Prosperity Preaching
By GARY TOOLE
When will it end? All the prosperity preaching. I guess as long as there are television ministries with gaudy studio furnishings and extravagant budgets.

They bring in these young fireball preachers that make Rev. Ike look like Mr. Rogers. They can spit out words as fast as a wood chipper can spit out chips and it's all about prosperity. They call it increase, but the only increase they are really concerned about is their increase and the increase of this ministry.

They go on and on about "If you'll do this and you'll do that you'll have the increase you are entitled to." They will say, "Now, you're doing all the right things by giving offerings and paying your tithes. You just need to do more." It's like the faith healing. If you don't get healed then they say, "You didn't have enough faith," which is not always the case. You can have all the faith in the world and if it's not God's desire to heal you then you won't be healed.

Folks say, "Well, it is God's will," but that doesn't mean everyone is healed no matter how strong their faith. The same applies with this prosperity religion. You can give all you have to every ministry in the world and still be at ground zero financially.

Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all he had and give it to the poor, then follow Him and he would have treasures in Heaven. That's what's wrong with this prosperity religion. It's all about down here; nothing about laying up your treasures in Heaven. What prosperity religion is really all about is getting folks to send more and more to these television ministries and there are some good ones. Pay your tithes in the local churches and give in offerings and send some to help feed the hungry and give to missions and yes send some to the good television ministries, but don't let them fool you into thinking that just because you're still living in the same house and driving the same old car that there's something wrong with that and that God is not blessing you as much as the next person.

The world is materially vain. Christians should not be, because God blesses us with things far greater than wealth. The sinning world is rich so how can we compare our blessings to that? We can't.

The Bible says in the love chapter of I Corinthians 13:3, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." So, if you're giving to get, than it profiteth you nothing. If you give begrudgingly then it's in vain. We must give out of a love for God and for His church and be cheerful givers, not worrying about what we will get in return.

These used car sales preachers are nothing shy of PR (public relations) promoters for these television ministries that want to ride high and fly high trying to do more and more. They talk about all the good they are doing and they are doing some good, but don't do it at the expense of putting guilt trips on little old grey headed folks that are easily confused.

This prosperity preacher used Proverbs 3:9-10 which does refer to material prosperity, but read a little further and it says in my own words, "Happy is the man that finds wisdom and understanding, for it is better than gold, silver, and precious rubies and all the things you want cannot be compared to God's priceless blessings." There's just no comparison. This preacher said, "Ya'll are just breaking even." No sir, my friend. My cup runneth over. How about yours? Can you say amen?

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