The Prosperity Gospel?

The prosperity Theology or the Gospel of Wealth is about as prevalent today as ever before. We hear this type of Gospel from "preachers" who stand before camera's and some even before their congregations and rebuke the "spirit of poverty". By doing this, they are assuring their audiance that material prosperity will come their way if they do as they are being told. We're told that we need to get into true biblical prosperity as the wise men did many years ago. We're told the money they brought literally met the financial needs of Mary, Joseph, and the child in their desperate hour. Now, by sending money to the evangelist in his desparate hour, according to their communication to us, one may expect to become materially prosperous, just like the wise men who gave generously to baby Jesus. You may say even right now, I haven't heard this before. Well, "preachers, evangelist" like this represent a large and visable segment of American Evangelicalism that subscribes to what is call "prosperity theology," or "the health and wealth gospel." This worldview thrives , in churches and in parachurch ministries, only because such men have willing supporters, eager to get their share of the prosperity pie. I'm not talking about someone outside the church but this seems to be very previlent inside the church. It addresses the attitudes and lifestyles of millions of mainstream Christians who, to varying degrees and sometimes without realizing it, have bought into a lie of prosperity theology.
Due to lack of time today, I'm going to let this stop right here, but if you would like to hear more on this subject and about what God has to say about this issue, then I just might take it even further. God bless and I'm wishing everyone who reads my blog, a very blessed day. Never forget, this day is a gift from God and God has a plan for this day for you.

10 ways Materialism brings us to ruin

In my last post, I promised to share with you the ways Materialism creates ruin in our lives. Keep in my, that I am a Stewardship Pastor and so everything that I share with you is never original since most of what I write to you is from the Bible. I also quote and in some cases actually reprint what someone else wrote. So if you see something that you've seen before, just remember, I don't claim fame to any of this. I will let you know when I become original. OK Here we go.

1. Materialism prevents or destroys our spiritual life: In Rev. 3:17-18 Jesus rebuked the Laodicean Christians because although they were materially wealthy, they were desperately poor in the things of God. Just as in the Laodicean's, Materialism blinds us to our own spiritual poverty. Puritan Richard Baxter said, "When men prosper in the world, their minds are lifted up with their estates, and they can hardly believe that they are so ill, while they feel themselves so well."
Materialism is a friutless attempt to find meaning outside of God. When we try to find ultimate fulfillment in a person other than Christ or a place other than heaven, we become idolaters. In Jeremiah 2: 11-13 God tells us that materialism is not only evil, it is tragic and pathetic.
2. Materialism blinds us to the curses of wealth: In January 28, 1960 edition of the Washington Post, John Steinbedk wrote a letter to Adlai Stevenson which stated,
We can stand anything God and nature can throw at us save only plenty, If I wanted to destroy a nation, I would give it too much, and I would have it on its knees, miserable, greedy, sick. Ezekiel 28:4-5 says, "By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wialth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud." Hosea 13:6 puts it this way,
"When I fed them, they were satisfied, when they were satisfied, they became proud: then they forgot me." Mark 10:23-25 suggest that the possession of riches is almost always a spiritual liability. Jesus says that it is hard for a rich man to enter God's kingdom, and if being a part of the kingdom of heaven is the highest blessing a person can receive, then how can we imagine that having riches is always a blessing from God? Was God blessing the rich fool? the rich man who neglected Lazarus? the wealthy and wicked kings of Israel, Babylon, and Assyria?
3. Materialism brings us unhappiness and anxiety: Ever played the "If only" game? If ony I could get a raise, If only I could get a better paying job, if only I could buy a new car, if onlly I could get that boat, country cottage, dress, rifle, or toy, then I would be happy. If ony I had more money, I'd give more. These ideas are all contrary to scripture. Jesus says if a man is not faithful with little, he will not be faithful with much. Listen to what some wealthy men said, "I have made many millions, but they have brough me no happiness=John D. Rockefeller
"The care of $200 million is enough to kill anyone, there is no pleasure in it" W. H. Vanderbilt. "I am the most miserable man on earth" John Jacob Astor
"I was happier when doing a mechanic's job" Henry Ford. "Millionaires seldom smile" Andrew Carnegie. The wealthiest man ever to live was Solomon and in Ecclesiastes 5:12 he said, the more we have, the more we have to worry about.
4. Materialism ends in ultimate futility: The book of Ecclesiastes is the most powerful expose of mateialism ever written. Solomon recounts his attempts to find meaning in pleasure, laughter, alcohol, folly, building projects, and the pursuit of personal interests, as well as in amassing slaves, gold and silver, singers, and a huge harem to fulfill his sexual desires. He acheived the ultimate success and international fame living by this philosopy: "I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure" 2:10 The more Solomon had, the more he was tempted to indulge. His indulgence led to sin, and his sin brough misery. In chapter 5: 10-15 are statements that Solomon finally come to conclusion with. Everything was meaningless!
5. Materialism obscures many of the best things in life, which are free--including the gift of salvation: Did you know that some of life's greatest blessings are free to both rich and poor. Isaiah 55:1 says "come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost." Rev. 22:17 gives that same invitation. The greatest thing worth having doesn't cost, in fact it's free to all. In fact it cant' be bought with money, regardless of how much you have. "ITS FREE!"
John Piper helps us envision the final irony of materialism:
Picture 269 people entering eternity in a plane crash in the Sea of Japan. Before the crash there is a noted politician, a millionaire corporate executive, a playboy and his playmate, a missionary kid on the way back from visiting his grandparents. After the crash they stand before God utterly stripped of mastercards, checkbooks, credit lines, image cloths, how-to-succeed books, and Hilton reservations. Here are the politician, the executive, the playboy, and the misisonary kid, all on level ground with nothing, absolutely nothing, in their hands, possession ony what they brought in their hearts. How absurd and tragic the lover of money will seem on that day----like a man who spends his whole life collecting trains tickets and in the end is so weighed down by the collection he misses the last train.
