They're not talking about King Jesus of the Bible mind you, but rather the judgment-free, "I just want everyone to be happy because YOU deserve it!" version of "Jesus." Who wants a "Jesus" that judges anyway?
The clear solution to our anemic faith is to send Joel and TB lots and lots of money. Prove your faith is strong in "Jesus" with your lavish "Love Gift" or "Seed Money," and watch all your financial and physical woes evaporate. Not working? Hmmm... Clearly not sacrificing enough. "Give 'til it hurts! Then watch the floodgates burst and abundant blessings pour into your life!"
They'll even (mis)quote Scripture (like Malachi 3:10) to bamboozle the desperate and hurting. Meanwhile, Joel has a new Ferrari. TB has a new jet.
Acts 17:11 sheds some light here. It teaches us how to listen to preachers. It's great to be open-minded or eager to hear "the Word." It's actually encouraged. Closed-mindedness to Christ defined the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law. But here, in Acts 17:11, those referred to as being "more noble" were deemed such as a result of their two-part response to "the Word."
First, they were ready, eager, and open-minded to hear "the Word." Not "a word," but "the Word." Jesus is the Word (see John 1:1). They were eager to hear about King Jesus. But that's only 50%. The second part is "they were continually examining the Scriptures every day" in order to see if what Paul and Silas preached was legit, so, valid, and congruent with Scripture. What makes us noble in God's sight is listening to hear Jesus, then going back into Scripture to see if what we read supports what we heard. If not, the problem is always with the false preaching/teaching- never with inerrant Scripture.
If the prosperity gospel were legit, why did Jesus, God with us, live and die like a pitiful servant? Why wash His disciples' nasty feet? Why eat with tax collectors and sinners? Why allow Himself to be arrested? Why was He flogged and shamed publicly? Why was He crucified on a Roman cross to publicly humiliate and shame Him? Why such a horrible death? None of that sounds very much like prosperity.
Again, if the prosperity gospel were legit, why were the prophets of the Bible continually rejected, threatened, and even killed for speaking, teaching, and preaching "the Word?" Why was Paul persecuted, hated, rejected, betrayed, pursued, imprisoned and put to death for his faith in Jesus? Where's the material wealth, health, security, and happiness?
Why was John the Baptist imprisoned and soon after beheaded? Not merely for his rebuke of Herod (Lk 3:19), but his faithfulness to heralding Christ as Messiah, "the Lamb of God."
For prosperity gospel to float it has to jive with the whole of Scripture. So where does it find its roots in the Bible? Bits and pieces of Scripture ripped out of context... warped... twisted... and perverted for personal gain.
Abel was murdered for his faithfulness to the Lord. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Moses was doomed to wander 40 years in the desert and then disqualified from entering into the Promised Land. David had to run and hide in the wilderness after being anointed King of Israel. Prophets were executed, and disciples too. The early Church was persecuted by the Jews and Romans. Paul suffered horribly until his death.
How does any of that support the notion, "Jesus just wants me to be happy, healthy and loaded!"
Jesus said His followers would be hated, betrayed, rejected, persecuted... even executed. He was on that Cross atop Calvary. He calls disciples to follow. He calls us to vigorously advance His kingdom despite all opposition and resistance.
John was left in a prison cell. Jesus didn't even visit. Then, John was beheaded. What do Joel and TB have to say about that (insert crickets here...)? Whatever God has blessed you with: health, wealth, intellect, opportunity... legit faith is leveraging all our blessings to vigorously advance Jesus, the Word, the Gospel- Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done.
The legit Gospel is this: Jesus, Anointed One, Immanuel, descendant of David, the Risen King. It's 100% about Him. It's got nothing to do with us, our need, or how we respond to it. It certainly isn't about our material blessings of health, wealth, and happiness.
Blessings,
-Kevin M. Kelley
aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com
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