This morning as I was putting on my makeup and getting ready, I turned on the TV for a little while. The 700 Club happened to be on, so I just watched for a little while. The whole show was about how to prosper financially. It was all about what YOU can do in order to get a blessing from God. I am just appalled at this teaching. There were several stupid moving stories about people who had been really down and out and how THEY decided to accept Jesus as their savior, then THEY decided to start tithing, some even double tithing. And because THEY did these wonderful things for God, THEY received the full benefit of God’s favor. What a man-centered bunch of bunk! I hear this teaching so often these days and it just sickens me. I hear so many people use such verses as these to prove this teaching:

I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Phil. 4:13

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:19

But they have taken these verses out of context. In this chapter of Philippians, just a few verses before these two, Paul is talking about how he has learned that in whatsoever state he is in, to be content. He says ‘I know how to be abased and I know how to abound.’

So when Paul says ’I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me,’ it seems to me he is saying he can endure whatever comes his way, be it hardships or prosperity (and we know he had lots of hardships).

When he says, ’God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus,’ isn’t he also talking about how God will, thru Jesus Christ, supply our needs, which would be, in this context: the ability to be content and endure whatever comes out way.

To use these verses to say God will make us rich or we can do anything, achieve anything in this world, is just total abuse of these verses, I believe. (I guess Paul and the apostles just didn't have enough faith, or didn't tithe their whole 10% because they sure weren't rich and all died a martyr's death).

The gospel of Jesus Christ is not about what WE do, it is about what CHRIST has done. We do not turn God this way or that by how much we pray, how much we give, or whatever ‘good deeds’ we do. God is not there to serve us. We are here to serve him. He is not our Genie in a bottle.

I guess it's good (for the world anyway) for there to be people that believe this garbage teaching because sharing the world with people that strive to be good and do good deeds, even with the wrong motives, is better than sharing the world with people who care nothing about doing the right thing (isn't it?), but man, when you do look at people’s motives (to prosper themselves and using religion to do it), it is just sad to me. …..BUT I know God is in complete control and it is his will for things to go this way. So, praise his Holy name! I pray he will keep me from such deception because if he doesn’t I will fall right in line with them (and do in so many areas). God help us.