6. Materialism spawns independence and self-sufficiency, which are deadly to faith: Why have faith in God when you have faith in yourself? Why trust God when you have all your bases covered? Why pray when you have everything under control? Why ask for your daily bread when you own the bakery? Self-Sufficiency is the great enemy of faith and prayer, which are the hearbeat of the Christian life.
Alexander Maclaren writes: If we wnat to get needs supplied, our weakness strengthened, and wisdom to dispel our perplexity, we must be where all the pvovision is stored. If a man chooses to sit outside the provision shop, he may starve on its threhold. If a women willnot go into the ban, her pockets will remain empty though there may be bursting vaults to which she has a right. If we will not ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place by simple faith, God's amplest provision will be nothing to us, and we will be empty in the midst of affluence.
7. Materialism leads to pride and elitism: Deuteronomy 6:1-15; 31:20; 32:15-18 2 Chronicles 26:6-16; Psalm 49:5-6 52:7; Proverbs 30:8-9; Hosea 13: 4-6 are all references that prove our tendency in prosperity is to believe we deserve the credit for what we have and to grow proud and thankless. Paul says in 1 Cor. 4:7 "For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you di not? Paul tell Timothy in 1 Tim. 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant. One of the uglier manifestations of pride is elitism, an illusion of superiority over others taht's held by a priviledged classs. Elitism is at the heart of racism, nationalism, and denominationalism. It is sometimes the driving force behind private clubs, restaurants,hotels, schools, fraternities, sororities, certain churches, and countless affiliations. Jesus came and died for every person of every social and economic level. Paul reminded the proud Corinthians that the Church is made up of the dregs of this world. 1 Cor. 1:26-31 Few things are more repugnant to the Lord than the rich despising the poor. Job 12:5
8. Materialism promotes injustice and exploitation: Money is power. Power is not intrinsically evil, of course, but it is intrinsically dangerous. Only God is all powerful, and only our all-good God can afford to be. James condems the rich, virtually assuming that anyone who is rich practices injustice to the poor and will come under God's judgement as a result. James5:1-6
Not in all cases, but in more than most, the rich man will usually be materialistic. The materialistic man will always be unjust. The wealthier the man, the greater his opportunity for injustice. Of course, the wealthy man is no more inherently sinful than the poor---he simply has more means and opportunity to subsidize and impose his sins upon others.
9: Materialism fosters immorality and the dterioration of the family: Motiveshaving to do with money or sex accouont for 99 percent of the crimes committed in the U.S., but those with mney as their object outpoint sexual offenses by a ratio of four to one. Materialism underlies the vast majority of illega activities. For years studies have shown that "among both men and women the indicence of marital infidelity rises in conjunction with an increase in income." Indeed, of men who income isn't far above minimum wage, 31 percent conduct adulterous affairs but of those with triple that income the number committing adultery increases to 70 percent. A consequence of adultery is often divorce, and the consequences of divorce in the lives of children are inesimable. Even when adultery doen't result in divorce, it destroys the fabric of marriage and prevents the home from being a moral sanctuary from the corruption of the world. Anything that contributes to an increase in immorality, as materialism clearly does, directly contributes to the breakdown of families and the deterioration of society.
10. Materialism distracts us from our central purpose: John Wesley complained that too few preached against the sin of loving money,which he believed hindered revival: Wesley note that in the old days of Methodism, the people were poor. But, he observed....many Methodists had become 20,30, or even 100 times richer than they were at first. With this increase in wealth had come a decrease in godliness. It seemed to him the more money the Methodists had, the less they loved the Lord. In Matthew 13 Jesus tells a parable about various kinds of people who respond to the gospel. He said that some seed "fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants" He later explained what this meant. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. In the parable of the great banquet, Jesus describes invitations that went out to three men. All three declined. Why, because they had more important, more pressing concerns, more distractions if you will. They were not doing bad things, just more important things , a new field, a new wife, a new herd. They were preoccupied with their new treasures. Now we must ask ourselves this question: For what seemingly good, legitimate, and compelling reasons are we saying NO to God's invitation to us? Are your possessions and other pressing concerns causing you to miss the banquet?

