THE DOCTRINES OF PROSPERITY

"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation", Hab 3: 17,18 

Very few things harm a Christian walk as a doctrine of prosperity might do. We may be aware of sex, because anyone knows just how easy any man or woman of God may stumble at it somehow; we may disdain upon pornography and occultism seeing there is a general knowledge that it is all wrong, even within the minds of its own fans. None will preach and say “give to God and He will give you your neighbor’s wife”, for everyone knows and assumes that it cannot be right to state such a thing. Yet, concerning money and health, even if the Bible states the love of money is idolatrous, people chase after it as they should be doing after the very person of Christ Himself.

We often hear people say that God is all (all in all even). Yet, one who might be honest in opinion easily grasps that many a heart is after other things besides the One who should be all. We easily see that the mouth says something so the heart may not reveal its contents and desires – not even to self! Now, here people sought out a smart way of being worldly and believing at the same time: finding a God of prosperity. I pretend not say a Christian is not prosperous, nor that God is not rich – not at all. All I am trying to put forth is that all the world has belongs to God. He is the owner of the gold we find here, He owns the dung we get in a cow shed – which of these will He more easily grant? I said this once to a Brazilian man and he seemed to be disappointed about the fact that God is as He is alone: “I am what I am” seemed not to be enough for him! I am avoiding the fall of many by stating that you need not money to live with God, just as Christ didn’t seem to need a place to rest his head from weariness, being the owner of all He has made, even of the holes foxes take for themselves. The owner of foxes' holes did not claim for one for Himself.

To breed a doctrine where people think God is with them if they have money and luxury, is to breed a race of vipers who will bite one another as well as anyone who says Christ should be the only one to rule our deepest instincts and feelings within. Job could easily believe God is against all he did till then if had belonged to any of these sects nowadays – I mean, if he had been a faithful member church of the kind we get nowadays, which I doubt strongly. To state God is with us because we are prosperous, is as good as to say God is not with us if we are not. No wonder Job’s friends said to him he was wicked and that’s why he had been suffering all along. No wonder God came out to tell them they were fools and needed repentance, even if they knew a lot about the ways of a prosperous God, more than I do, I suppose. I tremble at the idea of having all as did Job’s friends having God against me in a silent mood!

In the same way that I stated above that I pretend not say a Christian is not prosperous, nor that God is not rich, I will never say either that sin or being against God will not be able to bring misery upon people, for it might easily do so. All I want to say is that prosperity is not saying God is for us, just as misery and is never synonymous of God being against us, for even if it might be true, it might be telling us the opposite of that assumption also. God with us is a real Presence and not a sign at all.

We read how prosperous worldly people are, how easy these get their way done, how demoniac Satanists easily get rich and married to beautiful women, who might just as well be fallen angles of beauty and inspiring handkerchiefs of Satan’s camouflaging work. But, can that mean that God is for them, or can it tell us that God might be against them for good? It may indeed mean God is against them and is avenging His wrath upon such the best way He could possibly be doing. God does not want these folks to look up and state they need God, for they would if these would suffer either pain or loss. We read from Job: “Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? (8) Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. (9) Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. (10) Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. (11) They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. (12) They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ. (13) They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. (14) Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. (15)  What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? (16) Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me!”, Job 21:7-16. In Ps. 73:18-20 we read “Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.  (19)  How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. (20) As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image”. It says here God will awake as well, meaning He is kind of ignoring them so they shall not feel “heart grieved, and pricked in their reins” until God wakes up for good on them, Ps. 73:21.  

Does this all mean prosperity is always a blessing from God? Can it mean all bad things which might befall us is the wrath of God upon us? It could mean that, yes, if it were only so that this present life was the sole will of God for us. Amen.