Does God Want You to Be Rich?
I hope you got a chance to read the excellent, balanced cover story in Time Magazine entitled “Does God Want You to Be Rich?” The cover description says: “Yes, say some megachurches. Others call it heresy. The debate over the new gospel of wealth.”
Seriously — how did the Evangelical church get here?
The basic movement of the gospel is clear (Phil. 2:5ff): self-denial and self-sacrifice rather than self-fulfillment. We follow one who had no place to lay his head, who warned us that life does not consist in the abundance of things, who told a wealthy man to sell all and give to the poor, who insisted that we cannot have two masters (God and $$). Followers of Christ in other cultures have often lost all as a result of their faithfulness to him.
But walk into Christian bookstores and there is a different gospel. The gospel of Joel Osteen.
And does it sell! Your Best Life Now has sold over 4 million copies. It finds a welcome audience in the consumerism of America.
The authors of the article write:
“What remains is a materialism framed in a kind of Tony Robbins positivism. No one exemplifies this better than Osteen, who ran his father’s television-production department until John died in 1999. ‘Joel has learned from his dad, but he has toned it back and tapped into basic, everday folks’ ways of talking,’ says Ben Phillips, a theology professor at the Soutwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. That language is reflected in Your Best Life Now, an extraordinarily accessible exhortation to this-world empowerment through God. ‘To live your best life now,’ it opens, to see ‘your business taking off. See your marriage restored. See your family prospering. See your dreams come to pass . . .’ you must ‘start looking through the eyes of faith.’ Jesus is front and center but not his Crucifixion, Resurrection or Atonement.”
Does that tell us something?
The book is full of “illustrations of how the Prosperity doctrine has produced personal gain, most memorably, perhaps, for the Osteen family: how Victoria’s ‘speaking words of faith and victory’ eventually brought the couple their dream house; how Joel discerned God’s favor in being bumped from economy to business class.”
Insightfully, the authors go on to talk about the basic for criticism of this Prosperity Lite movement: “Most unnerving for Osteen’s critics is the suspicion that they are fighting not just one idiosyncratic misreading of the gospel but something more daunting: the latest lurch in Protestantism’s ongoing descent into full-blown American materialism.”
Rick Warren, who by his words and life is becoming an incredible leader in the worldwide church, said: “This idea that God wants everybody to be wealthy? Baloney. It’s creating a false idol. You don’t measure your self-worthy by your net worth.”
Ron Sider, author of Rich Christians in a Hungry World: “They have neglected the texts about the danger of riches. Prosperity Gospel Lite is one of the most powerful forms of neglect of the poor.”
And Ben Witherington, an incredible Evangelical New Testament scholar at Asbury Seminary: “We need to renounce the false gospel of wealth and health — it is a disease of our American culture: it is not a solution or answer to life’s problems.”
The “internet monk” (Michael Spencer) has written:
“He’s being sold to us by people who want to make money off his success, and they are counting on us to be sheep, ‘baaing’ quietly, but going along to the slaughter. Any analysis of Joel Osteen’s theology is going to have a hard time saying he is proclaiming the Christian message. The most popular preacher in Christianity is proclaiming a theology that is neither Christian, nor Jewish, nor Muslim, but is pragmatically pagan. Pagan in the sense of finding ways to gain the favor of god so he will do good things for you. Manipulating the deity to give you blessings. This is the ultimate example of Luther’s ‘theology of glory’ chosen over the ‘theology of the cross.’ I would rather a non-Christian hear John Shelby Spong a hundred times than hear this. Spong denies it all- outright. Osteen is presented as a Christian, but his message isn’t going to bring you to Christ, the Kingdom or heaven. It’s spiritual cyanide disguised as candy. If there is a hell, Osteen’s message won’t stop you or the people you love from going there, because the savior in his messages is YOU and the salvation he offers is a NEW ATTITUDE, and some resulting real estate. The question becomes, will evangelicals do anything? Will they say anything? Will they register their objections to Osteen’s reshaping of the Reformation gospel into a positive thinking message that makes Robert Schuller look like John Calvin in comparison?”