Hope this has helped you as you determine if any of these issues belong to you.
Only you can answer this and only you and God know the real truth.

Materialism and it's dangers

As I shared with you last time, one of the reasons I wanted to create this blog,(honestly Beth really created it) was to share with you some things that God has done in my life and one of those things is, He has shown me what real Stewardship is. When I use the term "stewardship", most people immediately think "money". Just one of many aspects of stewardship, so today I want to share some things about materialism and the dangers it presents to us and to those we are closest to.
John D Rockefeller said, "The poorest man I know is the man who has nothing but money."
Max Gunther said, "the type of man most likely to grow very, very rich is the type of man least likely to enjoy it."
The devil makes the assumption that every person in this world, past, present and or future will have their price. I've found that most people will give in to or surrender themselves and their principles or lack thereof, to whatever gods will bring them the greatest profit. God spoke of these same issues in Isaiah 57:3-9, Jeremiah 3:1-10 and Ezekiel 15:1-48. In fact He calls Israel a harlet meaning they would leave him for someone else only if the price is right.
I read once a short story that demonstrates best what God is trying to say. Now you must hold on to your hat because it sounds obscene but truth jumps out of it as clearly as anything I can try to explain. So please hang on and try to get the jest of the story: OK
A beartiful young women who was surrounded by a lot of wealthy socialites sat at a dinner table on a beautify boat. Much to her surprise, a millionaire passed her a note which ask, "Will you go to bed with me tonight for ten thousand dollars? The young beautiful women blushed but responded by note right back to the millionaire. "YES" So they both left the party and while they were walking, the millionaire ask the question like this, "Will you go to bed with me for Ten dollars? The women was outraged and ask the man, "What kind of women do you think I am?
The millionaire was very matter-of-fact and replied. "We've already determined what kind of women you are. Now we're just trying to find your price."
Unfortunately, that's the way most of us are. We have a price. Anything less than our price, brings us to an outrage. In the above scripture God portreys Israel as a prostitute because she is willing to abandone her rightful husband (God) and sells herself to the highest bidder
Now the New Testament tells us that greed is idolatry (Col. 3:5) and we know that Idolatry is serving or worshiping anything other than God. Everything we have including money and material things are either a tool or an idol.
Herbert Schlossberg speaks of idolatrous nature of materialism this way. "The common expression that best describes such a value system as, the pursuit of the almighty dollar, is soundly based in the recognition that the exaltation of possessions to the level of ultimacy is the end of a religious quest, one that seeks and ascribes ultimate meaning. Like all idolatries, it finds ultimate meaning in as aspect of the creation rather than in the Creator. And like all idolatries it finds outlet in destructive pathologies taht wreck human lives.
Sounds like a use of a lot of words to say Greed or idolatry is man's way of serving another god and it will always bring about destruction.
Let's see what Scripture says about this thing of idolatry or greed and it's destructive result.
1 Timothy 6:9-10 says it this way, "people who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men 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."
It appears that Materialism consists of the two things God hates most--idolatry and adultry.
The love of materialism (money) is the root of every evil that we know. It all starts with the love of money, not money but the love of materialism and or money. It causes self destructive nature in all of us to repeatedly pierce ourselves with all kinds of grief. Jesus even said that the rich are at a spiritual disadvantage in Matthew 19:23-24 and yet who of us today does not use the term "I need".
Scripture tells us what we really long for, what the deepest desire and need of our hearts. Listen!
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God....for the living God
Psalms 42:1-2 NASB
My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalms 63:1 NASB
How priceless is your unfailing love! both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. for with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Psalm 36:7-9
Taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 34:8
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matt. 5:6
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has siad, streams of living water will flow from within him. John 7:37-38
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost fromt he spring of the water of life. Rev. 21:6

All of us should come to realization that our old nature is greed, idolatry and without a close and clean life under the arms of God, we can go back to that old nature. Only Christ can keep us close and clean and He will not force us to do so. Their are consequences to that disobedience.
We should all pray as St. Augustine prayed.
"How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose! You drove them from me, you who are the true, the sovereign joy. You drove them from me and took their place, you who are sweeter than all pleasure."

Next time, I will share with you the 10 things that our Materialism prevents or destroys.
STAY TUNED!

Thanks to Beth

Well, it appears that the older I get, the less I know. Now that's different than my Dad. I use to think when I was young that he didn't know anything, but the older he got and the older I got, the more he seemed to know. Beth has helped set up this blog site and so what you see as updates, and changes, she did. So thanks Daughter, you one of the three greatest. Notice I can't leave your sisters out. Today at lunch, I was telling a real good friend who is my accountability partner that a man who was working on a web site for me unexpectantly died last Friday. But just as I mentioned that, he ask me his name and for the life of me, I couldn't remember. The more I tried to think, the more "Blank" my mind went. So apparently, I'm either developing that dreaded terrible "Alzheimers" or I'm just so "absent minded" that I can't remember a name. Now just as soon as I got in my car and drove away from the resturant we were at, this man's name came to me, but for 30 minutes I couldn't remember it. Does that ever happen to you? Well, I've had a few people come from Beth's blog to visit me here, and I've had a couple of folks speak to me, but many more can if you like. One of the main reasons I wanted to have this blog is so I could have a forum to speak about my ministry and about our Lord. I have been in Stewardship at FBCW now for over 10 years and during those years, I've been blessed to write material for training and teaching. We have used it here at FBCW and I've been blessed to see people's life changed, not because I'm good at writing but because God is good at speaking to hearts. So if you would like to hear about any of these writings or trainings, let me know and I will put it right here on this blog. Well, that's all I have time for right now, so may you have a very blessed day and may God in His infinant wisdom bless you with just what you need to help you through this God blessed day.

