THE DIVIDED CHURCH
The church world actually has 2 schools of thought concerning how God deals with His creation. Calvinism and Arminianism . Everyone in the church falls into one of these categories. This is true even if they are not aware of it. If you listen to them talk long enough or even get to know them, you will plainly see that their ideas about God migrate towards one of these two views. The Calvinists emphasize the sovereignty of God (God in total control of everything that happens ). Still, the Arminian believes in the free will of a man (you basically write your ticket). When I was a teenager and up into my early thirties, I listened to many Word of Faith Bible teachers like Kenneth E Hagin, Fred Price, and Kenneth Copeland. The Word of Faith has an Arminian point of view, in my opinion. But I also attended a Bible College in my twenties that, in my opinion, taught Calvinism. So I heard both sides and stayed out of either extreme to the best of my ability. The extreme Calvinists believe that God, in his sovereignty or some believe this to be “fate,” has mapped everything out down to every detail. So your life could only be what God or Fate has allowed. This is believed so strongly that even when someone dies, no matter how they died, it is simply their time to go. I always wondered whether that lets a murderer off the hook. I think this causes some problems because it takes a lot of responsibility out of our hands. How could God judge us for our actions if everything that happens is what he planned? On the contrary, the extreme Arminian takes everything out of God’s hands and believes they are little gods. This causes some problems because it gives man too much power with his limited understanding.
THE WORD OF FAITH AND THE CHURCH
Now before we get to “the missing ingredients,” let’s examine how the Word of Faith fits into the rest of “The Body of Christ” (a biblical term that refers to the church worldwide). The Word of Faith churches are the ones that have popularized the “prosperity theology.” Kenneth E Hagin is often seen as the Father of the Word of Faith Movement or what many refer to as the Health and Wealth doctrine. Kenneth Hagin, to my knowledge, didn’t attend any Bible College or Seminary, so he had no training in Biblical Hermeneutics (the Science or art of Bible Interpretation). He testified of being born with a deformed heart and incurable blood disease. He was healed as a teenager by believing that healing was God’s will for every believer and confessing Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Shortly after this, he says God told him, “Go teach my people faith.” He was later influenced by the teachings of E.W. Kenyon, which many theological apologetics (those that fight for pure doctrine in the church) believe has cultic tendencies. These church watchmen, as they call themselves, have over the years referred to the Word of Faith as “Another Gospel”. This phrase comes from Galatians 1: 6-9 “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7Which is not another, but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 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. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed”. Over the years, many that accepted this teaching as the real gospel has done things like refusing to go to the doctor causing death in some cases, claiming that they believed in healing according to what is taught by the Faith teachers. Things like this have hurt the credibility of the teachings, whether they should have or not. But there have also been those who have testified of miraculous healing, holding to the same teachings. It is called “the health and wealth gospel” because 2 things are commonly taught.
- Healing is God’s will, and He is never the cause of sickness.
- God wants His people to prosper and not lack any needs.
PROSPERITY TEACHING IN THE CHURCH
Much can be said of the Prosperity gospel. Even many who are not opposed to it seem to have trouble understanding it fully. The basis of it is simply this. God made everything for man to enjoy, but when Adam and Eve fell from grace in the Garden of Eden, mankind became cursed. This curse was basically poverty, sickness, and spiritual death. When Jesus died on the cross, most Christian teachers would agree that this was for the redemption of spiritual death. However, everyone is not on board with redemption from poverty and sickness. For some reason, they seem to believe that God is okay with it or that it’s just not a major concern. The Word of Faith teaches that prosperity and physical healing is the will of God for all His children according to 1 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. To receive these covenant rights, however, they must believe it the same way they believed in Salvation. Believing implies taking God totally at His word wherever these things are mentioned in the Bible, making positive confessions (sometimes called claiming it), and believing that it’s already done. Already done because Jesus died on the cross covering all these areas, and all people have to do is accept it, believe it, and confess it. The law, sowing, and reaping also play a role in the prosperity part. Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again Luke 6:38. So when you give it comes back. This giving includes paying tithes of 10 percent of your earnings and any other offerings in addition to that. This is just the short version or the gist of the teaching.
SO WHAT’S MISSING?
I guess you can tell by my website’s title that I believe in prosperity, so I can’t possibly have a problem with it being taught in the church. I can’t see it no other way. I did attend a Bible College that opposed this type of teaching. But all I got from them was, “that scripture doesn’t mean that” or “you taking that out of context” In other words, Jesus said whatever you desire when you pray, believe you receive it, and you will have it but that’s not what he really meant. They could never really explain what the scriptures actually meant that they claimed were taken out of context. When they tried, it didn’t sound like the same scripture anymore. But on the other hand, I know many Christians that have believed these teachings for years and still live paycheck to paycheck. Why? I’m glad you asked; I believe 2 major ingredients are missing. Both are natural reasons and not spiritual reasons.
- The Millionaire Mindset
- The Entrepreneur Mindset
The Millionaire Mindset is basically how ultra-wealthy people think, act, and make decisions. It’s their subconscious programming about wealth, how they think and feel about it, and how they obtain it. You have to admit that many extremely wealthy people in the world have never heard of the Faith teachers or even paid attention to them. I know Proverbs 13:22 says the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just (righteous), but that means they are supposed to have it but don’t. It also may refer to another dispensation, which is a subject beyond the scope of this post. But those that have riches now, however, have it for a reason. It’s because the way they think and the actions they take bring them more money. My blog, The Potential for No Income Limits, explains this more thoroughly. But creating wealth is a science and an art, just like becoming a better ball player. It’s more than just quoting Bible promises. In Romans 12:2, the Bible says, be transformed by the renewing of your mind… This verse motivates Christians to learn to think and act according to God’s Word. You began to change all your habits from what you used to do to what the Bible teaches. Even your way of thinking changes. This is called transformation. Well, in the same way, that there is a clear difference between the church and the world, there is also a difference between the poor, the middle class, and the rich. Transformation is in order in this area as well. Your thoughts and habits must change to the thoughts and actions of the rich. I’m only talking about their thoughts and habits when it comes to building and obtaining wealth. Christian or not, if you want to learn the game of basketball and get better at it. You wouldn’t just confess by faith, “I have the skills of Lebron James” No, you would learn everything there is to know about LeBron, even his psychology about the game. Keep in mind all you need from LeBron is basketball IQ and skills, nothing else. Likewise, if you want to attain wealth, learn from the wealthy.
The Entrepreneur Mindset is the 2nd missing ingredient from the prosperity theology. If you’re going to get more money, it has to come from somewhere. T Harv Eker asked a very important question on one of his webinars. Where does money come from? The answer is simple money comes from other people. No other species on the planet uses money except for humans. God doesn’t even use money, but people are looking for money to fall out of the sky. You’re taking “the windows of heaven” too literally. I think that simply means that God is involved with the prosperity part, but you have to be doing something to get it. Psalms 1 states whatsoever you do shall prosper. We have to think about business outside of our jobs; if you only work a 9 to 5 job and make $50,000 a year, that’s what you live on for the most part. Yes, there might be some blessings and divine interventions here and there, but paycheck to paycheck is still your testimony. Also, if you have no budgeting skills, which you won’t receive by the laying on of hands, you might spend $55,000, leaving you in the hole.
Now since I’m blogging to the church, I’m coming to a close now, but I first have to address the elephant in the room. The Pastor of a large congregation is also a CEO. Local churches, especially the larger ones, are also businesses too. Sorry, but this is true. So his prosperity is not falling out of the sky either. “Money Cometh” to him/her through other people’s hands just like any other business. I’m not saying this in a critical way; I’m saying it in a let’s get real way. If you are a senior pastor of a mega church, you’re more than likely receiving a lucrative salary, which you can invest into other things and say that’s where your money comes from. The point is, why teach people that they will prosper without having a clear avenue for making that extra money if that’s not how you got it?
It’s your time. Sometimes preachers can have a way of always putting your time for abundance in the future. That way, it can be said “Hold to your faith it’s coming” many sermon titles say such things, but at some point, your prosperity has to become a reality. That will be when you find a pathway to prosperity that involves you actually doing something. Something other than just sowing financial seeds and making positive confessions. Find something you’re passionate about and create a business around it.
In conclusion, it is evident that prosperity theology, while emphasizing God’s desire for us to prosper, often falls short by neglecting two crucial elements: the millionaire mindset and the entrepreneur mindset. By acknowledging and embracing these missing ingredients, we can bridge the gap between faith and action, unlocking our lives true potential for abundance.
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Remember, true prosperity is not merely a wish or a prayer. It is a call to action. By aligning our faith with practical strategies and adopting these missing elements, we can pave a pathway to lasting abundance and fulfillment. It’s time to take that leap of faith and embark on a remarkable journey toward unlimited wealth potential. Click below to begin your transformative adventure today.
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