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Have you ever prayed yourself into a corner?  What I mean is ..have you wanted something so badly that you have asked the Lord over and over again for it?  Have you ever been told that if you speak out your wishes outloud that they will come true?

Oh, how wonderful it would be if this would only be true…or would it?

There are many preachers out there, especially on Christian TV that are promoting word of faith, health/wealth prosperity teachings.

“Give us your money and you will be blessed 100 fold”.  “Speak out your words of faith and you will be healed”…If you have read the statistics of negative results stemming from these practices I would have to say that the beliefs are truly biblically unfounded, promote greed and are self-serving.

Do I believe that God still does miracles today?  Yes, most definitely.   But are there many Christians out there who are willing to lay out everything, give up their lives, their possessions to serve him? Are there still those who daily seek to live in  righteousness and give Him glory?

People are seeking riches, signs and wonders, and desire “experiences”, and wonder why God is withholding the  miracles in their lives. Truly, the miracle is that God in his patience and love is witholding  his judgment.

Consider these statements from Word of Faith promoters and preachers….

Kenneth Copeland “You’re all God. You don’t have a God living in you; you are one!..”(“The Force of Love.” Tape BBC-56)

Paul Crouch  “I am a little God!…I have his name. I’m one with Him. I’m in covenant relation. I am a little god!. Critics, be gone!”  (Praise the Lord, TBN July 7 1986)

Benny Hinn  “When you say I am a Christian, you are saying, I am mashiach in the Hebrew. I am a little messiah walking on earth, in other words, that is a shocking revelation ..May i say it like this? You are a little god on earth running around. (Praise-a-thon TBN Nov 6 1990)

Whenever one inflates oneself to God’s level, one is in dangerous territory and this is truly delusional. Leading others to do the same is shameful.

There are harmful consequences for those who believe they can speak forth their words to gain prosperity/wealth/ health.  When the believer falls ill, loses their job, never seems to have any “victories” in their life, that person may wonder “what have I done wrong?”, “is my faith not strong enough?”,” am I not positive enough?”.   The Copeland’s teach that any negativity is a lack of faith. When troubles come, and it always does, the believer is  defeated and depressed by the lack of blessings. These disillusioned ones may turn away from God completely because of these false teachings and of discouragement.

A good example of suffering in the Bible is the story of Joseph.  He went through 13 years of loneliness and humiliation, all of it undeserved.  Joseph never complained (which is astounding), but notice that God did not change his circumstances.  Instead, because Joseph knew that God was always with him, even in the worst of times, he was finally triumphant and became Pharoah’s #1 guy.  Even then, Joseph gave God all the Glory. The truth is that the Lord allows suffering to train us, mold us, and lead us for his purposes.

Suffering is one of the Lord’s greatest tools for strengthening our faith. God wants to bless us but not with the things that the world desires. 

Mat 6:20-21 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

In March my husband and I were vacationing and doing the tourist thing with the local shops, and we went into a jewelry store. I happened to see a beautiful gold band with an opal and it looked just like a ring I saw years ago and wanted very badly.  It also had a man’s matching ring.  We looked and looked and thought this would be a great new set of wedding rings for us.  I said, let’s think about it. As we walked out of the store I heard in the spirit, “Store up your treasures in Heaven”.  I told my husband that “The Lord wants us to store up our treasures in heaven, so we can’t buy the rings”.. “Oh, okay” he said, and I forget all about them. When I knew that the Lord did not want us to have these rings, my desire for them vanished. 

Do not listen to man’s unbiblical words but instead know the Bible and the Lord will speak His words and guide you.  

If you are seeking or praying for POWER..instead ask for HUMILITY and that the Lord will use you as He sees fit.

If you are seeking PROSPERITY/WEALTH…instead ask God what He wants you to GIVE UP.

If you  want HEALING , instead ask the Lord in His mercy to give you or someone else ENDURANCE and STRENGTH while suffering, like Paul who endured the “thorn in his flesh”.

These things are not bad in themselves, and He will bless us and answer prayer as He sees fit, but we are not to love the world and we are to  deny ourselves.

Philippians 4:11-13  “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and i know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound  and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me”.

kim

articles on the Word of Faith teachings can be found here:

http://www.apologeticsindex.org/c53.html

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/word-faith.html