Yesterday I listened to Dan McVey talk about the advancement of Islam in North America. It is the fastest-growing religion in North America. (On a global scale, protestant Christianity is by far the fastest growing religion, however. It outpaces Islam in growth by 3-1, I believe Dan said.) In this culture of ease and consumerism, Islam offers a faith of discipline and serious devotion. Of course, Christianity does too (along with a framework of grace and a God who has come near in Christ) — just not in the versions that have become so popular in “Christian” bookstores.
Snapshot, What can the church do to help working people and their families not depend on charity to get by? In your opinion, what should the church’s response be to people who make minimum wage? Should it be to fill in the gaps? Giving food, money, and free healthcare for these people? Should we support the idea that they will continue to need to depend on charity? If the answer is to help those people advance in the system and get better paying jobs, then what about the next person who takes the minimum wage paying job? Just questions that I would like your thoughts on, or anybody else who happens to agree with the statement you just made.
Mike:
Four million copies doesn’t even begin to describe it. This notion has seeped so fully into our culture, especially our churched cultures, that we now speak of ‘blessing’ and ‘being blessed’ in such an offhanded way as to suggest that God really is conerned about meeting our wildly inflated expectations. We seem to believe that God really is micromanaging the events of this world so that I can have an extra 20k/yr in salary, or own that lovely dream house in the suburbs, or find a better parking place at Wal-Mart … and that these things and others like them constitute God’s ‘blessings’.
I hear casual statements like, “Oh, it was just such a blessing to find all the kids’ school clothes at that 20%-off sale! God just worked that out so wonderfully.”
But I never hear anybody say, “I’m just so thankful. I pray every night and thank God that people in the Guatamalan sweatshops are willing for to work for such low wages so I can afford to put my kids through private school.”
We have church ‘stewardship’ programs that tout a cause-and-effect relationship between giving and financial blessing. And book after book suggesting that if we will just believe God’s promises we’ll receive more than we already have. Just think, if that widow in the temple had known God was going to make her rich, she might’ve given that penny of hers a mite bit earlier.
I have an idea. I’ve decided to let God off the hook for awhile. I’m willing to forgo all of these blessings — both for me and my wealthy/successful nation. In the meantime, let’s allow God to go and ‘keep his promises’ to someone else. I’m willing for him to start in Darfur and begin blessing those who live daily under the threat of genocide. Or maybe God could provide the One Billion People who don’t have clean drinking water with their “Best Glass of Water Now.” Or God should feel free to go and quadruple the salary of the billion folks living on a dollar-a-day. Maybe after that’s done I can start concerning myself with how much God needs to bless me.
It’s not just our understanding of money and finances and blessing that’s screwed up. It’s our whole picture of God and his world.
Sorry if I posted twice. Having some delay on my network. I don’t mean to take up space/bandwidth/time/etc….
Don’t y’all hate it when your mind goes faster than your fingers?
It is true that the more we give, the more God will bless us to give?
Just a thought,
Chris Gallagher
Matt,
#1 Make sure that we as a church quit preaching this “God wants you to be wealthy” mantra. Just because we are doing without some things doesn’t mean we are needy. I’m driving an 8 year old car. I’m doing without some things others call necessities. But that doesn’t make me needy, it makes me a person who must live on less.
#2 The families we know are struggling should be taken care of by the church and family. Not hand outs, but true help. Give responsibilities for the family to do that gives the help a sense of worth. Not charity. You keep saying “depend on charity”. Could you stretch your mind enough to see that this type of mentality traps people?
#3 The church I attend regularly helps families with medical bills, groceries, light bills, water bills, clothing needs, etc. We also don’t pay a preacher. We have three men who give their time to serve from the pulpit. As a result of this type of mentality, countless “needy” people have come to know Christ and the church as the fulfiller of their needs. They’ve learned to lean on the Lord, not lean and depend on the government. And we are just a small church. 250 members. We had a family who needed help with back to school clothes. I didn’t run to DHR and ask for a voucher. I went to a local store with a list of sizes and bought two little boys a couple back to school outfits, socks, underwear, shoes, etc. Result: family and especially children see the God and his people as the place to receive what is needed.
