The Modern Moneychangers

The apostle Paul warned that in the last days preceding the return of Jesus Christ, "some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." (1 Timothy 4:1)

While Paul's prophecy applies to the many false teachings that have invaded the church over the past 100 years, it definitely applies to the false prosperity gospel. What's the prosperity gospel? It teaches that Christ came into the world to show us how to acquire the good life by faith.

And so, according to the prosperity preachers, you can use the power of faith to acquire vast wealth and riches. Is that teaching biblical? No it isn't. Then why do these people promote the prosperity gospel? Because it's a con game that keeps on giving to those who keep on preaching that counterfeit gospel.

The givers are the suckers who send their money to the takers who vacuum their wallets by offering them the lofty promises of prosperity. Stop and consider this: If you can acquire vast wealth by naming and claiming your treasure, then why bother sending money to the prosperity preachers? Why? Because the prosperity gospel doesn't work, certainly not for those who practice it. But it works just fine for those who preach it.

For example, one of the most popular prosperity preachers is Benny Hinn who, according to public records, owns a private jet, lives in a $10 million house near the Pacific Ocean, stays in hotel rooms that cost thousands each night, and owns luxury vehicles. nakedlaw.avvo.com

Another is Joyce Meyer, who since 1999 has spent at least $4 million on five homes for (herself) and her children. Meyer’s house is a 10,000 square foot home with an 8-car garage, a large fountain, a gazebo, a private putting green, a pool, and pool house with a new $10,000 bathroom. Her salary was reported at $900,000 back in 2003, and she also enjoys use of a private jet and luxury cars. 

And still another prosperity preacher who has enjoyed the high life on the backs and bucks of his gullible followers is Eddie Long who has earned millions in salary from his ministry, owns a million dollar home on a 20-acre lot, has use of a $350,000 Bentley, and pulls in a host of other benefits too. 

There are several others such as Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, Randy and Paula White, and Creflo Dollar who've become obscenely wealthy by preaching the prosperity gospel. Is it wrong for them to enjoy such great wealth? No. However it's wrong for them to pervert Christ's teachings concerning money to make it seem as though Christ promoted faith as a method to become wealthy.

Yes, Christ did say this: "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the (Heavenly) Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:13) But that was in the context of doing the will of God on earth rather than in the context of acquiring wealth. What's the will of God? The salvation of human beings through their faith in Christ's death on the cross for their sins and His resurrection from the dead.

What did Christ teach concerning money? He said this: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)

Here's what Paul wrote concerning money: "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1 Timothy 6:6-10)

Obviously, the prosperity gurus don't preach 1 Timothy 6. If they did, they'd expose themselves as the hypocrites they truly are. And their gullible followers would realize what contemptible phonies they truly are.

The High Flying Dollar

Creflo Dollar

Creflo Dollar, the high-living prosperity preacher who wants to show you God's path to success and vast wealth, needs your help. In what way? He'd like you to send him $200 so he can buy himself a $65 million Gulfstream G650 jet. He figures that if 200,000 folks send in the coin, he'll realize his dream of flying around the world in luxury.

Oh sure. Go ahead and laugh. To the average Joe Shmoe, a $65 million private luxury jet is beyond excessive--it's morally obscene. But don't tell that to the Dollar Man who defends his request for a golden air chariot by claiming that God doesn't want his servants flying coach.

Or--perish the thought--traveling by bus or train. And so, it's time to fly the friendly skies in opulent luxury. For now, Dollar has to make do with his 1984 G-1159A Gulfstream that's akin in the prosperity preacher's eyes to driving a 1973 Ford Maverick with 200,000 miles on the odometer.

When Dollar was asked why he needs such an expensive plane, he got a bit defensive: "Let me tell you something about believing God.  I can dream as long as I want to. I can believe God as long as I want to. If I want to believe God for a $65 million plane, you cannot stop me. You cannot stop me from dreaming." 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/23/creflo-dollar-jet

Dollar is one of a myriad of prosperity preachers who've gotten extremely wealthy from the financial support of their faithful and gullible followers. While it's not against the law to operate a ministry and ask people for money, it's morally wrong to convince people that you know God's formula for financial success and you can teach it to them.

However, the prosperity gurus don't know any celestial financial secrets. Rather, they do know how to con people, and some of them such as Dollar have done a very good job of that. Case in point is Gloria Copeland's bold claim that those who send her $10 will be rewarded by God with $100, while those who send in $100 will reap $1,000 and so on.

