She promised it would work.  Sister Mathilda had blessed it herself and carefully mailed it to me.  The instructions were simple.  Unfold the beautifully printed paper prayer rug.  Lay it out in a quiet place.  Pray to the Lord to richly bless my flocks and herds, bank account and paychecks.  Then, for the coupe de grace, send $1 to Sister Mathilda to ‘activate’ my prayer.   A small price to implore the blessings of God which I am sure he wants me to have anyway, right?

But what if prosperity is not so simple?  What if the prosperity gospel is really no gospel at all?   What if God chooses to prosper me with hard work, needy people, adversity, wisdom, or ministry – things that cost everything and reciprocate few earthly rewards?  What if God desires to teach me his grace by withholding material prosperity?  Or what if God desires to prosper the work of my hands wildly then calls me to provide for others?   Sister Mathilda did not say anything about any of this.   Her prosperity gospel was simple.  Send a dollar and expect a windfall.

But the prosperity gospel is merely paganism dressed up in the theological language of Christianity.   It knows nothing of real riches.   Paganism has at is root the goal of coercing a god to hand over his stuff.  The pagan has no love for his god, only what a god can provide.   And the pagan has a system, magic, a lexicon of incantation which binds his god into handing over the demanded blessings.  

But this is not the God of the Bible.   Indeed, the world is his and the fullness thereof.  Everything belongs to him. And he graciously apportions it as he sees fit for our use, enjoyment, blessing, and care for others.   He is wiser than we are about what we need and when we need it.  He withholds nothing that is necessary and gives nothing that is unnecessary.  But much more than that.  The real gospel promises and delivers what is truly precious – Christ, Himself.   While the prosperity gospel robs its adherents, the true Gospel gives riches that never lose value.

Scripture everywhere warns us about falling prey to a prosperity gospel.  James writes.

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

James 4:2-3

And Paul notes in Colossians that covetousness is tantamount to idolatry.   God has much more in store for you through Christ than mere worldly wealth.   The Bible reminds us that God did not withhold his only Son but gave him up for us all.  How will he not give us all things in Him?  And again, he blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  We have an inheritance that never perishes, spoils, or fades.   Finally, Jesus warned.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:12-13

But perhaps one of the first places in Scripture we encounter a warning about the lure of a prosperity gospel is in the Ten Commandments.  The eighth command is simple.  Never steal!  We think we know what that means, but what if it reaches much further than shoplifting, embezzlement, or intentionally failing to return our neighbor’s borrowed tools?  

What if it also means I must trust God to supply my needs?  And possibly through the means of hard work or the mercy of others?  And what if it means I have a duty to meet the needs of others?  To be generous?  To care about more than my own financial position?  To be concerned for my neighbor? And to give tithes and offerings?   Oh yes, and what if it demands that I learn to be content?

We all love Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  We wear silicone bracelets proclaiming this great truth.   It is to the contemporary Christian what spinach was to Popeye.  But what are the “all things” Paul was speaking of?  

“I have learned in whatever situation to be content.  I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound.  In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”  

Philippians 4:11-12

Discontentment is at the root of all theft.  Of taking what belongs to others and withholding what others need.  And theft involves more than material resources.  Biblical theft includes defrauding others of love, care, reputation, time, and opportunity as well.  All these are thefts.   And not the least of these is to withhold from the Lord what is rightly his – all our love, lives, and trust.   We have rendered to Caesar what is his, but have we rendered to God what belongs to Him?  

Join us as we examine the Eighth Commandment, “You shall not steal” from Exodus 20:15 and consider what it teaches us about economics, love, faith, and true riches. We meet on the square in Pottsville, right next to historic Potts’ Inn at 10:30 am for worship.  Get directions here or contact us for more info.  Or join us on Facebook Live @PottsvilleARP or YouTube.