Just imagine what a huge mega church could do. How many families it could help.
Instead of having the mind set that the help begins with the government, why not believe in God’s power to empower His church to do His work.
I mean really be His hands and feet.
What I’m reading on this post is mentality based on several generations of having more faith in everything else than God and his people. We (the church) have really screwed up.
Mike:
Thanks sooo much for posting this. I was wondering if you would upon seeing the article myself.
It is such a relief to see Christianity still being taught and lived out in some.
Looking for “truth” in all the wrong places. Joel offers ” your best life now, others offer purpose and yes, Jabez’s Prayer tells us we can increase our territory. Government welfare plans offer funding for disadvantaged, undereducated and unmotivated (all different groups). Individual Responsibility is the key. Hope comes from Jesus and the Cross, that’s the way God made it. There is no magic dust. Take care of the people’s physical needs and then you have a shot at thier true need, relationship with God. Forget the gimmicks, help people with food, shelter and clothing when you see a need and teach someone to help someone when you have the opportunity. Use the governments programs as part of how you help people for the kingdom of God.
Larry, you are right the scale of the problem is enormous and we must use all the assets available to help people.
Snapshot, What your church is doing sounds wonderful, and it is great that you are helping fill in gaps for families, while modeling the way of Christ. I go to a similar church. A couple of more questions. You mention under #2 that you are not providing charity, but true help. But then under #3, you discuss your church paying for “medical bills, groceries, light bills, water bills, clothing needs, etc”. Again, I would like to say that what your chuch is doing sounds Spirit-filled. I am not trying to provoke you (although part of me wants to since you questioned my ability to stretch my mind), but how does #3 correlate with #2? Is this not charity? Charity is good, but what is your church doing to help people not depend on charity (aka justice)? What can your church do to help a single mother who is making $11,000 working full time on minimum wage (as Chris mentioned earlier)? You can offer charity. But how are you offering justice, so that people making minimum wage do not have to depend on hand outs to get by?
Amen to J. Shaw! Everybody…..yes EVERYBODY needs to read “The Irresistible Revolution” by Shane Claiborne. But, don’t read it unless you are ready and open to changing your perspectives on wealth and money. For example, he asks: (my paraphrase since I don’t have the book in front of me) Why don’t we put as much emphasis on Jesus saying “Sell all you have and give it to the poor” as we do him saying “You must be born again.” ? If you are into religion or institutions instead of discipleship, you won’t like this book. But you may need it. I sure did!
DU
Tim – Okay, I’m pointing a gun at your head forcing you to give to the poor. I’m holding another gun at you forcing you to help build the roads that you drive on. I’m holding another gun to your head forcing you to give money to our national defense (technology, soldiers). I’m holding another gun to your head forcing you to provide money for the fire department and the police. I’m holding another gun to your head forcing you to… Get my drift, yet? These are ALL for the “welfare” of our citizens. It’s fine if you want to throw government out of everything, say so — but I see all of this as “welfare” and can’t see justifying one “welfare” need over another.
Just because a government program does not provide direct benefit to you doesn’t mean it doesn’t promote the general welfare. (In fact, targeting poverty, in my opinion, will have positive effects on a stronger economy as a whole.)
And I’m feeling a bit of arrogant attitude coming from you (re: “the constitutional lesson”). If you want to have a conversation about government’s role, great. Just don’t blow it off with the snappy remarks.
What can your church do to help a single mother who is making $11,000 working full time on minimum wage (as Chris mentioned earlier)? You can offer charity. But how are you offering justice, so that people making minimum wage do not have to depend on hand outs to get by?
What can *anyone* do in this situation? If you only have the skills to get a minimum wage job, and you can’t make ends meet, you’re going to have to get help from somewhere. What does “justice” have to do with it?
