The Counterfeit Prosperity Gospel

Inside a prosperity preacher's personal jet

"For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."--1 Timothy 6:10

How well does the prosperity gospel work? If you're a working stiff who's being crushed by inflation, rising taxes, high gas prices and a shrinking paycheck as many of America's 140 million workers currently are, then it doesn't work so well.

But if you're a big time prosperity preacher such as Kenneth Copeland, then it works just fine, thank you. The picture above shows the inside of Copeland's private jet that the popular prosperity guru uses to travel to his destinations. Presumably, some of those destinations include those grandiose revival conventions where faith healers and prosperity preachers clad in Gucci and Pierre Cardin speak at to enlighten you in how to get on the golden path to the good life.

Suffice to say, there is no golden path to the good life, unless you're a con artist who has the ability convince people that by sending them money, you'll reap lavish returns. Let Copeland's wife Gloria explain how that supposedly works: "You give $1 for the gospel's sake and $100 belongs to you; give $10 and receive $1000; give $1000 and receive $100,000. I know that you can multiply, but I want you to see it in black and white and see how tremendous the hundredfold return is. Give one house and get one hundred houses back or one house worth one hundred times as much....In short, Mark 10:30 is a very good deal."

http://www.gospelhour.net/2104.html

If Gloria Copeland's financial theories are true, then who needs wealth consultants and financial counselors? Unfortunately, Gloria's theories aren't true and those that send money to Copeland Ministries usually don't receive anything other than a thank you note. 

Also, you might want to consider this: If Kenneth and Gloria really believe that their financial theories work, then they shouldn't be asking anyone to send them money. But their theories don't work. And that's why they need your money. And they're willing to tell you anything to get it.

Unlike modern prosperity preachers such as the Copelands, Christ and his disciples often had to travel by foot to reach their destinations. Often, those travels took several hours in cold rain or searing heat over rough terrain and rocky roads. They certainly didn't travel in air-conditioned limousines or posh Lear jets paid for by gullible followers. But they endured and advanced the gospel because they were backed by God's power and His Holy Spirit.

And many people who heard the gospel embraced it because it showed them the true path to repentance, salvation and eternal life in Christ as opposed to pie-in-the-sky financial schemes that promised them vast wealth for cash donations.

During his famous Sermon on the Mount, Christ said this concerning money: "No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and money." (Matthew 6:24)

How do you determine what god a church leader or a ministry is serving? By their message. The true Gospel is all about God's free gift of eternal life to everyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ and His death on Calvary's cross for their sins.

The false gospel is all about serving money instead of Christ. If you follow that gospel, you're sure to come up financially short in this life and eternally short in the life to come.