About the "Prosperity Gospel"

THIS WEEK I went to Youthquake Live at the Paxon Revival Center on Commonwealth Avenue, and that was wonderful. I went with beautiful Rina and her friend-boy Kenneth. I look forward to Youthquake every month because it is such a big, joyful congregation of Christian youths like me, and we all just want to sing and watch the skits and learn something. This Youthquake was about our rights to our faith, at school especially. For example, it was about how we can't be kept from praying or meeting, or saying the pledge of allegiance with "under God" in it.
Well I just love God, you know? And I had such a wonderful time singing with Rina and a few hundred other youthful Christians, especially the Revelation Song. Oh, to get the chance to sing that song at the top of your lungs while hundreds of others do the same, next to the people you love, and keep singing so that there is no fear time will run out - that makes for quite an amazing experience. I'll remember that for a long time, I think.
Today Pastor Russ was talking about how there is no being lukewarm with God, and how the worst thing we can do as Christians is to live like that doesn't mean anything. He also said something interesting that kind of fits into what I want to share today. God doesn't fit into our lives. That means that we can't just make room for Him in one place and try to keep things how we want them. He says that once we're following Jesus He's going to "keep making us uncomfortable" and push us to further limits, just to help us grow.
This week I learned about something called the "prosperity gospel" in a magazine article, and then read about something similar in my history textbook. It's a wonder I didn't hear about this before: apparently many Christians, especially in America, have developed the idea that monetary, material wealth is necessarily and exclusively the result of real Christian faith, and that if you do not receive back material wealth for your labors/donations, you must not be a real Christian. What? I really can't help but asking. Somebody comment if I'm wrong, but from what I have read of the Bible, God has much more to offer than money alone, and He does not only bless us in cold cash. We are servants, and we are children, but we aren't really employees. That metaphor doesn't really work. That would suggest that we gain salvation by our merits, or that money is a sign of salvation, or that we can be fired if somebody better comes along. But no, He is patient with our shortcomings and just in His judgement. He sees our hearts and who we really are, loves righteousness and hates unrighteousness. We don't get fired for failing once.
According to the "prosperity gospel," if a Christian hopes for something (for example, a house was a common want for the people interviewed in the article I read) if they keep praying about it and tithing they will necessarily gain that house. Maybe they will! God provides, indeed. And He is good, this is absolutely true! He keeps His promises, for sure. But who are we to decide that He will bless us in the way we expect? The Jews expected the Messiah to come as an evidently glorious King on a cloud, so they were not looking when Jesus appeared from a tiny town, a carpenter who was born in a manger to an ordinary girl. But He did come, and He is a King who will come again on clouds with great glory. God fulfills promises and needs, just not always in the way we expect. According to the "prosperity gospel," which is alarmingly widespread in our nation from what I read, if you "sew" a little money by donating to the church and tithing (good things to do!) that money is coming back to you a hundredfold from somewhere else as God's gift to you. One pastor even predicts exactly that if you donate $100, you will get $10,000 for it. Oh, dear, what about Luke 12:20-21, which says "But God said to him, "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?" So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward GOD." And Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not lay up for youselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for youselves treasures in Heaven, where neither rust not moth destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." thus Jesus sent His disciples out with not much in their hands, just what they needed, and they were to trust, as we are to trust, that God is going to take care of them of way or another. Let's remember, too, the woman who gave two mites as her offering. Jesus was happy about this not because of the money but because she cared to give it, since it was all she had to give. We never hear about her again: maybe God did lead her to more money in return for her gift, He certainly can. Or maybe she went her way wealthier in spirit becuase she had demonstrated an act of unselfishness, "out of her poverty."
Certainly God can bless us with money and things, but He is the God who gives and takes away. It is not our place to decide we deserve something and hang our faith on whether God decides what we want is what we need. Father knows best! See, He knows what we need, Luke 12:29-31, "And do not worry about what you should eat of what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you."
I have learned something. I have learned that we all want things, and we all need things, and we all try to get the things we want, because we think we need them. But only God sees all the things we all need, and He can supply for our needs better than we can. That's why He sent Jesus - we need a Savior, and we can't save ourselves, so He made a way for us to be saved. But He doesn't always work how we expect Him to, or even when. We can absolutely trust Him to fulfill His promises, but just because we decide the way or time frame in which we want Him to fulfill them does not mean He doesn't fulfill His promises if we are wrong. Sometimes we have to face hard times, and sometimes He takes something so He can give us something better. But He works, and we need to quit focusing on what we want Him to do for us and remember what He has already done, and be thankful, and in turn praise Him with our lives out of love and gratitude.

Please comment, or share something God is teaching you if you want to. Love to hear it.