The Place of Prosperity in Gospel Proclamation 2

This is the second part of an essay written by a dear friend of mine on the prosperity gospel.

"When we come to consider the place of prosperity in gospel proclamation we must look at what the popular ‘prosperity gospel’ looks like and what the main supporters of it are saying. Here I have tried to summarise the main points of it. I have obviously missed bits and I hope I have interpreted their writings correctly and presented them fairly.

"At the heart of this message is that the death of Christ has not only overcome the curse laid upon us at the fall, it has also overcome the effect of this curse (Galatians 3), for example sickness and poverty in this age.[1] One of the main texts that is used is Deuteronomy 28; "...all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord." The passage then goes on to list the blessings, including blessings in the city, the field, in childbirth, your animals and your home life.

"Other passages from scripture are used including Joshua 1:8, Psalms 34:10, Psalm 35:27, Job 36:11, Mark 10:29-30 and 3 John 2. Kenneth Copeland is one of the biggest advocates of the movement and says "You are an heir to the blessing which God gave to Abraham. This blessing found in Deuteronomy 28 covers every area of your existence: spirit, soul, body, financially and socially."[2]

"He also says; "Healing is just as much a part of the plan of redemption as salvation, the Holy Spirit and heaven as your eternal home".[3] There are many more examples coming from America and other parts of the world. The message is very similar, it is not God’s will for you to be sick or poor or suffering; the cross has defeated the curse and the effect of sin on our lives. So if we are Christian and we step out in faith and pray expecting God to do it, we will be blessed in every area of our life from wealth to health. "If you need healing, you can’t sit back and wait for God to drop it down to you. You have to do what it takes so you can rise up in faith and take what rightfully belongs to you!"[4]

"This idea is also picked up in the teaching of Brian Houston and Hillsong; "If you and I can change our thinking and develop a healthy attitude toward money, I believe we can walk in the blessing and prosperity that God intends for us. We will never have a problem with money again."[5]

"Joel Osteen is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Texas, which according to some is the fastest growing church in America. In his latest book "Your best Life Now" he lays down 7 steps or principles to "improve your life". This is not just in financial terms; prosperity is available in every area of life:

"God wants to make your life easier. He wants to assist you, to promote you, to give you advantages. He wants you to have preferential treatment… if you are unmarried and believing for a mate, you… can just relax, knowing that at exactly the right time, God is going to bring the perfect person into your life… if you tithe your income, God will make sure you get promoted. He’ll cause you to get the best deals in life."[6]

"So, in summary the prosperity gospel says that if you follow the rules of prosperity, positive confession, praying with faith, believing that God can do things, we can live our life in comfort and success. Every area of our lives can be transformed from finance, to marriage, to our career, to our happiness and joy to health. This is what the God promises for every Christian who believes."

1. Andrew Heard: A Different Jesus. www.ccec.com.au
2. Kenneth Copeland: Welcome to the Family, KCP Publications, Fort Worth, 1979, p.22
3. Kenneth Copeland: You are Healed, KCP Productions, Fort Worth, 1979, p.7.
4. Gloria Copeland: Take Your Healing by Faith. www.kcm.org
5. Brian Houston: You Need More Money: Discovering God’s amazing financial plan for your life, Maximised Leadership, Castle Hill, 1990, pp10, 55.
6. Joel Osteen: Your Best Life Now: 7 steps to living at your full potential. Warner Faith, New York, 2004.

God Bless.

Dear Freedom

The Place of Prosperity in Gospel Proclamation 1

This is the first part of an essay written by a dear friend of mine on the prosperity gospel.

"What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever declares the Westminster Shorter Catechism[1]. The Bible says that; "in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore"[2]. John Piper imitates this when he says; "the gospel of God and the love of God are expressed finally and fully in God’s gift of himself for our everlasting pleasure"[3].

"When we think about the gospel that we preach, the message that we proclaim, what place do we give to prosperity? How much do we mimic the catechism? Indeed is it correct to preach prosperity? Across the world the "prosperity gospel" movement is spreading and increasing in size and influence. Well, where does scripture stand on prosperity and what is the correct response to it?

"The definition of prosperity is a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition[4] and ultimately this is the promise of the Christian faith, this is the great promise of the gospel proclaimed right through the Bible and by the church today. Jonathan Edwards, the 18th Century puritan and revivalist said:

"Such as have Christ, they have better and greater riches than others... Far better pleasures than sensual men. The joys are more exquisitely delighting than ever was enjoyed by the greatest epicure. [There are] no pleasures like those that are by the enlightening of the Spirit of Christ, the discoveries of the beauty of Christ and the manifestations of his love[5]."

"As we come to think about the gospel that we proclaim to the world, the message of salvation that we hold out to lost people it is important that we tell them about Jesus, for "though he was rich, yet for your sake became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich"[6]. Prosperity does and must have a place in gospel proclamation, for one day when Christ returns to judge there are only two options for every member of the human race; either a lost eternity in hell, or before the throne enjoying God forever and living in absolute prosperity. Revelation assures us; "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away"[7]. On that day the Christian really will be rich beyond measure."

1. Westminster Shorter Catechism.
2. Psalm 16:11
3. John Piper. God is the Gospel, chapter 11, The Gospel – What makes it ultimately good: seeing glory or being glorious?
4. www.dictionary.com
5. Jonathan Edwards. ‘Glorying in the Saviour’ in Sermons and Discourses 1723 – 1729, in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, volume 14. New Haven, Conn; Yale University Press, 1997.
6. 2 Corinthians 8:9
7. Revelation 21:4

God Bless.

