Sow a Seed: How the Prosperity Gospel Hurts Christians

The three things you’ll hear with the prosperity gospel are these:

1) God wants you to prosper abundantly.

2) Shouting affirmations about what you want will bring you closer to the blessing.

3) Having unreasonable faith for a financial or healing miracle will rain down blessings upon you.

All you have to do is “sow a seed.”

Prospering Abundantly

First, it is true. God wants you to prosper abundantly.  However, here’s the problem:  The preacher who usually tells you this is a multi-millionaire. Undoubtedly if he or she is not, they are simply repeating the message.  Nevertheless, the multi-millionaire pastor leaves the impression that they’ve earned their millions through their tremendous obedience and it is a well-deserved blessing for their own gain. Gain does not mean godliness.

Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdrawal thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. ~1 Timothy 6:5-6 KJV

Now, if we look to the New Testament, the Apostle Paul was God’s master builder of the foundation of the doctrine. He told us that preachers must be careful how they build on the foundation and that there is no other foundation but the one already laid, which is Christ. Paul demonstrated that the leader is a servant and a shepherd. The shepherd is required to care for the flock— or sheep— and it is demonstrated in the doctrine that the pastor distributes the money back to his own church.

Jesus as the good shepherd:

I am the good shepherd:  the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. ~John 10:11 KJV

Warning to the shepherds:

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood. ~Acts 20:28 KJV

Apostle leaders distributing back to the congregation:

Neither was there any among them that lacked:  for as many as were possessors of lands or house sold them, and brought the proces of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles’ feet:  and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. ~Acts 4:34-35 KJV

Now what does the multi-millionaire preacher do? He preaches to the flock, sells them his wares, and then sends a portion of his church’s money overseas to the poor. Meanwhile, he lives in a multi-million dollar home and sets up his own family. Perhaps a church might collect an offering for certain individuals, but it is never distributed back to all for an equality among all.

But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want:  that there may be equality. ~2 Corinthians 8:14 KJV

Understand that for this liberal, equality distribution to happen, the church has to become real personal with you. (i.e. Eating together from house to house). They would need to experience your lifestyle with possible income transparency. The millionaire pastor rarely cares about this and he or she knows that today’s Christians are not trained in transparency.

Today’s churches discarded this “house to house” from the doctrine and instead created “community groups” to gain a larger audience who can live privately and without brotherly accountability. The “house to house” meetings have also been limited to a handful of people. Therefore, this hurts us because the shepherd and his key sheep may wax fat, but others of his sheepfold suffer hunger. Moreover, the church body fails to understand the basics of the doctrine of Christ.

[1] Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you . [2] Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. [3] Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. [4] Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. [5] Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. [6] Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. ~James 5:1-6 KJV

Was the Apostle Paul a multi-millionaire? Well no. We see that he suffered long through a journey of denying himself, perfecting himself, perfecting the churches, and preaching his gospel. When he finished his course, he had built and taught the doctrinal foundation of Christ and taught it to Timothy, his son in the faith. Then he warned him to guard it. His blessings were not about gaining money, which is also known as “unrighteous mammon.” In fact, the churches should have given him more because he had to ask.

So we see, between Paul’s foundation and today’s relevant church, a noticable difference regarding distribution of money. God absolutely blesses people financially, but truly our ultimate goal is to deny ourselves looking to the needs of our faithful brothers and sisters of the faith and to the destitute.

Look to the charity scriptures.

After the beattitudes, here are some woes to consider.

[24] But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. [25] Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. ~Luke 6:24-25 KJV

Shouting or Claiming Affirmations

Declaring affirmations is also good. Unfortunately, the teaching of this technique often lacks a crucial component. Obedience. If a person does not adhere to the doctrine of Christ, they lack obedience. The preacher who teaches affirmations tends to be repetitive and loud. They tend to ask the congregation to repeat after them. It is unnecessary to put on a performance for the church, but this has been going on for years and it trains certain Christians to turn their declarations into demands and it trains them to talk to the devil in a proud way.

After Jesus gave power to his disciples, He told them not to rejoice in having power over the enemy.

[19] Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. [20] Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. ~Luke 10:19-20 KJV

Certain other declarations made by churches also discourage Christians when they are told by a preacher that “This is your year!”

When their year doesn’t turn out fantastic, they might feel that their faith wasn’t big enough or that maybe God was not listening.

Like I said earlier, affirmations are good, but the truth is— that it is better for those declarations to be scriptures. When Jesus spoke to the devil, He used a scripture and He used it correctly. He declared the living Word. This is why it is important to read the Bible day and night.  When Jesus cast out devils, He certainly didn’t cry out repeatedly with angry attacks because He had the power all along.  Furthermore, there is a place for loud declarations, but remember that a woman with a gentle and quiet spirit is precious in the sight of God.

Unreasonable Faith

We must all have great faith for it is our faith that saves us. However, the prosperity preacher often hinges faith onto tithing in order to receive a miracle. This is a very wicked thing and it is truly a robbing and raping of the body of Christ for selfish gain.

First, we no longer tithe. It’s funny how so many Christians are worried about being under the law and yet, they adhere to this standard of the 10% tithe from the ordinances of the old law. Yet, why are they doing it? Because the preacher is teaching it.

Secondly, of course there are scriptures about giving that say you will be blessed. However, let’s not twist them because that’s what these leaders have done.

Here’s what you need to remember:

Give secretly.

[3] But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: [4] That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. ~Matthew 6:3-4 KJV

Give where you were spiritually fed.

[17] Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. [18] For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. ~1 Timothy 5:17-18 KJV

Give to those in need, especially to our own in the body of Christ.

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 KJV

[8] I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. [9] For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich. ~2 Corinthians 8:8-9 KJV

But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? ~1 John 3:17 KJV

And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. ~2 Peter 1:7 KJV

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. ~Galatians 6:10 KJV

God blesses those who do these basic things.

Preachers are deceitfully tugging at the hearts of the desperate, the sick, and honestly— those who covet riches because they see his financial comfort and fame.

Study the doctrine and continue in the faith. Each Christian has been given a measure of grace in their cup for their journey, not grace-all-over-the-place. This “grace all over the place” idea is what the prosperity gospel feeds on. The truth is, grace does not overflow from the cup until the power of Christ, to heal the sick and raise the dead, rests upon you.

God wants you to prosper abundantly, but moreso through honest, disciplined Christianity rather than through pastoral robbery, devil-shaming, or faith claims through a tithe obedience. Sometimes faith healing comes instantaneously.  It has happened to me in my life, but every time it came, I didn’t have to pay for it.  However, the Christian journey is difficult and prosperity can be elusive because you must grow through sufferings. Anyone leading you to believe otherwise, is dishonest.