August 20, 2010

"Soon" to be published (I hope) "The Proper Pursuit of Prosperity" excerpt

If you’ve seen one, you truly have seen them all. A preacher is sitting at his desk holding what he calls the "Green Prosperity Prayer Cloth." He prays a prayer of faith for the viewers and then testimonies about the prayer cloth follow. Selecting people from the audience their stories of prosperity flow.

One woman followed the instructions after receiving the green prosperity prayer cloth and God gave her a $7000 financial windfall. Another woman went from a job paying $10/hr. to over $32/hr. "How many of you would like to triple your income?" The preacher asks--"In Jesus' name?"

Camera switches to another couple. Two days after receiving the "Green Prosperity Prayer Cloth," the man got a better job, they now drive a Lincoln Continental, and they just got a brand new home. More testimonies about the amazing prosperity prayer cloth flow. A woman with congestive heart failure took her prayer cloth and slept on it. She went to her cardiologist and he confirmed that she was healed. (TV broadcast Feb, 2 2010 12:19 pm.)

The preacher is shown back at his desk talking softly and somberly his words dripping with "faith." He holds the prayer cloth up on the screen and asks viewers to put their hand on it "for your health and for your prosperity." He tells the camera that he will pray. He scrunches his eyes shut with a posture of deep faith and prays "releasing God's blessing of prosperity and health…" "My friend," he says, "I feel so good; start looking for your answer…"

The show concludes with some announcer spouting all the ministry gibberish you hear at the end of a broadcast concluding with, "[We're] spreading the Gospel of Jesus around the world…" It was the only time I heard His name uttered except as a trite ending to some demand sent God's way. (TV broadcast Feb, 2 2010 12:19 pm.)

http://www.donstewartassociation.org/page.aspx?pid=253

Are people just gullible or are they desperate? In The Proper Pursuit...I clearly delineate Biblically the flaws in the prosperity message. Every Christian needs to read it! Stay tuned for availability--you can also follow me on Twitter--sign up to follow 1rightrev

1 Comments:

Blogger Ruth said...

I was raised with a solid Bibical faith and after becoming an adult I have continued to believe and live by that faith. 3 of my older siblings have gone more toward the prosperity movement and talk down to me about my faith, calling it dead. At times I have been confused about the "name it claim it" talk. But scripture says to look for fruit. That helped clear it up for me, the fruit just wasn't there. Not that I am so very fruitful....God is still working on me and sometimes he cuts a few limbs and it hurts...but I ask that He would mold me and use me. Thank you for your blogs...I am enjoying them. Ruth

10:23 PM  

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