How Ya Like Me Now?

I have updated a few things - let me know how you like the new look.

Getting the hang of things

Well, I just spoke to Beth by phone and her oldest son is out of school today sick. Her other son woke up after having a bad dream about spiders and she went in to see Lake and scared him to death. I told her that she lived in a zoo and that we needed to start charging for admission. Beth is a very verbalizing person and she has learned from her sister how to make a short story--long. To know Beth is to love Beth. She has a different take on life than most young women and she is full of fun and yet can be so serious. She has some real sympathy for people at times and at times she can quip real hard and fast. Lisa who is the oldest of the three daughters, is a happy go lucky, no big deal kind of girl. She lives and let's live and just doesn't seem to get up in the air about nothing. Jennifer is the youngest and I would say she is half and half being like her two older sisters. She is high strung sometimes and low strung at other times. The one thing that is consistant with all three of my daughters is they really love their Dad and for that I am so blessed. God is so good to me and I'm so proud of my girls and I wouldn't change one thing for any of them even if I could. They have given me 5 precious grand-children and what else could a man ever want this side of heaven. So to say the least, I'm very proud Dad. I also like my sons-in-laws. They too are very different and that's not all bad either. I really believe that each of them love my daughter with all their hearts. Do they always show it? Probably not but my daughters probably don't always show their love for their husbands either. But again, I'm very proud of them all. Although they each are different, the difference is attractive and it shows their individualities. You will find, in this blog, the things I like talking about are my pride and joy which is my daughters. I also like talking about my Lord because of what He has done in my life. Iam so blessed and I realize that all blessings come from Christ and He is the source of my strength. Well this is all for today and perhaps later I will give you some insight about all of our family.

Here Goes

Well here goes, I've tried this once and thought I was doing so good and because I don't have a clue as to how to do this, I lost what I wrote and so here I am again doing it over.
I'm a proud 62 year old dad who has 3 daughters, 4 if you count Shelley and I have 5 grandchildren. I'm very proud of all these girls and what they are accomplishing in life. Lisa is my oldest and she has 3 children. Lisa and her oldest son Brandon are going to graduate from college this spring. Now that's my kinda girl. Lisa very seldom every had to study in high school and so going back to college and working full time was not as hard on her as with most people. But I know it's hard as it would be on anybody, but that's my girl, she's tough and when she put's her head to it. she knows how to get it done. Bethanne is my middle girl. She has two boys ages 4 and 6. If you've read her blog, you know that the oldest son just recently got saved and was baptised. She's on cloud nine, as she should be, about that. Bethanne graduated several years ago summa cum ladan ? Can't spell and it's obvious all three of my girls are smarter than me. Jennifer is my youngest daughter and she is working now while her husband is going back to school. He recently got out of the Marine Corp where he spent two terms in Iraq. He's studing Computer Science. I'm hoping that she will get her education as soon as her husband graduates. They have no children yet.
I was in banking for over 25 years and spent five years building and selling Real Estate. God called me into the Stewardship Ministry at FBCW some 10 years ago and I have been blessed to see many couples come to know real freedom in Knowing Christ and others in becomeing free from debt. Last year alone, 32 persons came to my office admitting they had financial problems and as I shared Christ with them, they prayed to recieve Christ as Savior. Awesome thing for God to turn our heads and our hearts at the same time. I was saved at the age of 27, after having tried fooling everybody around me for many years. On Dec. 3, 1971, I tursted Christ as my Lord and Savior. Now this is a little about me and I might tell you more as I get the nerve, or better yet can think of what to write, but for right now this is the start.