Prosperity in Christian Teachings
What do we need to learn and know about prosperity and
destiny in contemporary Christian Gospel Sermons?
by
Godfrey
Babu
Does the authentic teaching of a True Gospel of Jesus Christ
parallel the teachings of “sowing a hundred dollar seed” expecting to reap
cars, promotions, big houses, businesses and money?
Maybe let’s understand what Christianity is all about, why
should one be Christian and what are the attributes and benefits? Perhaps we
will comprehend our promises that lead us to our destiny.
Christianity (Christus –
Follower of Christ) Is a belief fascinated and portrayed by faith entailed
through teachings (Holy Bible) that God the father in a virtue of incarnation,
he acquired a human body named Jesus. He (Jesus being the Son of God) was
persecuted for the sins of all men and he overcame death through his
resurrection promising to raise those who believe in him in the last judgment
and accord to them with eternal life.
(Refer
John 1 NIV)
Once we accept Jesus as the Lord and Savior of our life, we are
professing that, He is the Master and we are his slaves, we submit our
conscience and ability saying;
‘Here I am Lord, I
believe in you and your word, I repent of my wrong doings and wickedness. Cleanse
and sanctify me, remove my name from the book of judgment and condemnation and
write me in the book of Restoration and Life, I commit my life into obeying
your word, heeding to your instructions and your lead to follow and Love
you…. Thank you Jesus for saving
me. Amen’
These simple words (seemingly) carry the whole meaning of
our new faith in Christ upon which we commit our lives to.
Wait a minute, we might need to clear what really Loving and
Following Jesus mean;
“Jesus replied, If anyone loves me, he will obey my
teachings.” (John 14:23 NIV)
When you receive Jesus in your life, you are set free from
the bondage of sin (alcohol addiction, lusting eyes, haughty eyes, envy,
pornography, sexual immorality, homosexuality, lying etc.) and you are transformed
into a new creature, behold, all the past has been forgiven and forgotten and
God put a New law in your heart to obey and live by.
But, Would we become perfect If we obey all of God’s
commands: Abstain from sexual immorality, give no false testimony against your neighbor,
honor your mother and your father and Loving our neighbors like we love
ourselves?
(Mat 19:18 NIV)
Well, the answer is
NO………. Listen;
"Jesus answered, if you want to be perfect, go sell your
possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then
come, follow me” (Mat 19:21 NIV)
An act of perfection and being ready to follow Jesus
questions our radical ability and response when the area of our possessions can
be deeply challenged and If we truly mean what we confess, when we say we give
all for God during salvation.
Does the Bible teach us,
in the course of salvation we shall be blessed with riches and abundance?
“Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine
clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special
attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here's a good seat for
you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my
feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and becomes judges with evil
thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen
those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are
they not the ones who are dragging you into court?" (James 2:2-6 NIV)
God’s word profoundly indicates how poverty, devastation, famine,
diseases, atrocity, war, outcasts, widows, orphans, discriminated, lowly etc,
value in his heart.
Is it not God’s calling to all men through salvation enriched by
spiritual gifts to reach out to those needs?
Listen again;
"Beware of the teachers of the law . . . They devour your widows'
houses . . . Such men will be punished severely." (Luke 20:46-47)
In fact this is the prophetic answer to why Jesus came on earth?
“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for
the captives and realize from darkness for the prisoners…. to comfort who mourn
(Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV)
On the contrary, what the bible teaches us, is our obligation, perhaps
our duty towards our neighbor in need.
This is a true relation amongst us that God entitled upon us to reflect
the relationship with him.
“If anyone says, I love God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For
anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom
he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also
love his brother” (1 John 4:20 NIV)
In Christianity, God reaches mankind through sacrifice of his son; this
is our theology and religion regardless of denominations and parts.
Look at the
description of a true religion;
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to
look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being
polluted by the world” (James
1:26)
- • What happen to the loving church? Where is the heart of God and compassion?
•
- Where is the position of our lowly Jesus who said ‘birds have nests and wolves caves but the son of man has no where to lay his head’
•
- Why didn’t he (Jesus) tell his disciple to saw to his twelve apostles so that they will reap mansions, diamonds, money and expensive possessions?
•
- Does Jesus beatitudes teach us ‘something is about to happen in receiving big houses and expensive cars’?
- • Does God want us to dream higher and be rich?
Read this shocking answer;
“Jesus said to his disciples, I tell you the truth, it is hard for a
rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of God”
(Mat 19:23)
Do these words mean anything to us?
Do these words help us understand our position and obligations
with respect to others?
Does our human desire be justified by the call in our life as
Christians when we read that scripture?
Is it right for pastors, elders, priests, apostles, bishops, and
prophets to possess mega bank accounts, luxury cars and fancy houses?
What went wrong?
Why did God’s extravagant devotional Love for the poor be so
undermined and degraded?
"Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters
were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” (Ezekiel 16:4
What should we do as Christians?
(Det. 15:11 NIV)
After we acknowledge with our hearts, and our mouths confess the grace
of Jesus and be saved, God refill our hearts with his abundant immeasurable and
Unconditional Love to share with the needy and unloved.
The scripture promise us of
rewards otherwise severe punishments when we engage our ministry with
the lost/discriminated or we despise them and seek rich destiny respectively.
"He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his
eyes to them receives many curses." (Proverbs 28:27)
Lets remind our enduring faith that, we were given for free and we
should seek not to accumulate but give also for free. The word of God says, we
should give without expecting to receive.
This is the fundamental pillar of Christianity, it symbolizes the fact that
Christianity is not about hypocrisy and selfishness, Jesus lived poor and gave
without expecting to receive so should the followers live. It entails that God
is a God who is fair and just.
For
we shall be holy because he is holy
Dear friends, let us always remember this radical verse, Jesus challenged our righteousness in the gospel of Matthew;
“If your rights will not exceed those of Pharisees (normal
people/unchristian), Amen I tell you, you will NEVER enter the kingdom of God.”
-Godfrey
