The Heresy of the Prosperity Gospel.

Without a doubt, one of the worst things on television is the many programs posing as "Christian". They preach a gospel that is no gospel at all. Instead it is a bunch of Godless people praying on the emotions of the poor and the sick who really think that if they send these charlitans their money they will get healed or that God will drop thousands of dollars in their laps.

This kind of teaching has brought more harm to the church and the name of Christ than any athiest who runs around shouting from the roof tops that there is no God. Why? Because it is so deceptive and plays on people's emotions. These health, wealth and prosperity teachers are the wolves in sheeps clothing Jesus mentioned in Matthew 7:15:

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves."

They spew forth lies and sprinkle it with some truth, but a glass of pure water with just one drop of poison will still kill you. But people tend to flock to these TV preachers because they are desperate. Perhaps they've just been told that they have cancer or that their house is about to be foreclosed on. They're flipping through the channels and land on a "christian" broadcasting channel and the hear some guy who looks and acts like a preacher and is supposed to be a "man of God" tell them to send money and he'll guarentee that God will bless their lives.

Of course the next month their house gets forclosed on anyway, their out the money they sent the preacher, and at the same time they helped to support his lavish lifestyle, and they now consider Christianity a joke.

Unfortunately, these poor deceived people think they are hearing the true Gospel when in reality they are receiving a counterfeit. And who is the one who tries to counterfeit everything God does? Satan! That's why true Christians must be very careful in decerning the one true Gospel, from all the counterfeit's out there. Remember Jesus' words;

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14

Heresy Is Nothing New

False teachings began creeping into the church almost immediately and we see a number of the New Testament writers addressing the problems of heresey in the churches even back then. For example take a look at Jude. He wanted so much to write to his brothers about the great salvation that we all share but because of the false teachings creeping into the church, he felt it necessary to turn and, urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints."

Just like today's televangelists who lead people astray and are in it only for the money, the same was true even back in the first century. Jude goes on to say, "Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion. These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm - shepherds who feed only themselves...", "These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage." Jude 11-12a, 16

Aren't these words true today of the health, wealth and prosperity crowd today? Everything they do is for profit and to be on TV, seen by men. They are shepherds who feed themselves with other people's money. And how do they get other people's money? By flattering them with words of how good they are and how great they can be if they will just look inside themselves. These people are told they can 'have their best life now.' This is a message straight from the depths of hell. We should never look for answers from within ourselves. We are totally depraved, wicked to the core and sinful. How is looking at that going to help us?

Peter also speaks of people who are in ministry for personal gain when he says, "With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they suduce the unstable; they are experts in greed - an accursed brood! They have left the straight way and have wondered off to followthe way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. 2 Peter 2:14-15

And isn't this what marks most of these TV preachers today? Insatiable greed? Without a doubt, it is the worst kind of materialism and it prostitutes the real intent of the true Gospel.

Peter continues by saying, These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boasful words and by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaved to depravity - for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 2 Peter 2:17-19

So as you can see, these greedy false teachers had already been infiltrating the church even back in the first century. But the New Testament writers were quick to deal with it and rebuke it, exposing it for what is was, a fraudulent gospel.

What about today though? Its actually much worse today, because once this false teaching had been accepted as being Christian, it deceives the masses who no longer study God's Word to hold these leaders accountable.

The Charlitans Of Today

Unfortunately, today's health, wealth and prosperity teachers are actually much worse than the fraud found on Wall Street a few years ago with Bernie Madoff. At least the money Bernie Madoff took was from people who had money in the first place. John MacArthur puts it this way, "I think it’s far worse than Bernie Madoff, what a perfect name, Bernie Made off with everybody’s money. But, you know, those people had a lot of money and they had enough money to give to Bernie. What’s worse about the other thing...I think there’s more money involved in the fraud on Christian television than even Madoff if you added it all up through the years. But what makes this so much worse is, Bernie Madoff played on the rich. These guys play on the poor and the sick and the destitute and the desperate."

One of the big problems today though is that all this errant teaching on the airwaves is never critiqued. And why do you suppose that is? Well, if you think about it, it all boils down to money and greed. If you're a TV station owner and you're broadcasting someone like Benny Hinn or Joel Osteen and they are brining in millions of dollars to your station, are you going to call them out on their unbiblical teachings. I don't think so. If you send them a disk that exposes the truth of Benny Hinn, do you think it will ever see the light of day at that station. No way!

But any true Christian who knows anything about Scripture, about the Bible, knows deep down in their heart that the Charasmatic movement is not Biblical. This health, wealth and prosperity stuff, espoused mostly by the Charasmatic movement is completely unbiblical. Instead of being based on solid doctrine and theology it is instead based on feelings and emotion which is so easy for Satan to manipulate and lead people astray.

Once evangelicalism opened itself up and embraced this stuff, doctrine was out the window. And where do we get doctrine? The Bible. In his book, Charasmatic Chaos, John MacArthur gives a perfect example of what is happening today as people in evangelicalism replace good solid Bible study with emotiional experiences:

A woman wrote to me seething with anger; this is what she said in her letter,

"You resort to Greek translations and fancy words to explain away what the Holy Spirit is doing in the Church today. Let me give you a piece of advice that might just save you from the wrath of the Almighty God. Put away your Bible and your books and stop studying. Ask the Holy Ghost to come upon you and give you the gift of tongues. You have no right to question something you've never experienced."

Would Scripture ever tell us to put away Scripture?? What does the Bible say?

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2)

One thing that non-Christians think is that if you become a Christian you must leave your brain at the door. But nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible teaches the exact opposite.

But people today are lazy, they want wealth, health and prosperity but they don't want to have to work for these things. Why study God's word? That takes work. Instead I'll just let some preacher tell me how to turn God on when I need some money and then I can turn Him off again after that. After all I'm a Christian and God is obligated to do my bidding. Notice how it puts man on the throne and makes the Lord subservient to man. completley unbiblical.

And what do people want? Money right? Good health, power, prestiege. That’s what the unregenerate person wants, that’s not what the gospel offers. The gospel is not intended to give the unregenerate what they want. What the unregenerate want is really irrelevant to the gospel. What the gospel promises to give you is what an unregenerate person doesn’t want, deliverance from sin, holiness, the promise of heaven, godly friends, a worshiping life. People don’t want that.

So what have they done? They’ve invented a gospel that gives people what they want and makes them rich at the same time. And what we have today is what the Apostle Paul warned Timothy that would happen in the last days:

For a time will come when men will not endure sound doctrine, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."

Sound like what's happening to the chuch today? If not, just turn on the Trinity Broadcasting Network and watch in stunned amazement as these heretics tell you how to become rich by sending them your money.

God help us.

Rob