Blab It and Grab It

What is the prosperity ministry. I have heard it’s where God doesn’t want us to be poor. Is it a good teaching? Does it mean that we aren’t in God’s will if we aren’t prospering?

Wanting Prosperity

Lord have mercy. I’ll try to answer you the best I can, and my answer is; this isn’t a good teaching at all and you should run as far away from it as you possibly can. I know you signed your question “Wanting Prosperity”, but you should want God’s will in your life first, and not what this world has to offer. God will bless who He will bless. This sort of teaching wasn’t even taught by the Savior. If it were, Jesus wouldn’t have said: Luke 6:20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Yet those that teach the prosperity message say if you’re poor, you’re not in God’s will. So who’s right? Jesus or the prosperity preachers?

If this preaching wasn’t taught by Jesus, and retrospectively by the apostles, there’s something wrong with it. Certain preachers will tell you that this aspect of the Gospel was actually hidden until today. Imagine that, the Lord hiding part of his Gospel until the 20th and 21st centuries. Uh, no, ain’t gonna happen. Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

This new belief spawned from a man named Essek William Kenyon (1867-1948). His ideas were influenced by something called metaphysics. He adopted his metaphysical ideas while he attended Emerson College of Oratory in Boston. This college taught the New Thought doctrine. This doctrine focused on healing, prosperity, wealth, and happiness.

I clipped this from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/

Metaphysics

When another man named Kenneth Copeland got hold of Kenyon’s teachings, it spread like wildfire over the radio and tv with Mr. Copeland at the helm. To give you a tiny idea about Mr. Copeland, he’s a rather unique sort of fellow with ideas like: “You don’t have a God in you. You are one”. But my scriptures tell me: 1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. However, I’m not going to try and assassinate this man’s character. He does a good enough job of that on his own.

If anyone insists on you listening to such, just quote Romans 16, try to reason with them, and if they don’t hear, leave them standing in their tracks. That’s what I’d do if I were in your shoes. Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.