An Abundant Life? Navy Chaplain against "prosperity gospel"
By U.S. Navy Lt. Shawn Osborne
Station Protestant Chaplain
MCAS Yuma, Arizona
One of the most misused verses in the Bible is John 10:10 where Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." This verse is especially popular with churches that push a prosperity
"gospel."
Ironically, Senator Charles Grassley is pushing for a congressional inquiry into the six top mega-churches in the country to see if they are abusing their non-profit status. The televangelist Creflo Dollar (befitting name) claims the prosperity teaching is "steeped in scripture."
I would really like to see what Bible he is reading. If you read what happened to Jesus' disciples and the Apostle Paul, you might look at this from a different perspective. The life Jesus is talking about has nothing to do with material possessions or how much money you have in the bank. Did Paul have a more abundant life after following Jesus? You bet he did. In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul writes, "Five times I received from the Jews the 40 lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in
danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers."
Most biblical historians believe Paul was finally beheaded in Rome. There weren't any BMW's or fat bank accounts on his horizon, so was he lied to? Of course not, but thousands of church-goers around the country are being fed a lie that if you come to Jesus, then you will somehow be blessed materially. These people are experiencing a false conversion. Far too many of these poor sheep do not experience the "abundant life" promised by these false shepherds and their end result is worse than before. They didn't receive what they were promised, so they become disillusioned about Christianity and never go back to church.
On more than one occasion Jesus teaches us not to be concerned with material things. In Matthew 6:25, Jesus says, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?"
Again, in Luke 12:15, Jesus says, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." The prosperity lie cannot stand up against the rich or the poor. Try to
convince Hugh Hefner that if he accepted Jesus as his Lord, he would be blessed materially. He would laugh in your face. The guy is already rich and lives with a mansion full of beautiful women! How about a goat herder in a Muslim country? A conversion to Christ would probably get him killed. You can forget about Jesus miraculously blessing him with more goats because he will have family members shunning him or even trying to kill him.
The true Gospel message is not one of happiness or material blessings. The true Gospel is about righteousness. We were all born into sin and only the shedding of Jesus' blood on the cross can pay for the crimes we have
all committed against God in thought, word and deed.
Jesus never promised an easy life. On the contrary, Jesus says in Matthew 10:22, "All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."
One of the most misused verses in the Bible is John 10:10 where Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." This verse is especially popular with churches that push a prosperity
"gospel."
Ironically, Senator Charles Grassley is pushing for a congressional inquiry into the six top mega-churches in the country to see if they are abusing their non-profit status. The televangelist Creflo Dollar (befitting name) claims the prosperity teaching is "steeped in scripture."
I would really like to see what Bible he is reading. If you read what happened to Jesus' disciples and the Apostle Paul, you might look at this from a different perspective. The life Jesus is talking about has nothing to do with material possessions or how much money you have in the bank. Did Paul have a more abundant life after following Jesus? You bet he did. In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul writes, "Five times I received from the Jews the 40 lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in
danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers."
Most biblical historians believe Paul was finally beheaded in Rome. There weren't any BMW's or fat bank accounts on his horizon, so was he lied to? Of course not, but thousands of church-goers around the country are being fed a lie that if you come to Jesus, then you will somehow be blessed materially. These people are experiencing a false conversion. Far too many of these poor sheep do not experience the "abundant life" promised by these false shepherds and their end result is worse than before. They didn't receive what they were promised, so they become disillusioned about Christianity and never go back to church.
On more than one occasion Jesus teaches us not to be concerned with material things. In Matthew 6:25, Jesus says, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?"
Again, in Luke 12:15, Jesus says, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." The prosperity lie cannot stand up against the rich or the poor. Try to
convince Hugh Hefner that if he accepted Jesus as his Lord, he would be blessed materially. He would laugh in your face. The guy is already rich and lives with a mansion full of beautiful women! How about a goat herder in a Muslim country? A conversion to Christ would probably get him killed. You can forget about Jesus miraculously blessing him with more goats because he will have family members shunning him or even trying to kill him.
The true Gospel message is not one of happiness or material blessings. The true Gospel is about righteousness. We were all born into sin and only the shedding of Jesus' blood on the cross can pay for the crimes we have
all committed against God in thought, word and deed.
Jesus never promised an easy life. On the contrary, Jesus says in Matthew 10:22, "All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."
It's true. That bible passage if interepeted correctly is so true. I am Catholic and I tithe to my church not because I expect riches in return but because I believe in all the programs that my church provides for my community and by doing so I have been blessed in many ways that are not materialistic. When life seems bleak or seems to start falling apart I turn to my Lord and Savior and I ask him to do his will and I will obey and somehow I receive a small miracle that has nothing to do with money or material goods.
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