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They were sharing this as a total demonstration of
blessed Christian life and how much “Jesus Christ was in this.” The older brother said that “escrow had just closed” and pastor’s equity was in bank. The Christian involved in real estate said that what he did for pastor paralleled what someone years ago had done for him, and now he was returning favor—he felt so good about it that he just had to share story with everyone.
Well, increasingly, this is claptrap that fills airwaves in “Church of Laodicea.” I am not saying that this was not a help to this pastor; however, what I am saying: “High profile” stories like this of alleged “blessing” are preposterous and bespeak not of Him Whom Scriptures say: “Foxes have holes and birds of air have their nests, but Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head!”
So, where’s blessing? When we are content with NOTHING, but rejoice in Christ, Who is our all, then we are blessed indeed and in truth!
“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count ALL THINGS LOSS for excellence of knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from law, but that which is through faith in Christ, righteousness which is from God by faith” (Philippians 3:7-9). (My emphasis)
I do not find emphasis in New Testament upon such financial gain as “blessing” but, to contrary, “RICH ARE PIERCED THROUGH WITH MANY SORROWS!” (I Timothy 6:10). By any standard, American Christians represent wealthiest of all God’s people on face of earth (materially); however, depraved Church in Laodicea is told that their boast: “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing” . . . belies FACT that they are “wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17). That’s “wretched truth” of matter.
The prosperity gospel has now hit talk shows; and people are eating it like candy . . . entire programs on “wealth management” (and there are scores of such “Christian talk radio ‘money shows’”) extolling virtues of “Responsible Christian Financial Management” known as prosperity hype, as far as I am concerned. This is nothing more than an “other gospel” (Galatians 1:9).
Alas! What a sad ....
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