Depending on charity and accepting help from time to time are a totally different train of thought.
I’ve been in a position of needing this help before so I know from which I speak. I’m sorry if the “stretch your mind” comment came off offensive. I just know this from both perspectives and know how the belittling terminology can make one stear clear of the church. “Charity” has been made to be a “bad” term among those who need help. I’ve heard over and over again from families in need, “I don’t want charity, I just need a little help.” So it’s not the same Charity that we as a church know from Corinthians.
Being made to feel as if I was having to depend on charity made me feel belittled, unworthy and useless. But accepting some help to (as you say) “fill in the gaps” made it seem much different. Remember we are fulfilling their mental, spiritual and physical needs. So the terminology is a big deal.
As for “justice” I believe that not all folks are going to be justified financially on this earth. They weren’t in the days of Jesus and so I doubt it happens in today’s materialistic society.
But what did happen in the days of Jesus and I’m confident can happen in today’s society is that we can show people the love of Christ through the church and it’s willingness to accept people regardless of their income and need and trying to help them with those needs.
Snapshot-
If all churches were doing what they should be, we would never have to talk about the govt. helping. Alas, they are not. So what do we do? I say use every resource available to help people get help.
Lisa-
Justice is a place like Central Dallas Ministries who would help that single mother gain some skills that would help her get a job that would pay more than the $11,000 mentioned.
Why does the Old Testament talk about giving 10% back to God? Sounds like a “tax” to me! Maybe because when left to our own human nature, we will give nothing! We are selfish, selfish, selfish people & that includes me!!!! I’m paying off serious debt as a result of my selfishness. Now I don’t care if my money goes to the gov’t or to the church – as long as part of it gets to the poor. The BEST option would be giving it to the poor directly, but we all know ourselves better than that! We SHOULD be doing it, we DON’T do it & SOMEBODY has to help!
But that’s charity, not justice. Anything you do for someone — and they don’t pay you for it — is charity. If it’s food, or schooling, or whatEVER — it’s charity.
And that’s not a bad thing.
Chris,
What do we do? Beg God to show us the ways to reach the hearts of believers so that we may do His work without making people dependent on other things other than Him. Also, show us the way to help lower the volume of people like Joel O. who are defeating the work.
In the mean time, open your eyes (my eyes) to what we (I) can do. If you choose to do something different from me……OK.
This whole conversation just makes me sad because it sounds like many have lost faith what God wants to do through the church.
Beaner,
I believe that someone should be me and anyone else who is willing.
And I do care if the money goes to the government or the church. I have much more influence of what happens within my own church than I do with big government.
I beg all of you to not give up on what God calls us to do through the church. Please, please be open to what He has called us to do. Don’t wait on “somebody” to do it. DO IT!
Lisa, I’m glad you asked. I think what Chris just mentioned is one component of justice. Another component in my opinion requires the recognition that the jobs that are currently minimum-wage jobs such as janitors, fast food and Walmart employees, etc. are all jobs that are necessary. A “just” society would enable the people that work these jobs to make a “living wage”. There are many resources that could discuss a living wage better than me, but in short, this is the idea that anyone who works hard and full-time should have enough money, healthcare coverage, etc. to be able to provide for their family. This is not currently the case. Helping people advance on to better jobs is helpful for the individuals, and education is good in itself in my opinion. But we are always going to need janitors. Hard-working janitors should make a living wage. Churches can fill in the gaps by giving people a hand, but wouldn’t it be great for these individuals and families if they didn’t have to depend on this every month? A “living wage” for all citizens requires the government passing laws. Christians, as concerned citizens and members of this society, can help pursue this.
Snapshot, you might be right in saying that not all people will be justified financially while on earth. But should this stop us from trying? Should we avoid justice so that we can increase charity? We can show people our love, by pursuing both justice and charity.
From a purely personal experience perspective, the pursuit of justice hinders charity in today’s society.
