PROSPERITY GOSPEL IS SATAN'S GOSPEL

on May 7, 2013 at 6:56 pm

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By Learnmore Zuze

I have vivid memories of high school. I remember one Ghanaian teacher who was a Mathematics genius. Each lesson began with him placing emphasis on the importance of origins. He would say, “Mathematics originated from a real need to solve life’s problems

In Mathematics, any concept can be explained from first principles” (points of origin). He strongly urged his students to understand first principles or origins in any topic.

As students, we were to find this approach very useful in our studies and even later in life.

Understanding something from first principles helps throw more light when it comes to second principles. Those who have studied Mathematics at Advanced level understand too well the importance of first principles.

Similarly, I have always understood the wealth-gospel from ‘first principles’ and it has always been easy to identify it when preached in ‘second principles.’ The message we hear today in various prosperity churches is hardly new. It’s simply a ‘second principle’ application of an ages-old ideology.

The prosperity gospel has its proponent and ‘first principles’ founder. Most church ministers today are perpetuating an ideology whose origins they have no idea. The prosperity philosophy today is that if you convert to Christianity you will be blessed with earthly wealth.

I recorded live sermons in which famous preachers castigate congregants for refusing to accept Christ warning them that they would remain in poverty. The central idea of the prosperity message is that if you worship God then you will be blessed materially. So it’s primarily some kind of worship-for-blessings setup.

Poverty is labeled a demon which can only be exorcised by turning to God. You have surely seen newspaper advertisements in which ‘converts’ proudly relate their rags to riches stories after they turned to worship God.

The philosophy goes further; the flock is urged to give monetary and material things especially to the church minister as a form of investment. Giving to a minister is one well-known ‘investment.’ The prosperity gospel has given impetus to the modern church.

A daily newspaper of June 2012 carried a headline story in which economists acknowledged that some prosperity churches could even bail out struggling corporations. Pastors who previously struggled to own a standard house have come to own airlines and private jets on account of the prosperity message.

Like I highlighted, to most people, the frenzy of the wealth-gospel sounds like new phenomena but a closer analysis of Biblical accounts will point you to the ancient origins of the ideology. Who do you suppose formulated the modern wealth-gospel ideology? Why has the message suddenly brought in a new era?

Where was this life-changing gospel all along? Did the early evangelists miss something? Whose ideology is it to reward people with material gains in exchange for worship? Which Biblical character deals in earthly wealth if worshipped?

Which character asked Jesus Christ to kneel down and worship him in return for earthly wealth? Let the Scriptures answer; “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.” All this I will give you if you bow down and worship me (Matt 4:8).

What the devil has done today is simply to invert this ideology. The same old satanic ideology has simply been inverted to suit today’s Christian in the current era. It has been inverted to make the believer think that God uses the same modus operandi.

The devil’s ideology of rewarding people for worshipping is a theme which runs throughout his dealings in the Bible. Lucifer founded the wealth-for-worship gospel on ‘first principles’. He offered Christ massive earthly wealth requesting to be worshipped.

Satan is the god of this world and its systems (2Cor 4; 4) and it is ridiculous for true Christians to want to cling on to worldly comfort. The Luciferian ideology is the same psychology which Satan used to lure a third of the Heavenly angels and is using it with huge success on the modern day Christian.

The angels were promised lucrative rewards and ‘better’ leadership if they turned to him (Rev 12; 4). Satan has applied this trick on his hapless victims with amazing success.

This spirit that inspired rebellion in heaven, the same is inspiring rebellion today. The Arch-rebel continues to use his agents masquerading as church ministers to deceive millions. Satan has many agents ready to present every kind of error to ensnare souls. Satan has the power to enrich those who serve him.

These people are everywhere; some are in the music industry, some are in the motivation industry, some are in politics and most are church leaders. He is a master of deception and owns some of today’s extremely popular churches. Miracles are performed in these churches to deceive the gullible people.

Satan is never one to present himself with horns and a pitch fork as some may think. Satan baits people with promises. He deceived Eve by the same ideology, “…when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God…” (Gen 3:4) It is sad that the truth is only discerned after painful loss.

