Tragedy of prosperity doctrine

'“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy an eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is notbread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?" Isaiah 55:1-2
'Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. ' 1 John 2:15-17

"Name it and claim it"

"God wants you to be rich"

"Plant a seed and you will get a return"

Sounds familiar? Many itchy ears long to hear these claims, andwant to believe them. They believe enough to give money

they don't really have, and the TV preacher takes it and burns it

all up on his private jet. Rather a spiritual Ponzi scheme, it

seems. The Word of Faith movement works for those on top,

but they are just grifters.

It has, of course, nothing to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

These dudes are selling something and the naive are all too

willing to hear them. Most often, the "seed" they plant dies

right there, with no hope of the return they are promised. But

that they come up empty while the preachers jet around the

world is not the real tragedy. The real disaster is that those who

line up to hear this message are focused on "that which is not

bread". Their hearts are focused on the pride of life, the lust of

the eyes and the lust of the flesh, and not on that which is

Eternal. Even if they did receive the promised blessings, they

still could not take any of it with them. He who dies with the

most toys still dies, and "moth and rust" eat it away.

Jesus said, "Store up for yourselves treasure in Heaven". He

had many curiosity seekers who were there for the miracles

and signs and wonders. He would not entrust Himself to them.

His Kingdom was not of this world, and only the pure in heart

would see Him. So the itchy ears crowd would soon dissipate.

Jesus asks his disciples if they are checking out too. No, says

Peter, to whom else would we go? We know that you have the

words of eternal life. Amen.

I believe a time of testing may well be upon the church of 2021.

The early tremors of instability may be a precursor of a coming

earthquake that will shatter any illusion of security. Those whose

hearts are not lined up with Eternity will suffer such painful loss

that they may well end up bailing on Jesus. That He would ask

"Will the Son of Man comes back, will He find faith on the earth" is not just a rhetorical statement. A great falling away, or

apostasy, is prophesied, as is the greatest persecution the true

church has ever known. Very few true believers may be left on

earth at the sound of the last Trump, when Jesus returns to

receive the Kingdom.

Let us then turn our eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful

face, and let the things of earth grow strangely dim, in the light

of His glory and grace!