The problem is that most of us feel like it’s “our money” and so we want a say in how it’s being spent. What if we saw it as “God’s money” and if He chooses to use the goventment to allocate His money, then so be it. Don’t you think God has an influence on His money whether it’s through the church or through gov’t?
I also saw Joel Osteen on Larry King and decided that night I would never watch him again. Yes, he is positive~~~~~~ But……… he would not take a stance on ANYTHING. No wonder he has tens of thousands in attendance~~
just my opinion
lee
Perhaps, but He also has given us the ability to see what the government has done in the past and make decisions based those failures.
Yes, I agree with premise that the church hasn’t done all it can do, but I have more faith in God’s people to recover from failure than for the government to reform from failure. You are correct, it’s not my money, it’s God’s. And I choose to give more of it to the church and less of it to the Government. Oh, that’s right, I don’t have a choice. The government takes it whether I like what they are doing with it or not.
That’s all from me today. I gotta get more focused on the work I must accomplish today. So that I don’t become more needy.
God help us all in service to Him.
Who’s giving up on the Church or suggesting the Church should do nothing and “Govco” do everything? If your church has given up on giving to the poor, go find a new church or change it. Over-generalizations, mimicking right-wing talking heads that sound good on paper, and a belief the government is nothing more than a thief certainly won’t help anyone. It’s a big problem that requires both entities.
Test
Ok..for some reason, the post I keep trying to make is not showing up. Not sure whSnapshot, great points. You are correct.
No “rhetoric” here. Just facts. Smaller organizations do more good and have less waste than the huge behemoth that is Govco. Why is it that when people don’t agree with something it’s called rhetoric.
I never said it was either/or. My point is that should I be forced to give money to help the person on welfare to get a sex change or to have an abortion? I wonder how many here would support items such as that? When you leave it to Govco, that is what you will get.
Ok…not sure what I was typing that would not show up but, anyway.
Snapshot has made some excellent points. Kudos.
I guess I go back to limited Govco which is what our founders began. Not this huge monster we have today that we keep feeding with these so called “social programs”.
Actually, snap said it all in that I have much more faith in private organizations such as churches to do far, far more with far less than Govco ever could. Less waste and more help to those who actually need it.
Ah…the right to “choice”. Funny, but it seems like some people want the gov’t to make moral choices for us…until it comes to our money!
What? Didn’t anyone eat their shredded wheat this morning???
Just a question for Tim and Snapshot….
Seems there is a lot of “the government shouldn’t legislate morality, as pertains to giving, there’s separation of church and state” thinking in your words about social welfare. Ok.
But then, I wonder….do you support the congressional initiative to define marriage as between a man and a woman only? Or how about politics re: abortion? Do you want the government to legislate morality on those terms???
I often find a disconnect in the separation of church and state mentality of anti-welfare Christians when the marriage/abortion issues are surfaced, and am just wondering where you stand on church/govt. issues as a whole.
And, Tim, a note that private organizations, often receive the MAJORITY of their funding from the government, so it’s not as cut and dry as you’d like to make it. They’re inextricably linked, like it or not.
mommyham, I never said Govt. should leglislate anything moral. Not once did I say that. I don’t think they should. If anything, it should be done on a state or local level but even then I don’t agree with it. To use your example, there are MUCH more important things Govco could be doing rather than messing around with a Marriage ammendment or anything silly like that.
Before anyone jumps up and down and cites murder or stealing as something moral the Govt. already makes laws for…that is different. That is one person taking away the rights of another. Completly different.
Can we just please go back to talking about sex? It was less complicated.
But Deana – we could apply so much of today’s discussion to sex! Just substitute the word “sex” for “money” in these comments – it’s actually pretty funny!
lol Deana.
Plus, more fun.
I guess I’m a bit surprised by the tack you’re taking here, Tim. In your previous posts on this thread, you’ve suggested that government is wasteful and untrustworthy. But the other day when you were discussing torture, you made almost the reverse argument–that the government is trustworthy and efficient.
