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2009
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Nov 2009
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- Huckabee Kills Some Cops
- Stand for Christmas While Forgetting Christ
- Hide the Decline
- The “New Gospel”
- The Warm-mongers are Undone by Their Own Hand
- Diversity Terrorism
- A New Meaning to "Comfort Food"
- Circling the Drain
- The Office Goes Green
- Life is Unfair
- Dynamic Science
- Prosperity Gospel in Africa
- "They Have to Kill Me"
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Nov 2009
(13)
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1 comments:
I've been wanting to see this video, but unfortunately my work firewall blocks Vimeo, and my computer at home is only partially functional. I need to scrap it actually.
Without seeing the content, let me say comment on what I presume it says, which is usually a bad idea, but I think I can get away with it this time.
It is very troubling to me how some people have perverted what the Bible says about prosperity, and have equated it with a church-coated American-style materialism, and something to be sold using every kind of gimmick. I know this has been exported to Africa, and it is a shame.
The Bible clearly teaches principles of material prosperity as a means of funding God's work in the earth and bringing glory to Him. Also, Scripture teaches us that in addition to this, God has blessed his people for their enjoyment. However, this is secondary to everything else. What I see as the extremes in the "prosperity gospel", which I define as a soothsayer's gospel, is that it makes material wealth the central emphasis of faith and giving. To the extent that any teaching draws people away from the message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, we need to judge whether there is a doctrine of devils at work.
To be clear, I believe in biblical prosperity. I don't know of a single church or ministry who doesn't, whether they admit it or not. Every legitimate ministry wants and needs a full supply of provision to advance the kingdom of God. The more the better as long as people are trustworthy with it, and that goes for Africa or anywhere else. But I do not believe in the consumerist ideals that some espouse as religion. I'm not opposed to people being rich and neither is God - that's stupid. If anyone should be rich, it should be believers who faithfully give.
But we should remember this warning: "The prosperity of fools shall destroy them" (Proverbs 1:32). Much of what is being taught about prosperity is nothing but foolishness, but that shouldn't keep the rest of us from following what is good and biblical. And financial wealth is only a part of biblical prosperity.
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