Prosperity Blog #3: Overcoming Poverty
by Pastor Peter SamuelsBased on Chapter 21 of my Discipleship Training Course (http://tinyurl.com/disc-train-course)
Welcome to my third blog on Prosperity. In my second blog we looked at Avoiding Extremes and how to become a blessing to others. In this blog I am going to look at the problem of poverty and how it relates to prosperity theology.
Firstly, I would like to say that the true Gospel is good news to the poor (Isaiah 61:1). Salvation is initially spiritual in the free gift of eternal life but it is also of the soul (the mind, emotions and will) and the body (through healing).
Prosperity should be part of this same salvation experience. In 3 John 2, John the Evangelist said, “Brothers, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (NKJV). Thus prosperity starts in the spirit then moves to the soul, the body and the outer life.
Secondly, there is a vulnerability in many poor believers to a prosperity gospel. Poverty is often a curse from which people need to be delivered, but this is rarely broken by giving a ‘seed’ offering to a rich prosperity preacher.
Thirdly, poverty often acts at a wider level than an individual or their family. The coming of the Kingdom of God should bring joy to a village, a town, a city and a nation. This is brought about through the righteous being in authority, traders in the marketplace operating with fairness and compassion for the poor being in the hearts of all the people.
Finally, in Proverbs 12:12, Solomon said, “The root of the righteous produces fruit” (HCSB). We need to focus on the righteousness of God bringing a complete change to our hearts before we seek to experience other forms of prosperity. A good root will always produce good fruit.
Thanks for reading and I look forward to sharing again with you soon.
Pastor Peter Samuels
Pastor Peter Samuels
Extreme prosperity teaching can be very attractive to people who are in bondage to poverty. However, it is like eating too much sugar as it can have negative consequences to our spiritual health, like a spiritual form of diabetes.
ReplyDeleteJesus called His disciples to follow Him so that they might become fishers of men not so that they would get something. Their provision was included within a deeper relational experience.
Elisha followed Elijah because he saw something in his spirit that he admired and ended up inheriting a double portion along with his needs being met. However, Gehazi served Elisha but was distracted by material wealth and ended up inheriting Naaman's leprosy.
It is interesting to observe that both diabetes and leprosy are associated with circulation problems or nerve damage, where the extremities of the body have lost proper connection with the head or the heart.
Colossians 2:19 says false teachers have lost connection with the Head. 2 Timothy 2:17 states that false doctrines can spread like gangrene, which is a possible consequence of loss of circulation and nerve damage.
If we guard our lives and doctrines we will not only save ourselves but also our hearers.
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DeleteAmen. Indeed following Christ is the first of the many benefits we have acccess to by living Godly lives that reflect our Saviour and Redeemer.
DeleteAs we gain more wisdom we are also empowered to use our gifts to enrich the lives of others in our sphere of influence.
These Godly principles some of the keystones of restoring the Lordship of Christ in all our endeavours so that the body of Christ is empowered to operate from a Godly perspective hence eliminating the 'excessive sugar' that contaminates our spirit man.
Thanks for sharing your valuable insights!
Ps sign your name so we can credit your input personally.
More blessings and favour to you,
Jackie