I’m trying to understand a feature of your arguments (and Snapshot’s and a few others’). Tell me if I’m characterizing this properly. The arguments that you and several others are making here paint a clear boundary between the secular (political, governmental, etc.) and the sacred (moral, ethical, justice-oriented, etc.). The positions you’re articulating suggest that the two are utterly separate, can’t comment on one another, and should remain divided. So torture (because it’s carried out by the government) has no particular moral implications for the believer; it’s about protecting the country and that’s in the purview of the secular alone. Charity (because it’s carried out by–or should be carried out by–the church) has no implications for the government; the secular merely sullies it through graft, corruption, etc. Therefore, when the government holds a “gun to your head” to pay for a war or congressional salaries or whatever (which could also help to take care of a lot of poor people if I didn’t have to pay taxes for them and the corruption associated with them), then that’s just government and okay. When it holds a “gun to your head” to help poor kids go to college or provide health insurance for poor children–or your example of a person on welfare getting a sex-change (the last example is certainly less common than the first two, but clearly these are “charities” you might not support–though there are certainly others you would), then that’s government overstepping its bounds. Is that right?
In other words, do you just have a particularly strong reading of “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things of God”? That would certainly explain the disparity between your posts on these various threads…
My guess is that this point of interpretation is the point of disagreement for many people on this thread (and also on the torture thread): that we have a fundamental disagreement about what belongs to whom and what constitutes the responsibilities of “Caesar” and God.
Beaner: kind of like adding “…Under the Covers” to hymn titles.
I’m sorry Bill but where in torture post did I make those comments? Just trying to keep on target here. Thanks.
Yes, I beleive the two should be separate. A Govco program to take my money and pay for someone elses child to go to College is so much different from Govco taking my tax dollars to pay for a road or to provide for Police and Fire. You are presenting a straw man.
Getting back to the original JO discussion… my bible class watched a video lecture by Beth Moore this morning (please, let’s not get into a debate over Beth Moore!) in which she commented that anyone who has the financial capability of buying a book (any book!) and enough education to read it is extremely wealthy in comparison to a large part of the world’s population. We are so insulated from the reality which most people in the world face that we have no perspective on what it is to be “wealthy”. The discussions in our churches about wealth would be laughable if it wasn’t so sad- We ARE wealthy, and whether we drive a BMW or an old run-down Honda is simply splitting hairs. Years ago, I read an article in “Reader’s Digest” where the author mentioned that most people in America take for granted luxuries that the wealthiest kings of the past could only imagine. But somehow that’s not enough for us- we want a hot tub too!
I found this article profoundly interesting. I have been searching for quite some time for articles about Joel Osteen and his “Christian” views. I was raised and still am Church of Christ and all of my father’s family is Church of Christ and my mother’s family really doesnt have much religion at all they are not atheist they just dont have religion. My mother was raised by her grandparents who were Baptist, eventually when she met my dad she converted to Church of Christ, but it seems that in the past couple of months she has begun to go back to her roots. I noticed a couple of months ago that she was watching Joel Osteen and she was beginning to believe that his sermons had a point and that maybe he was right about doing things for God to recieve blessings. I completely disagree however. I believe that yes God does bless us, but not because we have done something to benefit him. What can we possibly do being born sinners to benefit God so much that he would give us blessings as rewards. I am of the opinion that God guides us through our lives if we allow him to and if we let him handle our problems and allow him to work in us then yes he does bless us but its not because of us. I do not agree with Joel Osteen’s “gospel of wealth” theology, I believe that its just something else that Satan has put before us to lead us astray from God’s path and truth. If we allow a man to tell us that when we do good deeds for God then we will benefit by being rich or being blessed with earthly materials, then we are allowing Satan to enter into our lives and take hold of us. The Bible tells us that we should not pride ourselves in our earthly possessions because they are not going to get us to heaven but to be happy with what we have because nothing on earth can compare to what Christ has prepared for us in Heaven. By focusing on doing good for God in order to recieve earthly “gifts” from God, we are allowing ourselves to be led astray. I just hope that people like my mother can see that people like Joel Osteen are not preaching the word of God.
