Where Your Heart Is...and the Prosperity Gospel

I happen to be one who does not believe in the Prosperity Gospel.  That God intends all believers to be 'rich' materially.

All the Apostles were not rich materially.  They laid down their lives for Christ, spreading the Good News, not building up treasures on earth.

If someone focuses on getting rich, the chances are he will become rich someday - because whatever he puts his heart and soul on achieving, if it is not too absurd a goal such as flying to Mars, he will most likely achieve it. If someone aims to enrich himself with US$1million, he will likely to fulfill his goal within 20 years, if not 10 years.

However, Matt 6:21 clearly stated that "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also..."  and not the other way round "Where your heart is, there will your treasure be also."  Sometimes where your heart is, there is no treasure -- only passion and good deeds are there.  However, you can be sure that if your treasure is on earth, your heart will be on earth too.  See the difference!

So many wonderful christians died poor or extremely poor.  But they are like Apostle Paul the poor tent-maker, like Jesus the poor carpenter.  They have no treasures on earth.  Their hearts were not here either.

Well if God-willing, I like to be a rich christian too.  But here is not where my treasures are - otherwise I believe in Christ in vain.

The Gospel of Prosperity?

There are some christian communities that advocate the idea that God wants His people to be very rich: "Look at King David, King Solomon, Abraham. They were godly men, though at times they sinned badly. God had blessed them, they were the richest men during their era! God will always want to prosper His people!"

As I mulled over this idea, I realised that all these 'rich' examples were from the Old Testament.

In the New Testament, the emphasis is not material wealth or prosperity. There was no mention of any 'very rich' believers. Jesus exhorted "...Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy...But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys...Matt 6:19."

None of the 12 (13 including Paul) disciples were wealthy. (I was told not to cite the 12 disciples or the tribe of Levites as examples because God had chosen and destined 10% of His people to be priests or other christian vocations. Understandably, they will be have no time to be wealthy.) But for us,the other 90%, God clearly intended us to be prosperous!

I too believe that God did not intend for us christians to be poor. "Look at the birds of the air...Observe the lilies of the field...Do not be anxious then saying, 'What shall we eat? What shall we drink? With what shall we clothe ourselves? ...But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you...Matt6:31".

So the focus is on His kingdom and His righteousness, NOT on prosperity.

If a man focuses on Getting Rich, then "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God...Luk 18:25".

So don't focus on making money or acquiring wealth. Don't even aspire to earn a million $ to donate for God's work or for charity. God is not poor that He needs you to work day and night to earn money for Him.

Click below. Hope you will be inspired.

http://www.imeem.com/jesusistheanswer/music/kxXIutn5/psalty-kids-praise-seek-ye-first/

Prosperity and Little Ironies

It's the second day of Lunar New Year 2008 today. I wish readers a Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year.

Last Sunday, at the worship service at AMK Methodist Church, Rev Wee Boon Hup gave a sermon on Prosperity. God had assured us of prosperity, not necessarily material prosperity, but non-material properity.

In actual fact, God had promised us many things, but not material richness. He promised us the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, a place in His house in Heaven. He will also spare us from being tested beyond what we can bear.

The irony is, he also promised us sufferings. All the apostles suffered for their belief in Christ. They also warned us about sufferings and testings in 1 Peter 4, James 1 and the other epistles.

Like Abraham and Job, all of us have to face the ironies of God's testings and God's blessings in our own time. You will really need the help of the Holy Spirit to go through the trials in your life's journey, and emerge victorious.