Adam and Eve only discovered the deceit when they had disobeyed. The one third of angels that followed Lucifer fell for the ideology and made an irreversible decision to be lost. My heart bleeds for thousands who fill stadiums today and are definitely oblivious of the forces at work.

The devil attempted to use the same ideology on Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel3:1). Again, the object of the matter was worship. The trio had refused to bow down to a graven image and Satan tried to buy their loyalty by baiting them with freedom.

It is Satan’s doing to reward those who worship him with earthly things. Many international musicians are living proof to the Luciferian trick. They admit having sold their souls to the devil in return for money and fame.

“I sold my soul to the devil, I know it’s a crappy deal but it came with some happy moments…” said Kanye West. The same thinly veiled ideology is preached on Christian pulpits today. The rest of the world is complying by applying the philosophy in ‘second principles.’

It‘s Lucifer’s ideology to reward with worldly riches in return for worship but to the ardent follower of Christ, the deceit is as clear as daylight.

If there is one thing worth grasping from this article it is this; the object of God’s ideology is eternal life for the believer (John 3:16) but the object of the Luciferian ideology is earthly wealth for the worshipper.

The major differences between the Luciferian ideology and the Heavenly ideology is that one focuses on the hear-and-now and the other focuses on the hereafter. One rewards with earthly wealth and the other rewards with eternal life.

One is concerned with luxurious living in this imperfect world and the other is concerned with luxurious living in the New Jerusalem. One is earthly-focused and the other is Heavenly-focused.

One is an offshoot of Luciferian ideology and the other is an offshoot of Heavenly ideology. One is founded by Lucifer and the other is founded by the Man Christ Jesus. Paul wrote the most eloquent statement against the Luciferian philosophy, “…we do not look for things which are seen but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporary but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor 4:16-18).

God never promised people rewards and comfortable lives in the hear-and-now in return for worship. In fact, Christ detested those who came to him for miracles and material gain (Luke 11:29). Christ rebuked those who started following Him after he fed thousands. He never drew people with feel-good promises.

Actually, He told his followers that, “In this world you will have tribulation…” (John 16:33).This truth is reiterated in Philippians,’ “…it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe Him, but also to suffer for His sake. (Phil 1; 29).

God’s ideology is not to focus in the hear-and-now but to come to Him in earnest with or without wealth because, “we have no abiding city in this world” as the Psalmist wrote.

It must be realized that the devil counterfeits God’s principles. The Bible says, “Give and it shall be given to you”(Luke 6:38).That is a Biblical truth but what prosperity teachers never explain to followers is that it is God’s prerogative to give or reward; to give mercy or not to.

It’s not cast in stone neither is giving an investment as taught by the Luciferian concept. Paul explains it well, “It does not therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”(Romans 9:16). God is God and we may never understand His ways. He may decide not to give. No one can question Him-not even your minister.

In America, the Cadillac is a revered car. You may want it badly and according to the Luciferian ideology, ‘invest’ in the man of God to ‘reap’ it. Now, what if it is not God’s will for you to have that car? It is God’s discretion to reward not your minister’s.

Many in the Bible gave away their wealth and served God faithfully but God still allowed them to die poor. He is God and He has His reasons which are beyond our scope of understanding. The disciples left their fortune and families to follow Christ yet they did not ‘harvest’ in the hear-and-now as per the Luciferian doctrine.

In fact, they endured torture and most died by the sword. Most of the apostles who sold all their belongings to live in one accord died in prisons for the Gospel. John’s entire life was dedicated to serving God yet he was beheaded at a time when Christ was on earth (Matt 4:12).

Epaphroditus, (Paul’s friend), was near death (Phil 2:27) but God did not heal him. Christ himself, under the burden of our sin, wanted the cup to pass but God did not let it pass. He is God and He cannot be manipulated or arm twisted by man to comply as the Luciferian ideology teaches. None need be deceived.

Dear brethren, ours is to seek God’s Kingdom. Even if He does not give us these things, we will still worship him just like the three Hebrew boys who said, “…the God we serve is able to save us from the fire…but even if he does not …we will not worship your golden image.

Likewise, we say, “The God we serve is able to give us earthly wealth but even if he does not, we will not bow to worship-for-wealth ideologies.

This is the last hour. Take heed that no one deceives you.

You can e-mail Learnmore Zuze at lennyzuze@gmail.com