Oh thanks Deana – worship music will never be the same for me again!
Wow. Lots of comments on this one, Mike.
First of all…I love me some Mike Cope. Awesome post, brother.
Second of all…I love me some Larry James.
And lastly…I have this awesome T-shirt that says
“I prayed the Prayer of Jabez and all I got was this lousy T-shirt”
So many interesting viewpoints . . .
We – as Christians – are to do all we can to help others. Sometimes, that means having a “group” in charge of it. Don’t we have someone in charge of the pantry and the clothing that the churches distribute to the neighborhood? The government is in a position to do this. We pay our taxes, and there are organizations in place to distribute the monies. Personally, I don’t understand how a person can support himself, let alone a family, making minimum wage. How do you get food and housing? It’s very sad where WE place our priorities. And yes, we do tend to look down on people, thinking they could do better if they’d just work harder. Think about the early Christians, selling all they had and distributing it. I think government subsidized programs are great – they may be misused but what isn’t. We all benefit from government programs – like our garbage being picked up. Need to think about all areas before making statements about handling everything ourselves. I don’t think we’d like it at all.
I too would like to get back to the original discussion. Sorry for diverting to my loathing for Govco.
I love the “I prayed the Prayer of Jabez and all I got was this lousy T-shirt” ! Classic!!
I beleive one only has to look in their church parking lot to see much of what he have being misused.
I didn’t have time to read all the comments prior to mine, but was I ever disappointed in our brother, Max, when he wrote an endorsement for Joel’s book!
Having read Joel’s book, I think it was fine for Max to endorse it. It is based on biblical principles and would probably be considered more on the order of a John Maxwell book. It is not N.T. Wright or John Stott, but of course it is not meant to be. It is for the person who is struggling with finding a directon in life. The seven principles which are universal to many books of this nature are:
Enlarge your vision
Develop a healthy self-image
Discover the power of your thoughts and words
Let go of the past
Find strength through adversity
Live to give
Choose to be happy
The secret of Lakewood is not Joel Osteen, it is their praise and worship led by Cindy Cruse-Radcliff. You may not agree with their theology, but they sure do know how to praise God!
Okay, this may also be a somewhat tangential… but, in considering just how much the church does and can do, let’s look at this on one of the most basic and telling levels. How much does your church pay the janitorial staff, the nursery staff, and some of the less recogizable support staff positions? I know that at many of the churches I’ve been to, these positions were held by people that really needed the money that they were working for. And, the vast majority of the time, they are paid minimum wage.
I have heard it argued for instance that the staff in the nursery shouldn’t be paid much since it should really be considered service anyway. But, since the church can’t find enough volunteers they’ll pay something just to keep it staffed – minimum wage. And so, those that really need the extra money migrate into those positions – grandmothers raising grandkids, single moms, kids paying their own way through college…
Christian charity and benevolence isn’t just about having a food pantry… or even paying an occassional utility bill. I’d like to think that no one on a church’s payroll, fulltime, ever has to walk into a welfare office. But, they do.
JO offers a little to much comfort to those Christians that are well off for my taste. Those of us blessed with abundance should be very uneasy about it… Wealthy complacence is cancerous to the soul.
Some of you may be aware that Joel’s older brother (formerly of Little Rock) helps him manage the ministry … most folks don’t know that he has a kid brother who’s just breaking into ministry with his own book …
(I already feel guilty about this.)
http://www.keithbrenton.com/images/MyBlestLifeNow2.jpg
As a scholar and believer who looked at religious broadcasting during his doctoral studies, it shouldn’t amaze me that each generation finds a new “health and wealth” preacher to follow in America. But it always does amaze me, even though I know that there will be “prophets” who tell people what they are itching to hear.
Does this in some way relate to the prior post concerning sex? Are we saying that God wants us to have a better sex life, but he doesn’t want us to have a big house? Sounds like Prosperity Lite rated R. Both are dangerous. God isn’t a Cosmic Bell Hop or Cosmic Sex Therapist.