Dear Freedom

He who has an ear...

"And so in Jesus’ right hand are the churches, and in his left is the Holy Spirit. And John Stott says, “If only he would bring His hands together! If only the Spirit would fill the church! Then this church would be alive.” That’s what a dead church needs – the life-giving energy of the Spirit of God. That’s what a complacent church needs, for he is the Spirit of life (Romans 8:2):

· It is the Holy Spirit who can breathe life into formal worship.

· It is the Holy Spirit who can animate our dead works until they pulsate with life.

· It is the Holy Spirit who can rescue a dying church and make it a living force in a community.

· It is the Holy Spirit who can transform our actions and change a church that’s lost its oomph.

"Again, John Stott says of the Holy Spirit, “A stale church can be refreshed by him, a sleepy church awakened, a weak church strengthened, and a dead church made alive.” See how this all goes together: if we’re complacent, our job is to wake up, verse 2. Our job, verse 3, is to remember the gospel, obey it and repent – that’s what we must do. There’s no new message, no new angle, no new emphasis. It’s not something that we haven’t yet heard about. The gospel is all we need. But here’s the promise: as we return to the gospel, as we glory in it, as we meditate on it, as we obey it, as we’re captivated by it, and as we repent of all the other things that we allow to become more important than Jesus, THEN, as we do that, the Lord Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to transform us to be all that we ought to be. I love this. There is no case for driving a wedge between word and Spirit, between the gospel and the Holy Spirit. We’re to remember what’ve we’ve heard – the gospel, to obey and repent. And then the Spirit brings the church back to life. But he doesn’t do it separate from the gospel."

Paul Williams speaks on "Names in a Book" from Revelation 3:1-6.

God Bless.

Dear Freedom

Your faith has saved you; go in peace...

I recently went with a good friend of mine to hear Rob Bell, of Mars Hill Bible Church, speak on his “Calling All Peacemakers” UK tour. We went to hear him speak in Manchester, which was a bit of an epic adventure in itself, but not the part of the day that I particularly want to comment on.

Rob is a phenomenally good communicator, or "conversationalist" as he likes to be described, and is very good at putting the audience at ease. He spoke for an hour and a half, didn’t use notes, had members of the audience on stage, dealt with PA problems as if they were planned and yet it wasn’t the waffle and bumbling thoughts of a mega-church leader, but an incredibly well rehearsed and choreographed display of public speaking. It wasn’t difficult to see why he has become somewhat of an iconic figure, with his thick-rimmed square glasses and beautifully produced Nooma DVDs, in the States and across many parts of the world.

I encountered Rob Bell for the first time a number of months ago when I read a rather scathing review of some of his Nooma DVDs in The Briefing. The review went on to say “I worry that by showing any of the DVDs we are suggesting that we support the teacher and the teaching the DVD promotes.” This article got my intrigued into what it was that Rob Bell said, or for that matter – didn’t say, that people got so hett up about. It also got me wondering whether there would be any followers of Jesus left if we only ever promoted those people who we always agree with 100%?

Since reading that article I have watched the large majority of the Nooma DVDs, been to hear him speak, downloaded his podcasts, read one of his books and spent time browsing the Mars Hill Bible Church website.

First and foremost, as an example of how to engage with this generation through looks, appearance, publicity, production, style, audio, visual and everything else, Rob Bell is a fantastic example. The language used is not “religious” language, his narrative and style of teaching the Bible is very unique and catching and I personally have learned a huge amount through his explanation of scriptures in their first-century Jewish context.

However, like many people I have spoken to in recent months and like many church leaders in the world today (including Don Carson who recently made international media interest through his statements as he became conversant with the emerging church) I have my reservations and concerns about Rob Bell. Many people have put their critique into a little soundbite of “it’s not so much what he does say as what he doesn’t say that concerns me”. I’m not so sure that I would agree. Whilst I agree that there are many things that he doesn’t say that I might like him to say, it does seem a bit harsh to criticise based on what hasn’t been said – such a charge could be levelled at all sorts of people and ministries.

So back to Manchester, the “Calling All Peacemakers” UK tour and what Rob Bell did actually say. I’m not going to critique everything he said in one post, but I just want to take a brief look at the basis and context of his talk.

He spoke on Luke 7 and the story of the sinful woman who washed Jesus feet with her tears and perfume. At the end of the story Jesus says: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Rob wants us to understand that this is what we all want to hear. This is the most important thing in the world. This is what we must be living. This is what we must be sharing. This is what we must be telling the world.

“Go in peace”

Not “Your faith has saved you”. Saved me from what? When we look at the verses before we see what we are saved from, we are saved from the punishment that our sins deserve. The point of this passage, as can be seen from verses 47-50 is not that I can “Go in peace”, but that my sins are forgiven and that faith in Jesus, in what he accomplishes on the cross, is what saves me. As a result we can go in peace, but this is not the whole point.

The whole talk was based off this, I submit – false (or at least inaccurate), premise, but I was so drawn in by the communication, the swift presentation, the iconic figure, the “conversation”, that I failed to notice this until after the talk had finished.

It will teach me a good lesson in trusting a speaker to expound a whole passage and not having my own Bible open in front of me.

God Bless.

Dear Freedom