Let Gloria's husband Ken, the founder of Kenneth Copeland Ministries explain it as only he can: "Well, now, you need balance in this, get out there in that hyper-faith. That name-it-and-claim-it- that blab-it-and-grab-it. Yeah! We named it and claimed it and got it. We blabbed it and grabbed it and still got it! Hallelujah! And our bills are paid."
http://www.forgottenword.org/prosperity.html

Stop and think about this: If all you need is faith to become wealthy as Copeland, Dollar et al. claim, then why do they ask you to send them money? The reason why they continually ask for money is because their faith formulas don't work and never have. They're designed to con gullible and biblically illiterate people into believing that shortcuts to financial success exist via prayers of faith. 

But when you try that method, it doesn't work. However, it does work for the prosperity preachers such as the Copelands, Dollar etc. who get rich off of the big coin sent in by their empty-headed followers. When legendary bank-robber Willie Sutton said he robbed banks because "that's where the money is" he never realized that bank robbery was peanuts compared to where the real money is in the prosperity gospel.

What does the Bible say about the love of money? Let the apostle Paul explain it: "If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1 Timothy 6:3-10)

Apparently, Dollar's still hasn't gotten all money he needs to buy his jet. Maybe he'll get it and maybe he won't. But if you're thinking of sending him $200 to help him fly the friendly skies in luxury, keep the money and do something better with it such as buying a needy person a good meal, clothes or helping them pay the rent.

If Dollar really believes in what he preaches, then he can ask God to direct deposit the check into his bank account. Or, better yet, send him a lifetime Greyhound bus pass.  

Sunday Morning With the Devil

One of the most bizarre doctrines that's crept into the church over the past 60 years is the Prosperity Gospel. What does it teach? It teaches that Christians can use their faith as a tool to acquire vast wealth and material prosperity.

Where does the prosperity gospel come from? It certainly didn't come from Jesus Christ. It certainly can't be found anywhere in the Bible. Rather, it's a perversion of scripture that takes some of Christ's teachings concerning the will of God out of context.

For the record, here's one of those teachings: "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." (John 14:12-14)

Jesus was speaking about God's will that desires everyone come to salvation in Him through their faith in His death on the cross for their sins and His resurrection from the dead.

The apostle Paul said it aptly: "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people." (1 Timothy 2:1-5)

That's the will of God. And that's what He wants us to ask Him for in prayer. Nowhere does scripture teach us that we can convince God to give us whatever material things our selfish hearts desire by having faith in our own faith.

The prosperity gospel is also known as the Word of Faith Movement. Among its proponents are celebrity evangelists such as Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, Fred K.C. Price and Joel Osteen. 

Although the prosperity gospel movement emerged in recent times with the heretical teachings of an evangelist named Kenneth Hagin, it has ancient pagan roots: "The Word of Faith (WF) movement emerged within Charismatic/Pentecostal Christianity in the latter 20th century. The Word of Faith movement as a whole has no formal organization or authoritarian hierarchy, though the movement does have a number of high-profile teachers who heavily influence Word of Faith theology. Its basic theology is a peculiar mix of orthodox Christianity and mysticism."  gospeloutreach.net

Though Hagin is considered the founder of the prosperity movement, it was actually started by two men in the 19th century: "Kenneth Hagin is often referred to as the father of the Word of Faith movement, but in reality it was Phineas Parkhurst Quimby (1802-1866) who laid the foundations. It was Quimby's metaphysical teachings that influenced E.W. Kenyon, and it was E.W. Kenyon's teachings that in turn influenced Kenneth Hagin. Most prominent Word of Faith teachers today draw their inspiration from Kenneth Hagin."
http://www.gospeloutreach.net/whatwordfaith

The prosperity gospel is nothing but religious (Christian) science or witchcraft camouflaged in Christian terminology. It doesn't work and it brings harsh judgment in the form of curses upon those who practice it.

More from gospeloutreach.net: "The 'force' of faith, an unbiblical view of faith, is the foundation of Word of Faith theology. Proponents believe they can use words to manipulate the faith-force, and thus actually create what they believe Scripture promises (health, wealth, etc.). Laws supposedly governing the faith-force are said to operate independently of God's sovereign will -- God Himself being subject to the 'laws' of faith." 

What does the Bible actually teach us concerning money and wealth? It warns us not to become enamored of it. More from Paul: "If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1 Timothy 6:3-10)

Concerning false doctrines such as the prosperity gospel, Paul warned us that demonically inspired false teachers would invade the church in the last days with such heresies: "The (Holy) Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." (1 Timothy 4:1)

The prosperity gospel isn't biblical. It isn't Christian. It's a doctrine taught by demons. Compare what the Bible teaches concerning money and wealth with what the prosperity preachers teach.

I think you'll see the difference. And, I think that you'll be shocked.