If one will just allow the Word of God to speak as to how God views the accumulation of wealth and riches without pitting scripture against scripture, using one scripture text to knock down and make void another scripture text, then one will quickly see why Jesus Christ referred to wealth as an “abomination!” The prosperity preacher will cite examples such as Abraham and Job as proof God wishes to bless His earthly sons and daughters with great wealth and riches. Both of these men were righteous, godly men and both were extremely wealthy. End of story, right? Not quite. Jesus Christ told His disciples: “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. SELL WHAT YOU HAVE and give alms (charitable assistance to those in need); provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSOl” (Luke 12:32-34). And, in speaking to the money hungry Pharisees in Luke 16, Jesus refers to the accumulation of wealth as “an abomination in the sight of God!” (See Luke 16:15).
Both Abraham and Job were mature, lifelong worshipers of God. They were righteous and faithful, men whom God could entrust with great wealth. Few believers, especially young believers, have the spiritual maturity and dedicated walk of righteousness to handle great wealth aright. It is all too easy for any degree of wealth to pull them off course and to captivate their mind and interests. Jesus knew that, having seen the same displayed with the rich ruler who approached Him asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to keep God’s commandments, to which the ruler replied, “‘All these things I have kept from my youth.’ So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me.’ But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.” (See Luke 18:18-23).
Over and over again Jesus urged the abandonment of wealth, not the accumulation of riches. Yet over and over again you will hear these prosperity gospel televangelists urging their followers to give generously to their ministries in order to assure their accumulation of riches, wealth and prosperity. How many times have I heard such charlatans say such things as, “God spoke to me shortly before the telecast and told me He would multiply the seed of any donor a hundredfold who gives to this ministry today!” Time and again I have heard such blasphemous pronouncements. I was personally present in one such meeting where the charlatan preacher told those assembled that God had spoken to him that day and informed him there would be twelve persons present in the meeting that night who would give a thousand dollars each to his ministry and that God would make each of the twelve millionaires within twelve months!! He then had his assistants pass out twelve envelopes to twelve people who held up their hands, indicating they would so give, or at least make a thousand dollar pledge. I have no doubt several of those who held up their hands first were the preacher’s stooges sprinkled throughout the auditorium to nudge some reluctant dupe to take the plunge. P.T. Barnum said, “There is a sucker born every minute.” Had he attended one of these deceiver’s meetings he would probably have said, “There’s a thousand suckers born each second!”
Every time Jesus spoke about riches He put it in a bad light, calling wealth “an abomination,” or referring to “the deceitfulness of riches,” or urging those who possessed the same to “sell and give to the poor!” Why don’t the wealthy televangelists ever point this out to their listeners??? Why don’t they tell their followers how Jesus graphically portrayed riches as a hindrance to maintaining a right relationship with God and finally entering His kingdom??? Scripture urges “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have (See Hebrews 13:5). The deceiver urges an opposite course, “Go for the gold. Expect to be rich. Seek wealth. Ask for more. Knock on the vault door until it opens and you can dive in headfirst.” I don’t know if Satan even has the ability to laugh, but if he does he must cackle his fool head off if observing some of his ministers doing their thing in their attempt to destroy the body of Christ.
I trust what I have written has caused someone to rethink themselves if pursuing wealth thinking that is God’s will for His people. Test the spirits. Prove all things. Don’t be gullible.
Christ’s Aged Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley