A powerful message from John Piper on the prosperity gospel that needs to be heard. Heads up to Katdish who I found this from. Thanks, it was something I needed to hear.
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I'm sorry I don't get this. God wants us to suffer? If we happen to have money, we are evil? If we praise God and have money, we are evil? This rubs me the wrong way. I don't think all people who prosper are evil. Maybe I need to watch it again to see what I'm missing.....
If that's what you really got out of it I think you need to listen to it again. It didn't say anything at all like that. Does God want us to suffer? No, but all of us suffer, we are human. It's the ability to still praise God through our suffering that we truly glorify God. He wasn't talking about your personal prosperity. He was talking about a certain way that in America the gospel is taught. Google prosperity Gospel or just shoot me an e-mail if you want me to talk about it with you more in depth. I love ya and didn't mean for your feelings to get hurt.
I guess I didn't know there a certain type of prosperity gospel being taught out there. It seemed to me that it was saying if you drive a BMW and are happy you not praising God the same way as you do when your child flies through the window of your car and you praise God as being good.
I have to say if my child went flying through the window of my car, I don't know what I would do. I might pull God in closer or I might be pissed off that my child was taken too soon. But is my child really MY child or am I just the temporary caretaker...for God. For that matter, am I just the caretaker of all my worldly possessions? Is any of it mine, or is God providing for me and I am the caretaker? If it doesn't belong to me to start with, I should not be angry when it is taken away.
I would like to think that I am far along in my faith that whatever happens in life, I trust God is with me.
I am currently watching and praying for a good friend as she just recently lost her job, then her husband in the course of a few months. She has two children to raise on her own now and I look at her and she seems so strong and is still smiling on the outside, but I wonder if she is pulling God close to her right now.
Sorry for hi-jacking your blog. One thing I have learned is that when something stings, there is probably something that I need to take a closer look at. My feelings are alright brutha. :)
Bub,
I'm really impressed that you posted a John Piper video on your blog. I believe that John (and others like him) are trying to bring us back to the center of the Gospel, that God's presence and power are really available to us in this moment, and steer us away from the "American Dream" gospel. The lie we want to believe that God is o.k. as long as I'm healthy, safe, and have a job that makes more money than I need.
Of course, that's not the Gospel at all. Paul said that the Gospel of Jesus is offensive...and it is.
Bub,
That was really intense and powerful. I agree with the comments that God doesn't necessarily want us to suffer or that we have to be poor to be Godly yet at the same time, the prosperity gospel in America is so off base and counter to the real deal. Plus, it's an insult to those born into poverty or extreme misfortune. To say that their "consciousness" caused their realities, or that if they believe hard enough, things will miraculously get better is also unfair. I believe our thoughts can influence outcomes but all in all, God is running the show. Not us. It's just our job to be as gracious as possible no matter what hand we're dealt (no pun intended). Thanks for posting this. It really struck me.
Please stop by my blog to pick up the helping hand award:
http://iwhispertogod.blogspot.com/2009/01/helping-hand-award.html
Blessings,
Lorna
Thanks for the encouragement. Looking at your blog, I can tell you know where I come from. It's just good to know their are people out there praying for you when you feel alone and hopeless. The video was good too. Alot of people have a hard time handling the truth, I guess that's why over the years the gospel has been watered down. But we don't realize we are unoffending people straight to hell.
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