Prosperity Gospel = B.S.
Posted: Sunday, February 20, 2011 Filed under: 2k11 | Tags: john piper, Mother Teresa, prosperity gospel 3 CommentsOK….Day 3 of talking about money…spending….saving…giving….and your faith.
First, in How Rich are You and I? we talked about how much money we really have compared to other people in the world…and all the stuff we have…and what God is calling us to do with it.
Then, in To Give or Not to Give, we read the wise words of Bob Lupton and others on the subject of giving money to panhandlers. Which is a regular question in my world. Thanks for those you have commented. Let’s keep the conversation going!
Today, I came across the following video by John Piper, Pastor for Preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota…on the topic of what is called the “Prosperity Gospel”, which basically teaches that God blesses those he favors with health, wealth, and material possessions like cars, houses, and other stuff that money buys. This gospel is preached in impoverished areas in Africa….by people coming out of America. Yes…THIS is the Gospel that is often preached to people who live in low-income communities (including mine!) right here in the US,
I love the way that John Piper provides his thoughts on the subject….and TOTALLY agree!! Prosperity Gospel/Theology bottom line…makes me SICK! God must really shake his head at the people who preach this mess. That God sent his Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to make us rich and healthy! Really? I guess someone forgot to tell Mother Teresa that!
that’s elevating the gift above the giver…as stated by Piper in the video.
Take a look…let’s hear what you think.
Miss Marti's House 
Thank you for posting this – I will be sharing John’s video far and wide. How God’s heart must be breaking over this. It truly *is* a travesty of the gospel…. and how much harm has been done and is being done because of this prosperity gospel. Thank you, again, for sharing. God IS enough.
Jeanine – You are welcome! So glad you are passing along! God is MORE than enough.
One of the best books I have read on this topic is “Will Jesus Buy me a Doublewide” by Karen Zacharias. She uses an abundance of humor to demonstrate just how totally insane this teaching is. I know I run into it all the time in my ministry in it’s most blatant form but Zacharias demonstrates just how subtlety it has crept even into mainline theology.