prosperity etc are mentioned by preachers, I just have this autonmatic *here we go again* sinking feeling.. even though I know not every preacher is abusing the subject it's hard for me to seperate the two.

I do listen to you though, on RTV/Gentv and enjoy it very much though, but I had to push past my initial ingrained reaction to be able to do so.

I'm really sorry for that.

God bless,
raspberry.

Anonymous said...

The giving of seed I believe goes into the leaders hand, when you sow you are giving on a verse exercising your faith, the invisible-but tangible word, this is my understanding of sowing seed. I have given seed in the past only to be told by the leader who asked for it a day or two later that if you did not put scripture on that seed it is dead is this also true.